9 Common Skin Care Ingredients to Avoid
/A few decades ago, the most appreciated feature of cosmetics was to make the skin pretty. After all, that is why the women were buying these products, and that was the only thing cosmetics needed to be good at, right?
Then a lot of health and environmental issues started to appear around these products. Very serious issues, including anything from skin irritations to potential risk of cancer. A lot of studies have been conducted, and many common skin care, hair care and makeup ingredients have been clearly linked to severe health problems.
A logical next sentence should be “And then they banned these ingredients from the products we use every single day.” But, sadly, that is not the case.
The truth is – the FDA doesn’t regulate at all what can or cannot go into your beauty products. Many ingredients that are banned in Europe or Asia are still legal in the United States. Because of all this, it can be very challenging to stay away from the products that could be harmful for your and your loved one’s health. The following list can help you at least start to understand what your products may contain and what you should avoid as much as possible…
#1 PARABENS
Most people have probably already heard about these preservatives. After a research paper from 2004 that found traces of parabens in breast cancer tissue samples, many clean beauty brands started to produce and label their products as “paraben-free”, so try to find them and stick to them.
#2 FORMALDEHYDE
There are at least attempts to ban this known carcinogen from nail polishes, eyelash glue, hair straightening products, etc. The problem is – there are other ingredients that release formaldehyde, and most people don’t even know about them. Try to avoid bronopol, diazolidinyl urea, imidazolidinyl urea, DMDM hydantoin and quaternium-15.
#3 TOLUENE
You can find toluene in hair dyes and nail polishes. You should especially avoid it if you are pregnant, as it could cause birth defects. It has also been linked with brain toxicity, and it can negatively affect the immune system.
#4 OXYBENZONE
Oxybenzone is a filter often added to chemical sunscreens. Hawaii is the first US state to ban sunscreens that contain this chemical in order to protect the marine environment, as it has been found that oxybenzone has several negative effects on coral reefs. As for the negative effects on humans, oxybenzone is marked as a potential hormone disruptor and is known to cause allergies and eye and skin irritations.
#5 TRICLOSAN
Triclosan is an antimicrobial ingredient. You can find it in antibacterial soaps, hand sanitizers, shaving creams, toothpaste, facial wipes, etc. This ingredient has been known to cause organ toxicity, endocrine disruption, allergic reactions and irritations. Plus, it could contribute to making bacteria more resistant to antibiotics.
#6 DEA, MEA, TEA
Diethanolamine (DEA), monoethanolamine (MEA), and triethanolamine (TEA) are ammonia compounds that are common foaming agents and emulsifiers. They are clear and colorless, and you can often find them in soaps, shampoos, and body and face washes. They are potential carcinogens and frequent sensitizers.
#7 PHTHALATES
Phthalates are plasticizers - a group of chemicals used to make plastics softer and more flexible. They are added to beauty products in order to help the products stick to your skin. However, they can be very harmful, especially for children, as they are known to be serious endocrine disruptors.
#8 PEGs
PEGs (polyethylene glycol) are moisture carriers, product thickeners and they help the product to get better absorbed into the skin. These petroleum-based compounds are often contaminated with chemicals that are possible carcinogens and/or could cause respiratory problems.
#9 BHA
We are talking here about butylated hydroxyanisole (not to be confused with salicylic acid, or beta-hydroxy acid, which often also goes by BHA and is a great skincare ingredient). But butylated hydroxyanisole could cause skin depigmentation and animal studies have linked it to several potential health issues.
Angels, it is extremely important that you watch what you put in and on your body to avoid long term damage. Now that you know a few ingredients to avoid, we strongly recommend that you read through the ingredients of the products you use regularly. You’d be surprised what’s in them!