Shock! Is the "skin-beautifying" baby cream actually a devilish trap for your baby's health?

An incident previously exposed on the Internet caused quite a stir. An originally beautiful baby developed a rash on his skin, so he chose to apply "XX Natural Special Effect Baby Cream". After the baby's skin was smooth for a short period of time, a series of strange things happened: the baby did not grow in height, but his weight soared, and he soon became a "big-faced baby", with thick, dark hair growing on his skin.

Image source: B station dad review

After testing by relevant agencies, the "baby cream" was found to contain clobetasol propionate, which is a super-potent glucocorticoid. According to the national standard GB/T 24800.2 - 2009 "Determination of 41 glucocorticoids in cosmetics by liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry and thin layer chromatography", it is a banned substance as stipulated in the "my country's Cosmetic Hygiene Standards" and must not be detected in cosmetics.

Hormones are beasts?

Glucocorticoid is a type of corticosteroid, and corticosteroid is the abbreviation of adrenocortical hormone. Its secretion is regulated by the anterior pituitary gland and is produced by adrenocorticotropic hormone stimulating the adrenal gland. It can play an anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic role, increase the excitability of β receptors, and improve capillary permeability.

Image source: Pixabay

Corticosteroids: mineralocorticoids and glucocorticoids. Mineralocorticoids mainly regulate the body's water and sodium metabolism and maintain water and electrolyte balance; glucocorticoids are mainly involved in the metabolism of sugar, fat, and protein, and are related to growth and development.

In addition to corticosteroids, the human body also has a variety of hormones. Hormones are the transliteration of Hormone, which means "to rise up and move" in Greek. They are chemical substances produced by endocrine glands and transported throughout the body with blood to control the body's growth, metabolism, nerve signal transmission, etc., and regulate human metabolism, growth, development and reproduction.

According to their different chemical properties, hormones can be roughly divided into four categories: ① steroidal steroids, such as corticosteroids and sex hormones; ② amino acid derivatives, such as thyroxine and adrenal medullary hormones; ③ peptide and protein structures, such as pituitary hormones and calcitonin; ④ fatty acid derivatives, such as prostaglandins.

Mineralocorticoids have basically no clinical use value. External use of glucocorticoids can reduce the permeability of capillaries, reduce exudation and cell infiltration, and exert anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic effects. They can treat infantile eczema, milk ringworm, red buttocks, prickly heat, urticaria, boils, as well as allergies, itching, mosquito bites, etc. They can also inhibit the proliferation of fibroblasts in the skin, thereby reducing the formation of 5-hydroxytryptamine, so they have a certain whitening effect on the skin. In addition, corticosteroids reduce other pathogenic factors that cause skin allergic reactions through immunosuppressive mechanisms, further making the skin "beautify". This is why "baby cream" becomes "beautiful" in the early stages of use.

It is precisely because of these characteristics of glucocorticoids that some unscrupulous manufacturers illegally add them to "baby creams", and then use false propaganda of naturalness and exaggerated propaganda of efficacy to attract consumers and make huge profits through Internet marketing. After using such baby creams, the short-term effect is very good and the effect is very fast. In as short as one or two days or as long as about a week, the baby's skin will become fair, rosy and smooth. Adding glucocorticoids is the "secret" method used by unscrupulous manufacturers to achieve "quick effects".

Skin is addictive

Faced with such a "fast-acting" magical product, people are often easily confused by its efficacy, but they do not realize that they have fallen into the trap of "skin opium". Once discontinued, the skin will experience symptoms such as itching, redness, swelling, papules, dryness and peeling, which can be relieved by re-use, but will recur after discontinuation. The above situation occurs repeatedly, and as time goes by, the medication time gradually increases and the relief time gradually shortens. Until it becomes difficult to stop using, and dependence is formed, and continued use makes the above symptoms worse, forming a vicious circle.

Long-term use of "skin opium" can cause thinning of the skin, dilation of capillaries, and atrophy of hair follicles, leading to symptoms of hormone-dependent dermatitis such as dryness and peeling, red blood streaks, and pigmentation. In severe cases, it endangers physical health. This is because the side effects of glucocorticoids are to promote protein decomposition and inhibit protein synthesis; increase calcium and phosphorus metabolism, counteract vitamin D, and affect calcium absorption; long-term use also inhibits osteoblasts, causing bone formation disorders, leading to osteoporosis and even fractures. Because adrenal cortex hormones have the effect of counteracting growth hormone, they can inhibit bone growth and protein synthesis, affect the growth and development of babies, and cause short stature. After long-term use, Cushing's syndrome will occur, and fat will accumulate on the head and face to form a "big-faced baby."

Pitfalls

According to the intensity of the drug's clinical effect, glucocorticoids can be divided into: super-potent (such as clobetasol propionate), strong (such as mometasone furoate), medium-potent (such as triamcinolone acetonide, dexamethasone and its esters), and weak (such as hydrocortisone and its esters). The "baby cream" used by the "big-faced baby" mentioned above contains clobetasol propionate. This ingredient is a super-potent hormone and must follow the principle of going from strong to weak. First, reduce the dosage and frequency of super-potent hormones, replace them with slightly weaker hormones, and then gradually weaken and reduce the dosage until the drug is stopped. This process takes a long time.

Therefore, parents should try to choose big-brand baby creams for their children, and give priority to skin care products without additives. Here, the author reminds everyone to be cautious when choosing cosmetics, beware of products that claim to be "fast-acting" or "miraculous", and beware of the hidden "hormones" that may lead to disfigurement instead of beauty.

Human life activities are mainly affected by the regulation of the nervous system, but also by hormones. Hormones in the human body play an important role in regulating life activities. For example, insulin secreted by pancreatic islet cells can promote the storage of glucose in the liver, accelerate the decomposition of blood sugar, and regulate sugar metabolism.

Source: Chongqing Science and Technology Museum

Author: Lin Yi, doctor at Beijing Tiantan Hospital

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