The Body Shop is a retail chain that specializes in skin care products. Its Vitamin E Moisture Cream is designed to fight dry skin with the key ingredients lanolin, sorbitol and vitamin E. Along with the standard components of water, red 4 for coloring, and fragrance, the cream's formula contains 17 other ingredients.
Thickeners
Thickeners promote a creamy texture instead of a watery one. These agents help bulk up a product. Thickeners in the Vitamin E Moisture Cream are carbomer, ceresin, glyceryl stearate and cetyl esters. Ceresin is a clay derivative and, according to Cosmeticscop.com, can be "sensitizing for some skin types."
Emollients
Emollients moisturize skin and make it more smooth and soft. Emollients in the Vitamin E Moisture Cream include PEG 100 stearate, lanolin and isopropyl palmitate. Lanolin is derived from sheep, while isopropyl palmitate is derived from palm or coconut oil. People who are prone to eczema may be sensitive to lanolin, according to DERMAdoctor.
Preservatives
In personal care products, preservatives keep bacteria, mold and fungi from growing. Preservatives in Vitamin E Moisture Cream are all parabens: methylparaben, butylparaben, ethylparaben, isobutylparaben and propylparaben.
Parabens have been a subject of controversy because they can act like estrogen in the body and because estrogenic substances have been linked to certain cancers. The Food and Drug Administration's Cosmetic Ingredient Review board looked at the safety of parabens in 1984. It concluded that "they were safe for use in cosmetic products at levels up to 25 percent. Typically parabens are used at levels ranging from 0.01 to 0.3 percent." This finding was upheld in December 2005, and the FDA maintains that consumers do not need to worry about parabens in cosmetic products.
Miscellaneous
The remaining five ingredients in the Vitamin E Moisture Cream have various functions. Sorbitol is a sugar-based additive that may aid in hydrating the skin. Steareth-2 and steareth-20 help mix liquids together to create an emulsion. Tocopheryl acetate gives the product its vitamin E and is an antioxidant, meaning it fights cellular damage in the body. Lastly, triethanolamine aids in pH balancing.
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