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Tuesday, April 20, 2010

SHORTLIST Style: Precious Metal in Beauty Products

I think it pays to love chemistry in my high school years coz when it comes to real life, that subject really helps to understand life better. I know chemistry is one of my fav subject both in school and uni, and it continues to be part of me now. Well, how can I live without chemistry (and that includes 'chemistry' among people too, ahaks!)

Talking about chemistry, one of the most important to understand is the chemical elements. Like the heavy metals and stuff that you can find in the periodic table. Oh, fyi... I got this mug at Science Museum @ South Kensington, London years ago coz I think it's interestingly quirky. It has the periodic table on it. Call me a chemistry geek, but I think this mug is fun to have on your table!

Okay, the heavy metals. You know that metals has been used in beauty products since ages ago. Like copper and gold, they got some benefits to the skin due to their 'chemical bonding' they can create. I still remember a couple of years back about an issue of beauty products that uses mercury as one of the formulation. You know mercury is very dangerous coz it's one of the heaviest metal existed in the environment. Very carcinogenic which can cause cancer, and being used quite a lot in yesteryears especially in whitening products. How to know that there's mercury in the stuff you're using? Well, one rule of thumb - take some sample, put it on your palm, do that typical 'lather' thing with some water and if you can see some 'glitter', then there's mercury on it. And using mercury-based product will cause some dark patches on the skin which stay as long as time will say so. Yikes!

Anyway, other metals seems to be quite okay as long as the concentration is within limit. Since most metals plays their role differently in the redox process (that's reduction-oxidation, for you lots), they has been used in many anti-ageing and anti-bacterial products. Like these one featured in Shortlist. From shampoo to facial cleanser, face cream to skin serum - they got precious metals which is beneficial to the skin. And... ehem.. the more precious the metals, like platinum or gold, the more expensive they become.

So, love chemistry. Love beauty. Love life. =)

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