Body Lotion Research

Today I will be doing some research on lotion and I figured I might as well share my findings with everyone. I will be comparing the ingredients of Victoria's Secret Pure Seduction Ultra Moisturizing Hand and Body Cream, Johnson's body care Lavender and Chamomile Lotion, and Aveeno Daily Moisturizing with Sunscreen.

I had also wanted to add Naturally Victoria's Secret hydrating body-lotion Grapefruit Lime and Mint, but it doesn't list the ingredients on the back.

One of the ingredients that I noticed in all three lotions was glycerin. Now, I've heard this word before and knew the general defintion, but I wanted to know how it applied to lotions.

According to wisegeek.com: "Glycerin is popular in beauty products because it is a humectant— it pulls moisture to the skin....Glycerin can be dissolved easily into alcohol and water but not into oils. The pure chemical element is called Glycerol, which indicates that it is an alcohol. The impure commercial product is called glycerin."

Cetyl or CetearylAlcohol: According to cosmeticsinfo.org: "Cetyl Alcohol and Stearyl Alcohol are the two major components of Cetearyl Alcohol. These ingredients are all fatty alcohols and that are widely used in cosmetics and personal care products, especially in skin lotions and creams.Cetearyl Alcohol and the other fatty alcohols keep an emulsion from separating into its oil and liquid components. These ingredients are also used to alter the thickness of liquid products and to increase foaming capacity or to stabilize foams."

Methylparaben: According to Wisegeek.com: Methylparaben is a member of the paraben family, a group of compounds that possess antibacterial and antifungal properties. Due to its antimicrobial properties, methylparaben is used extensively as a water-soluble preservative in many foods, beverages, pharmaceuticals, and personal care products.

Distearyldimonium Chloride According to thebeautybrains.com: "Distearyldimonium Chloride is a positively charged surfactant. It is typically used as a hair conditioning ingredient but it should have some moisturizing effect on the skin. Essentially, the positive charge interacts with negatively charged proteins on your skin, so the ingredient doesn't completely rinse off. This provides a nice feel to your skin's surface."

Disodium EDTA According to eHow.com: "Disodium EDTA has the chemical formula of [CH2N(CH2CO2H)2]2, the molecular formula of C10H16N2O8, and is a major chelating agent from which all of its applications extend from. It has high affinity to free metal ions, a common pollutant and impurity in many chemical environments. As an example, when we clean something with soap or wash our laundry, there is a chemical reaction between the detergent, the organic dirt, and the water that provides an aqueous solution environment for the chemical reaction of "cleaning" to occur. However, many impurities and free metal ions and minerals in tap water makes the performance of detergents less effective and inconsistent across geographies with varying water quality. Disodium EDTA as a chelating agent helps bind the free radicals and impurities, allowing the major ingredients in detergents to work effectively and consistently without excessive chemical disturbance."

Sigh, all in all, I am not smart enough to figure out which lotion is best for my skin and the environment. The Victoria's Secret Pure Seduction Body Cream did list more oils and flower extracts than the other two combined, but then it is made to be a 'perfume lotion' whereas the other two are mainly for moisturizing. I may try to do more research on making my own body lotion. It seems like glycerin can be bought and then I could just add whatever flower extracts I wanted such as lavender or lemon.

A helpful article-According to wisegeek.com:

How do I chose the best natural lotion?

Choosing the best natural lotion should be based on the effect you want the lotion to have, the body part to which it will be applied and whether you have an allergy to a specific ingredient in the product. This will require educating yourself on the various ingredients commonly used to make different types of lotions and carefully reading the list of ingredients on the container to know what is in it and whether it truly is a natural lotion.

A good lotion easily can be made in the home using an herbal lotion base to which you add other ingredients according to the purpose for the product. You have to choose the exact ingredients and in what amounts they will be used if you believe that the best natural lotion for you must be personalized. People who have multiple things to consider — such as allergies or sensitive skin that might also be dry, oily, uneven in complexion or prone to breakouts — usually need to opt for making their own natural lotion or purchasing one that specifically mentions treatment for all of their conditions.