Pond's Cold Cream: Reducing the Weird Chemicals in Your Life
Just What is Sodium Borate, Anyway?
Granted, Pond's Cold Cream has been around for a very long time, and tons of people swear by it. However, that doesn't always mean something hasn't got weird chemicals in it. Plus, you never know what has changed in the recipe over the years. Since my skin adores the stuff, and since it's going on my face, I especially want to know how toxic it is.
The ingredients are mostly simple, which was one reason why I opted for the original Pond's in the first place rather than another cold cream. The first three are mineral oil, water, and beeswax. So far, so good! The next one is something called ceresin. Hmm, let's find out what that is...
Ceresin is "a white wax extracted from ozokerite" according to an online dictionary. NIH lists ozokerite under ceresin as well. So what the heck is ozokerite? Ozokerite is apparently a naturally occurring mineral wax. It's refined with sulfuric acid and charcoal. Since it's not like the sulfuric acid is in the cold cream, this is fine by me.
Moving on to the next ingredient, which is Sodium Borate. This is one that kind of concerned me but I'm glad to report it's nothing to really be worried about. It's a mineral, which is unlikely to be hazardous and its LD50 score is 2.66g/kg which is less than caffeine (LD50 score of 0.192g/kg). That means you'd need more sodium borate to kill 50% of lab rats than you would need caffeine. So I think that it's pretty safe to say that this ingredient doesn't bother me.
After the sodium borate, there's fragrance, which leaves a bit of mystery. There's no way of pinning down just what kind of stuff is used to make the scent. The cream doesn't smell very strongly, though, and it has a honeyed kind of beeswax scent. Since the odor is low and beeswax is one of the main ingredients, I'm not very worried about it. All that leaves is carbomer.
This is where it gets tricky. Unilever's Web site for Pond's lists it as a "Viscosity Controlling Agent" which isn't particularly helpful. Looking at the NIH site again, I see that this stuff is also in metal polishes and plastic cleaners. That doesn't seem like a good sign, but then again, sodium borate is in detergent and fertilizer, so maybe it's ok.
A Web search has led me to http://allnaturalbeauty.us/emulsions.htm, which says that carbomer is "a synthetic compound comprised of a cross-linked polymer of acrylic acid with a high molecular weight." The Web site http://www.faceproducts-online.co.uk/ingredients_info.php?IngredientId=25 says it's non-toxic. As best I can tell, that's accurate. It seems to be listed in products such as eye drops. Burt's Bees lists it as "chemically engineered" but doesn't mention it under dangerous or highly processed ingredients. So, I think it's safe to assume that it doesn't really pose any sort of problem. Especially seeing as it's the last ingredient on the jar.
It would seem that Pond's Cold Cream passes the test. If my makeup is full of weird chemicals, then at least the stuff I use to take it off isn't full of even more of them. I just realized, too, that unless the carbomer or fragrance are chemicals, there are no weird chemicals at all in the cream because it's mostly minerals or natural items. This is definitely the cream to use if you want to reduce your exposure to weird chemicals.
Sources:
http://hpd.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/household/brands?tbl=brands&id=3004005
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozokerite
http://www.burtsbees.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ContentView?contentPageId=52&catalogId=10051&storeId=10001&langId=-1
http://www.faceproducts-online.co.uk/ingredients_info.php?IngredientId=25
http://allnaturalbeauty.us/emulsions.htm
http://hpd.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/household/brands?tbl=chem&id=842
http://www.unilever.com/PIOTI/EN/p4.asp?selectCountry=IE&language=EN&productid=1339099
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LD50
http://pesticideinfo.org/Detail_Chemical.jsp?Rec_Id=PC34355#Toxicity
Published by Charity Hendrix
I've drawn since I could hold a pencil. Studying biology & making lots of crafty things. Trying my best to live a greener life, & get control over my finances, in addition to entertaining daydreams of a hobb... View profile
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- Is there anything in my cold cream that's toxic?
- What are the ingredients actually made from?
- How many chemicals am I putting on my face?
11 Comments
Post a CommentWhile cold cream isn't as toxic a blend as many products out there, I don't think you could call a blend of mineral oil and fragrances being involved in there healthy for you.
