The beauty and health of the human skin is being threatened by one of the largest campaigns ever conducted in the history of merchandising. Every day on magazine, television, radio and newspapers, we are encouraged to put aside elemental skin care ingredients like soap and water in favor of such complexion "aids" as daytime moisturizers, night creams, cleansing creams, face foundations and rouges.

While some people's skin is capable of facing the harmful consequences of cosmetics, an estimated 30% of all cosmetic users have skin which is acne prone. This can be a negative factor when looking for an acne treatment.

Women and men alike, in their teens, twenties and even early thirties, are possible candidates for cosmetic acne. The condition is characterized by several prominent small whiteheads covering the cheeks and chin and sometimes the forehead. While cosmetic acne seldom leaves scars, it can be unsightly, stubborn and troublesome. The skin's pores have a hard time dealing with the skin's normal oil sebum, so applying more irritating oils is one of the worst things you can do.

Even people who are not acne sufferers can actually develop acne through the use of their cosmetics. Since cosmetic acne usually appears quietly after several months of repeated use of a comedogenic (acne-causing) product, many women do not connect their outbreaks with the cosmetic product. The woman with cosmetic acne is in a vicious circle; the more she breaks out, the more make-up she uses to cover it up... which only leads to more blemishes.

Advertising confuses the issue. "Oil Free"--the Darling of Madison Avenue.

"Oil free" is fast becoming a popular term of the cosmetic industry. Many cosmetic producers are substituting chemicals which, legally speaking, are not catalogued as oil free simply because they derive from synthetic sources rather than from natural sources, i.e., animal, vegetable or mineral.

These artificial products, however, are often more acne producing than a natural oil such as mineral oil. Publicity claims for many cosmetic words such as "oil free," "dermatologist tested" and "hypoallergenic" can be very misleading. Hypo-allergenic can mean the product is perfume-free, yet it could still contain ingredients harmful to acne-prone individuals. "Dermatologist-tested" may be accurate but not entirely helpful. The product can have been tested for skin allergy or skin irritancy and its consequences on skin pores may have been missed.

The Oil Migration Test

Not all "oil-free" moisturizers for cosmetics are oil free; some contain oil-like synthetics that can irritate acne-prone skin. How to know? Dab the moisturizer on good-quality stationery (imprinted 25% cotton fiber). 24 hours later, hold the paper up to daylight and check for oil rings. The extent of migration will show the proportion of oil in the product.

The oil migration test is useful to discover certain oils in cosmetics, but it is more important to learn to understand the labels and avoid troublesome ingredients. Remember, not all oils are bad. Petrolatum and some natural oils like mineral oil and sunflower oil don't penetrate down into the pore.