Erin inquires…
Hey, I’ve really enjoyed reading this webpage and all the archives. Good work! I have a question about facial cleansers. I have a lot of problems with mild acne, nothing awful, but still consistent and annoying. I have tried various prescriptions and asked a couple doctors, and they have all said a really good cleanser is cetaphil since it is very gentle. But recently I went to my parents’ house and didn’t have any cetaphil for several weeks, and suddenly my acne got better. So now I am wondering if cetaphil might be making things worse. How can you tell if a cleanser will exacerbate acne? What things should I look for/avoid??? And is it possible that it’s better to just not wash your face at all???
Thanks!
Erin
The Left Brain reciprocates
Thanks for the questions Erin. You’ve stimulated a brainy response.
One of the most interesting aspects of your question is the logical connection you make between not using Cetaphil and the disappearance of your acne. Unfortunately, just because something is logical doesn’t mean that it is true. It’s one of the Beauty Brains Basic Beliefs: Two events happening at the same time do not mean they are related. They might be related but that doesn’t mean they are. Think about this, researchers have found that most bank robbers have eaten cheeseburgers within 24 hours of their heist. Does this mean that cheeseburgers and bank robbing are somehow related? Come to think of it, maybe that’s why they call him the Hamburgler.
So too could it be the case with Cetaphil and your acne. Without more evidence or testing you just can’t know if there is a real connection or it’s just a coincidence. Based on the ingredients in Cetaphil, it’s most likely a coincidence.
Is Cetaphil making your acnes worse?
The most likely answer for the majority of people is NO, Cetaphil is not making your acne 
worse. Let’s take a look at the ingredients.
Water, Cetyl Alcohol, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Stearyl Alcohol, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Butylparaben
The formula is mostly water (probably 90% water). The next ingredient is Cetyl Alcohol. This is not the regular kind of alcohol that you drink but a fatty alcohol derived from coconut oil. It (along with its cousin Stearyl Alcohol) will help bind with the oily materials on the face so they can then be washed away. Propylene Glycol is a humectant that will also help bind with oily materials on the skin and provide some moisturization. The Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) is the only true “cleanser” in the formula and it is in there at a relatively low level. It removes all the dirt and oil off your face. The last three ingredients are paraben preservatives that keep the product microbe free. We recently did a post on parabens.
The bottom line is that none of these ingredients by themselves has ever been shown to cause acne. SLS is an aggressive cleanser that can be irritating to some people so that could potentially be making things worse. You could also have a chemical sensitivity to any of these ingredients but that would really be rare.
How can you tell if a cleanser will exacerbate acne?
For any specific person, you can’t really tell unless you try it. Most any cleanser is designed to improve skin appearance not make it worse. However, if you want to be extra cautious you should buy products from larger, established brands. The companies that make these products will have spent a lot of money researching and testing their products to ensure they work well. Smaller companies do not have the money to invest in testing raising the possibility (albeit small) that their formulas could be exacerbating your acne.
What should you look for or avoid in a cleanser?
It’s an old study, but this one published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology looked at the comedogenicity (the ability to cause acne) of various cosmetic ingredients. Quoted from the article,
“Ingredient offenders include isopropyl myristate and its analogs, such as isopropyl palmitate, isopropyl isostearate, butyl stearate, isostearyl neopentanoate, myristyl myristate, decyl oleate, octyl stearate, octyl palmitate or isocetyl stearate…”
You should avoid any formula with these ingredients in it. This is not to suggest that the formulas are bad or will cause acne. It’s just that these ingredients could cause acne so are best avoided.
One interesting note about this study is it was done in the early 1980s using animal testing. Currently, this is the only effective way to predict if a formula is going to cause acne. Since most companies do not use animal testing on there formulas any more, there is really no way to tell for sure.
Is it possible that it’s better to just not wash your face at all?
An interesting notion, but not one we here at the Beauty Brains can endorse. Washing your face removes excess oil, dead skin cells, dirt and even bacteria that accumulate daily. For some tips on the proper method, check out the information here.
And in the event that we haven’t turned you off to Cetaphil, you can purchase it right here.
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kimmi Says:
I’ve had derms tell me to use Cetaphil for acne too. I did, and came to the conclusion that their products are horrible. I used the cleanser for a year, when suddenly it began burning my face. I switched cleansers and saw an immediate improvement in the clarity of my skin. I also used the moisturizer for a long time. It made my skin greasy, yet I still had dry, flaky patches all over my face. I think Cetaphil is really meant for people with super sensitive skin; I don’t know why derms recommend it with a blanket approach.
What I learned: follow your gut when it comes to OTC skin products. There are so many products on the market, there’s no reason to stick with a something you have doubts about just because a doctor recommended it.
Dani Page Says:
Those ingredients mentioned absolutely can cause acne or exacerbate it further. Another chemical to add to the list is PEG-100.
I would suggest sticking with cleansers/moisturizers that you obtain from a health food store. Use an all natural vegan/organic cleanser.
