Obagi products...think twice
EDS Skin Care Forums Forum Index » Skin Care and Makeup Forum

enjoys freebies · Sat Aug 07, 2004 9:58 am Quote

My brother and his wife wanted me to send them Obagi skin care products. They are in the Philippines and they told me that celebrities there use Obagi for clear complexion. It seems that it is very popular there and it's very very expensive compared here but I have reservations in sending them these knowing that some of Obagi products contain irritants, mutagenic, toxic, or carcinogenic ingredients (i.e. SLS & DMDM Hydantoin). I don't think they know this information.
http://advancedbotanicals.com/products/dictionary/ingredients_to_avoid.htm
http://www.preventcancer.com/consumers/cosmetics/narita.htm

So I may have to educate them before indulging themselves into the Obagi regimen. I may have to recommend other products that use more natural/organic ingredients. Any recommendations based on your own experience?

enjoys freebies · Mon Aug 09, 2004 2:52 pm Quote

eSquire415 wrote:

My brother and his wife wanted me to send them Obagi skin care products. They are in the Philippines and they told me that celebrities there use Obagi for clear complexion. It seems that it is very popular there and it's very very expensive compared here but I have reservations in sending them these knowing that some of Obagi products contain irritants, mutagenic, toxic, or carcinogenic ingredients (i.e. SLS & DMDM Hydantoin). I don't think they know this information.
http://advancedbotanicals.com/products/dictionary/ingredients_to_avoid.htm
http://www.preventcancer.com/consumers/cosmetics/narita.htm

So I may have to educate them before indulging themselves into the Obagi regimen. I may have to recommend other products that use more natural/organic ingredients. Any recommendations based on your own experience?

True the Obagi Products are quite popular especially that it is popularized by lots of Filipino Movie Celebrities who uses them, hence they thought it is also good for their skin. I agree with you that one such be educated as to the contents/ingredients of such products before endulging oneself so as not regret any side affects in the future.

I myself haven't tried Obagi regiment, I'm happy with my own regiment, products made in the Philippines and I buy them thru the internet to send here in the USA. It's probably less than Obagi and probably more suitable with the skin type of a Filipino/Filipina. Just my 2 cents worth of idea.

Tue Aug 10, 2004 4:13 am Quote

SLS (Sodium Lauryl Sulfate) is a very common foaming agent that is found in HEAPS of different shampoos, soaps, bath gels, toothpastes, and a lot of other products that foam up. I think that if we paid so much attention to the potential carcinogenic properties of ingredients in products that we use on a daily basis then we'd be too scared to use anything!

You'll see that a lot of websites are careful and do use the word "potentially" carcenogenic instead of making statemens like "highly carcenogenic". I think the main reason for that is that there might be certain situations (or combinations of chemicals) that can make those ingredients (in some specified quantity) carcenogenic, but this may not apply in general.

I'm not defending Obagi (I haven't used it before) but I would not dismiss it on the count of having certain ingredients like SLS. Just my opinion on the matter Embarassed

enjoys freebies · Wed Aug 11, 2004 12:33 am Quote

Well, there are better products out there that use ingredients that does not harm the skin or cause irritations. Obagi products have been reviewed by Paula Begoun and it's in her website that I learn about Obagi being inferior to others.

CosmeticsCop on Obagi

I just think, why risk your skin with products proven to irritate it? Also most don't even list how small or how large the quantity of SLS or what-have-they in their product. I don't think many people will take that chance. Sodium lauryl sulfate can react with other ingredients to form cancer-causing nitrosamines. Sodium laureth sulfate may be contaminated with 1,4-dioxane, a carcinogen. Dioxane readily penetrates the skin. BTW, there are products out there that you can buy without these harmful ingredients. To be sure, use natural/organic products. Try this site:

Guide to Less Toxic Products

And if you must use a product with SLS (or any of the mentioned ingredients from the link above), make sure they are listed in the bottom half of the ingredients list (the lower it is from the list the lesser its amount).

Wed Aug 11, 2004 3:25 pm Quote

I had a bad experience with Obagi,although of esthetic than safety nature .Still, Obagi Sunscreen that I used contained dangerous ingredient :Polyacrylamide -harmful even in small quantities . I would not recommend this to anyone. I threw mine away although it was pricy. Mad

mad with Obagi

Thu Aug 12, 2004 5:22 am Quote

Well, as I said, it really comes down to personal opinions. Paula Begoun has a "myth busters" section on her product website that clearly states that SLS is fine in products and that the whole thing has been blown put of proportion by natural skincare companies. She doesn't have very kind words to say about natural skincare in general btw - it may contain a lot of irritants Rolling Eyes

I don't really go by what Paula Begoun says mostly because I think she tends to be overly critical of products that have worked just fine for me (and heaps of other people). She also rags shimmery eyeshadow, which I happen to love Razz

Btw, I don't know much about Polyacrylamide (other than that it's a water binding agent), but I do know that it's actually in one of Paula Begoun's "Paula's Choice" products.

I think dubi posted a website last week or so (on the Product Reviews forum) that lists skincare products in terms of potential irritants etc etc http://www.essentialdayspa.com/forum/viewthread.php?tid=2533&highlight=site Might be worth a look if you are worried about these ingredients.

Mabsy

enjoys freebies · Thu Aug 12, 2004 6:18 pm Quote

Obagi Clear and Blender both contain 4% hydroquinone, which is a skin bleaching ingredient that's banned in Asia. Wouldn't it be illegal to send products containing hydroquinone there? Just curious.

enjoys freebies · Thu Aug 12, 2004 7:51 pm Quote

Thanks for the warning on hydroquinone! Just checked it on these websites:

http://asiams.net/Skin/Lighten/lighten.html
http://www.2asian.com/Skin/Lighten/lighten.html

enjoys freebies · Fri Aug 13, 2004 4:00 am Quote

Hi,

I have to jump in here and say that having used the Obagi NuDerm system since january has truly been a life changing experience for me. The product along with vitamin C serum has made my skin go from dull and tired to bright and vibrant. I never used the Clear as it wasn't something I needed but did use the complete system otherwise.

For the first time in years I actually feel good about myself when I look in the mirror and I could never rave enough about Obagi.

Sherri

enjoys freebies · Sun Aug 15, 2004 1:10 pm Quote

Worst 25 Skin care products:

Not because they don't work but because they contain quite a number of known or potential health hazards.

http://www.ewg.org/reports/skindeep/report/executive_summary.php

Automatic Message

If this is your first visit to the EDS Forums please take the time to register. Registration is required for you to post on the forums. Registration will also give you the ability to track messages of interest, send private messages to other users, participate in Gift Certificates draws and enjoy automatic discounts for shopping at our online store. Registration is free and takes just a few seconds to complete.

Click Here to join our community.

If you are already a registered member on the forums, please login to gain full access to the site.