Olivia asks… I read that putting egg on your face is good for your skin. This sounds like an old wives tale what do you think?
The Beauty Brains respond:
What do I think? I think that “urban legend” is probably a more politically correct term then “old wives tale.” I point this out just in case there are any old wives reading this who might be offended. But I digress…
Many people believe that an egg facial mask will get rid of wrinkles. That’s a myth that got its start because eggs contain albumin protein which is a good film former. This film makes skin skin temporarily feel tighter which may make you THINK your wrinkles have been reduced.
But, despite this myth, it turns out that eggs really do contain a chemical that’s quite good for your skin: cholesterol. That’s right the same waxy gunk that can clog your arteries is actually one of the main natural moisturizing agents in skin. So should we skip the expensive skin lotions and just rub egg on our faces? Well it’s not quite that easy.
The problem with eggs
Applying eggs directly to your skin is not a good idea for several reasons:
- They’re messy. Eggs have that… well… “eggy” consistency that makes them unpleasant to spread on skin. They’re just not as aesthetically nice as a well formulated moisturizing product.
- Eggs are prone to spoilage. I seriously doubt if anyone out there once their face to smell like rotten eggs. (Although some dandruff shampoos will make your hair smell like rotten eggs.)
- Cholesterol is only one component of the egg so you have to put quite a bit on your face to gain a significant benefit.
- And lastly some people have an allergy to the proteins contained in eggs which would make applying them to their face potentially risky.
Eggs-tract to the rescue
Don’t worry though I’m not going to tease you with good news about a natural ingredient and then snatch it away from you before you even get a chance to try it. Luckily, technology has come to the rescue with a solution. Some cosmetic suppliers offer an egg extract which captures just the good stuff. This ingredient is known as “egg oil” and it’s a concentrated version so there’s plenty of cholesterol to do its moisturizing job. And it doesn’t contain any of the other eggy ingredients which makes it a sticky mess and prone to spoilage. Finally, it is stripped of the proteins that can cause some people to have an allergic response.
The Beauty Brains bottom line
If you’re in the market for natural moisturizing ingredients look for moisturizing products that have “egg oil” high on the ingredient list.
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Does Egg-lecithin also contain this cholesterol?
Hi Chris. I believe it does.
Don’t use a DIY egg facial because “eggs are prone to spoilage”? Who would be so stupid to put rotten eggs on their face? If the ones you’ve got in your fridge are good enough to eat they aren’t going to rot on your face all of sudden. I think people understand that you wash it off after a while (it’s pretty obvious from the way it looks on your face). I heard the same thing from a scientist on a radio show about using oil in your hair. That it will become old in your hair and make it smell bad. If you wash your hair once every six months or what? I have used both oil in my hair (who hasn’t) and eggs as a facial on my face and never had this problem. Also, I don’t find eggs unpleasant or messy to spread on the skin, though a bit unpleasant when it has dried, but maybe your science says otherwise.
Sounds like using egg as a facial mask may be a good option for you.