Furthermore you need to look at your diet. It is true that you are what you eat despite what physicians or your friends may tell you. Hydrogenated oils, dairy, sugar, soy, wheat, white flour are culprits not only in causing physical ailments to the body (auto-immune diseases etc.) but also cause acne.
There are only two ways that your body filters out used hormones and toxins from the body and that’s through your skin and/or lungs. People with acne on their face suggests that they are toxic. There are so many preservatives in the foods people eat today it’s no wonder our bodies are taking longer to decompose after death. We become toxic from the aforementioned foods/oils I mentioned. Hydrogenated oils are one heat molecule off from being “plastic” that’s right PLASTIC, think what that gunk is doing to your body. Surely something that close to plastic can’t be pushed out through the skin without clogging the pores and causing nasty breakouts.
If you eat like crap your skin will inherently reflect that. Hydrogenated oils are oils that have been super heated as to preserve longer on the store shelfs. Once heated to these super high temps the triglyceride chains become mutated and the body has not a clue how to rid itself of them. Hence having them hang around in your system wreaking havoc on the body. Anything from skin problems, to lethargy, to arthritis.
Oils to stay away from are hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated: vegetable oil, canola oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil, cottonseed oil etc. You can eat sunflower oil only if it is “coldpressed”.
Safe oils are: Extra Virgin Olive oil (not to be heated above 350 degrees in the oven or higher than medium heat on the stove, again over heated will also mutate the triglyceride chains in this oil causing it to be toxic.) Coconut oil, again cold pressed (not the crap you can get at your local “mart”) and lastly Palm oil, yes Palm oil it is loaded with beta carotene and vitamin E. You can heat Palm oil on high heat without any toxicity occuring. Coconut oil can be heated on high heat but only if you purchase a coconut oil that suggests “high heat” on the jar. Grapeseed oil is good too and will not smoke at higher heats although if you have female issues such as endometriosis it is best to stay away from this oil as it will cause unwanted inflammation.
The best thing to do is eat LIVE foods stay away from any prepackaged foods!!! Juice vegetables and fruits if you have access to a juicer, however stay away from fruits with a lot of sugar content: oranges, ripe bananas, etc. the more “bitter” the fruit the better. It took you a long time to get toxic and will take a while to get “un-toxic”. So patience is needed.
Please also look into kidney cleanses, liver cleanse and parasite cleanses. You can google Hulda Clarke and find out her recipes for the cleanses and order her parasite cleanse, it’s very inexpensive and well worth it.
Please also feel free to further your knowledge on hydrogenated oils, parasites etc. by using your favorite search engine. You won’t look at foods the same again!
Good luck and remember that zinc, selenium, magnesium oratates, Omega 3, 6 & 9 along with beta carotene is important for beautiful, radiant skin. (stay away from Vitamin A it can be toxic in too large of doses) taking beta carotene instead is your better bet, the body converts what it needs into Vitamin A on its own in your system. Your body knows best!
Some great health websites:
http://www.relfe.com
http://www.knowthecause.com
(deals with mycotoxins, *fungus/*mold which also causes diseases and skin problems)
Ashley Says:
Hi, you talked about how hydrogenated oils are bad, but is it okay to have oils like corn, sunflower, canola, etc. that aren’t hydrogenated? Thank you and let me know!
Susan Says:
I disagree, I think if you noticed your skin getting better while off Cetaphil, it’s probably not a coincidence.
It probably is the Sodium Laurel Sulfate. It causes acne/irritaiton in some people, like myself. I’ve stopped using Cetaphil and won’t use it again because of the SLS.
Dani Says:
Hi Ashley, No corn oil or canola oil. Sunflower oil is okay if it is “cold pressed”.
Corn oil is toxic by itself and canola oil is a genetically manufactured oil that came from Canada. Hence the name, CAN-OLA (get it Can-ada)and yes it is partially hydrogenated.
Canola comes from the rape seed, the mustard family of plants. Rape is the most toxic of all food-oil plants and is actually a weed. Canola is used for soap, fuel, synthetic rubber base, a lubricant, strips the paint off airplanes and is most commonly used as a pesticide, yes a pesticide, insects won’t even eat it! Try putting some on your flowers, etc. you’ll see!
Effects of Canola Oil on the body:
Agglutinates the red blood corpuscles
loss of vision
emphysema, respiratory distress
anemia
constipation
irritability in humans and animals
blindness of animals
low birth weight in infants
increased incidence of heart disease and cancer
disruption of the central nervous system.
And because canola oil is high in omega-3 fatty acids, which easily become rancid and foul-smelling when subjected to oxygen and high temperatures, it must be deodorized. The standard deodorization process removes a large portion of the omega-3 fatty acids by turning them into trans fatty acids. (hydrogenated oil)
Unless the label says it’s trans fat free you’ll find that it’s partially hydrogenated and just crap.
Hope this helps