What Are the Ingredients in Nair?
Looking at the ingredient list in a cosmetic preparation can be daunting. However, when you examine each ingredient in context, you can see that each chemical has a purpose. The ingredients in Nair are water, mineral oil, calcium hydroxide, urea, potassium thiogycolate, cetearyl alcohol, cetereth-20, sodium hydroxide, fragrance, D&C Yellow No. 8 and chromium hydroxide green. Does this Spark an idea?
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Effects
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Water: Cosmetic cream preparations now contain emulsified water and oil-based compositions to provide a stable base for the cosmetic product.
Significance
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Mineral oil is added to cosmetic products as a skin moisturizer. A 2005 study proved that cosmetic-grade mineral oil does not cause skin eruptions, as was once thought.
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Function
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Calcium hydroxide and sodium hydroxide raise the pH of the chemical reaction of the active ingredient, potassium thioglycolate, which drives the breakage of the sulfur bonds in the hair.
Identification
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Potassium thiogycolate is the active ingredient of Nair and breaks the sulfur bonds in hair proteins.
Significance
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Urea helps hair and skin retain moisture, helping prevent skin infections. Urea is also used in prescriptions that treat inflammatory conditions of the skin.
Considerations
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Cetearyl alcohol is derived from coconut oil, and is present in the stable oil and water mixtures found in cosmetic preparations. In the presence of ceteareth-20, a product containing cetearyl alcohol can be emulsified, or mixed in a shelf-stable fashion. Products containing ceteareth-20 and ceteryl alcohol can remain homogeneous from the factory to the home.
Benefits
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D&C Yellow No. 8 and chromium hydroxide green: Fragrance is added to most cosmetic preparations, including sunscreen, hair care products, powders, cleansers and lotions, to make the products more appealing and mask or detract from any objectionable odors. Potassium thioglycolate, for example, has a very pungent odor.
Yellow no. 8 is an approved dye for use in cosmetics. Chromium hydroxide green is a standard safe coloring agent in cosmetics.
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