Flabbergasted

I love learning about skin...what it should eat, how to best take care of it, how to dress it up on occasion. Good thing. Better late than never.

I owe my skin a big apology. The adage "ignorance is bliss" is baloney or in my case, skin cancer. I have talked about this oodles before but today was my quarterly dermo check-up. In lieu of being "torched" everywhere by that painful liquid nitrogen blaster, we decided I had too much suspicious stuff to cover this time and the doctor suggested a cream. OK...sounded great to me. As per any treatment, there would be a blister-y, sore stage but then, clear skin ahoy. Why not?

Kind of excited, I went and got my RX-filled. Then, I went home and read the box. Holy Moly!!!!

Does this make sense to you???? I really, really don't know what to make of this formula. Parabens, propylene glycol, polysorbate 60 (PEG), petrolatum? Aside from being among the top twelve things not to put on your skin, why in the world are they in a formula for already compromised skin? Money matters I imagine.

Here is the dirt on what's in my prescription:

Parabens: Linked to breast cancer
o Methyl Paraben: Allergies/immunotoxicity, non-reproductive organ system toxicity, irritation (skin, eyes or lungs), biochemical or cellular level changes.

o Propyl Paraben: Developmental/reproductive toxicity, endocrine disruption, allergies / immunotoxicity, and non-reproductive organ system toxicity.

Petrolatum. Can cause highly allergic reactions. Contamination concerns.

Propylene Glycol. Alters skin structure for enhanced skin absorption. A skin irritant that can cause allergic reactions. Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs).

Polysorbate 60. A PEG, contamination concerns with 1,4-dioxane, a carcinogenic.

I avoid these ingredients like the plague or more appropro, like the sun, and wouldn't dream of buying products that contain them.

This Women and Wednesdays finds me flabbergasted.