Cosmetic scientist warns against saving extra product from sheet masks – people don’t realize how it can harm your skin
A CHEMIST has offered a few helpful pieces of advice that could benefit your skin.
She advised against saving extra product from sheet masks and other helpful skincare tips.
Esther Olu (@themelaninchemist) is both a cosmetic scientist and esthetician.
She is heavily invested in the beauty industry and shares applicable content online that relates to science.
In a TikTok video, she shared five things she would never do as they pertain to her skin health, based on her professional experience.
Right off the bat, she listed the first one and explained a reason why.
“I’ll never preserve the extra essence in the sheet mask for later use,” she said.
She detailed that single-use items, like sheet masks, provide the lowest amount of risk for microbial contamination because it’s a one-and-done type of product.
“Preserving the extra essence can be a breeding ground for microbes to grow, and this can potentially be harmful to your skin,” she added.
Next, she said she would never use products that overstate its benefits. and, in particular, cosmetics that have illegal drug claims.
“Any product that is specifically a cosmetic can only claim to improve the appearance of the skin,” she added.
According to her, if a cosmetic claims to treat or change biological functions of the skin, like acne or eczema that makes it a drug and that brand is breaking regulations.
Then, she shared that would never change a product’s initial packaging, even if that new package is easier to use.
“Part of product development and cosmetic chemistry is ensuring the formula that is made is compatible with the package that it is in,” she said.
She emphasized that changing a product’s initial packaging creates a possibility for unknown reactions and can possibly deem a formula ineffective.
In her penultimate piece of advice, she said that she would never start using a new formula starting with a high concentration of actives.
“Simply put, at higher concentrations, the risk of adverse effects greatly increases. It’s all about starting low and slow and finding the optimal window of concentrations that you can tolerate,” she said.
Lastly, she would never buy or judge a product solely based on its ingredient list.
Esther explained: “You cannot determine sensory aesthetics technologies where ingredients are sourced and how they are synthesized based on an ingredient list.”
“All these factors can cause the same ingredient list to produce two different results.”