In our monthly column Apply This, Not That, industry experts come clean on the ingredients found in professional products. For October, we found out what ingredients Shannon McLinden, founder and CEO of FarmHouse Fresh, has been applying lately, plus what she recommends staying away from.
Probiotics: "Pre- and probiotics are amazing! Just recently, oral probiotics have gone mainstream in the U.S. for digestive health and balance of the GI tract. Now, it’s being recognized that using pre- and probiotics within skincare products is a natural and effective way to greatly impact the health of the skin. They help balance the bacteria on the skin’s surface while providing a calming effect."
Star Product: FarmHouse Fresh’s Organic “Will Dew” Balancing Milk Mask contains powerful healthy bacteria blended with nourishing organic coconut milk, sweet almond oil, aloe vera, and rice extract. It calms inflammation, redness, and breakouts and helps to gives skin a youthful, healthy glow.
DMDM hydantoin: "With the rise in popularity—and focus on convenience—facial masks are now available everywhere. You can even pick up single-use facial mask packets at gas stations! Many masks contain DMDM hydantoin, an antimicrobial agent and preservative. It increases the shelf life of cosmetics, but when DMDM hydantoin is applied to a warm, just-washed face, which often happens with the application of a mask, it releases formaldehyde. In addition to being a carcinogen, formaldehyde can be a strong skin, eye, and lung irritant to many."
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