There are plenty of more natural cold creams, recipes, or friendlier companies with more traditional recipes if you're looking to get weird chemicals out of your life.
I'm surprised you were so flippant about writing off fragrance as being not a concern because it didn't smell strongly to you but you're asking for all of this scientific background on mineral oil. I'm not saying it's wrong to ask for supporting data for a statement, but to put mineral oil to such stringent standards for proof and pass of the fragrance as probably not a big deal when fragrances are one of the most unknown, and potentially seriously dangerous, concoctions in any beauty product seems weird.
So what is in the fragrance? You don't really know, most likely. But they're usually entirely synthetic and include chemicals to aid in the scent permeating the skin to be longer lasting. And that means getting into your blood stream.
Also, remember that a company isn't required to list ingredients it considers 'trade secrets', so there's no guarantee that after all your hard work researching, that you've really figured out -all- of the ingredients in there, unfortunately. Whil
overdosage of mineral oil can inhibit the absorption of some vitamins and reduce the ability of the skin to rid toxins. it is scientific fact, but there are different compositions of mineral oil. the same type of mineral oil that's going into your cosmetics and skincare are not necessarily and unlikely to be the same kind that are used for industrial and mechanical purposes. you can google up a toxicological evaluations on different mineral oils
Okay, so It deleted most of my post... anyways, after getting out of the shower one day... All I had was my Vaseline. I like to use a lot of my lotion while my body is still soft, and moist from the water, to lock in the moisture, so I left my face dripping with water and went ahead and used the Vaseline on my face (avoiding my eye area). I let my face air dry a little, and then patted it dry afterward. The Vaseline went on my face a LOT easier when it was wet; it didn't feel sticky in the least bit, and it was easier to rub in. The effects of using Vaseline as my facial and neck moisturizer when out of the shower have been PHENOMENAL. My acne is cleared, completely, and my skin is more supple and soft (even in the currently cold Kansas weather) then it ever has been! The Vaseline acted as a barrier to lock in the NATURAL moisture of the water I already had on my face! Acne, gone! Smooth skin, Hello! I completely recommend using Vaseline on the face. And Like you sad, there is no SOLID
I have severe allergic reactions to any lotion, face wash, or makeup that has fragrance added. I will develop a weird rash around my nose, chin, and sometimes forehead when I use any of those products with any kind of scent added. Also, I am allergic to "soap" as well, but that is another story... anyways, I recently bought some "beauty lotion," I guess you could call it, for one's face. I will not mention the brand, but the lotion smelled sweet, but not overbearing when I sniffed it. Fragrance is usually one of the last ingredients listed, and therefore one of the least used ingredients (smaller quantity or percent compared to others) Well, after using it for about a week, the skin around my nose became irritated and my acne flared up, again! I am 19 years old, and Have never had a problem with acne before, because I use mostly mineral makeup, and soap free facial cleansers. I found this recipe for the ultimate skin lotion that combines different portions of Vaseline, vitamin E cream,
Again, give me some ACTUAL SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE. You know what else is a petroleum product? Vaseline aka petroleum jelly. Also, mineral oil can be taken internally. I have found nothing scientific stating that it has any harmful effects. So, again, if anyone would like to link me to some studies or any kind of FACTUAL non-anecdotal evidence I would be very appreciative. There's a reason why everything I mentioned in the article had sources and links to scientific information.
mineral oil is a by product of the petroleum industry. its created in large quantities and sold at low prices to get rid of how much the petroleum industry makes. would you put gasoline anywhere on your body? no? then don't put mineral oil on your body. its cosmetics companies being too cheap to buy or produce veg oils that are much better for your skin!
Lots of things can cause break outs for some and not for others. I would honestly really like some kind of info to back up the idea that mineral oil is a bad idea because I have been able to find no real evidence. If anyone has any I would really like to look into further and learn more.
its true, mineral oil is NOT good for your skin! it can cause break outs.
best to use virgin coconut oil as moisturizer. its very light, non clogging and actually heals and protects your skin
Do you have any sources to back that up? I'd be interested in investigating it more. All I can find are mentions of industrial mineral oil being bad and that mineral oil can become contaminated with cancer causing agents, but that the oil itself is fine.