Six Ingredients To Avoid In Your Beauty Products

If you haven’t yet completely made the switch to all-natural homemade personal products (or at least reputable organic store-bought), consider this: your hair, skin, nails, and body are probably all stressed out and need a break.

Body care and cosmetics are not regulated like foods, so many of them contain toxic chemicals. Some of these chemicals are added intentionally, and some are contaminants or impurities that are released by other ingredients or created when certain ingredients are combined.

Over time, our bodies collect toxins in much the same way a bicycle wheel collects rust. All of that toxicity contributes to weight gain, wrinkles, breakouts, and dull skin, hair, and nails.” Kimberly Snyder, CN ~The Beauty Detox Solution

You’ll find an array of chemicals in beauty products on store shelves. Some have extremely low health risks, while others are known carcinogens or linked to other serious health problems. If you want truly “natural” products, you’ll have to learn to pour over labels and determine which ingredients won’t cause you to grow horns or a third eye. (I’m only *kind of* kidding about that.)

So if you want what’s best for your body, you can start by avoiding the following products in your beauty and personal care products:

Parabens

What are they?

Parabens are additives that possess antimicrobial activity, frequently used as a preservative in cosmetics (and some foods).

Why they’re dangerous

Concerns about parabens in personal care products have cropped up due to their ease of penetration into the skin. They have been shown to mimic estrogen in the body, interfering with hormone function. They have been detected in human breast cancer tissue, suggesting a possible relationship between parabens in cosmetics and cancer. (source, source)

Where they’re found

You can find parabens in things like fragrances (although they won’t be listed on labels as such), deodorants, makeup, lotions, lip sticks, shampoos, conditioners, body wash, and most other beauty products that contain water. Parabens are a family of chemicals, so they’ll show up under many names on labels.

ON LABELS, LOOK FOR: methylparaben, ethylparaben, propylparaben, butylparaben, and other ingredients ending in -paraben. 

Phthalates

What are they?

Phthalates are chemicals that are used as solvents, dyes, plasticizers, and as a solubulizer in many cosmetics and perfumes.

Why they’re dangerous

Scientists in several countries have agreed that phthalates can cause a range of health and reproductive problems. Phthalates can not only be absorbed through the skin, but also inhaled when found in things like cologne and perfumes. Studies have shown that phthalates can cause damage to the kidneys, liver, lungs, and reproductive systems. They have been linked to reduced sperm count, disruptions in hormone activity, and even liver and breast cancer. (source)

Where they’re found

You can find phthalates in products like perfume/cologne, shampoos, hand lotion, eye liner, eye shadow, mascara, lip stick, bronzer, nail polish, hair gels, deodorants, hairspray, and aftershave lotion. There are several forms of phthalates that may be lurking in your beauty products.

ON LABELS, LOOK FOR: diethly phthalates (DEP), dimethyl phthalate (DMP), benzylbutyl phthalate (BzBP), and dibutyl phthalate (DBP).

Petroleum Byproducts

What are they?

Derived from crude oil, petroleum-based ingredients form a barrier over the skin, not allowing it to breath. These products are used by companies because they’re extremely cheap.

Why they’re dangerous

Because petroleum products form a barrier over the skin, they interfere with the body’s natural moisture-production, resulting in dehydration of the skin. Furthermore, the skin is the body’s largest organ, often assisting overloaded organs in the job of detoxification. When petroleum products are introduced to the skin they can interfere with the body’s detox efforts. Petroleum products have also been linked to premature aging of the skin and are a possible carcinogen. (source)

Where they’re found

Petroleum byproducts can be found in lip products, petroleum jelly, baby oil, hair products, skin moisturizers, sunblocks, deodorant, soaps, and more.

ON LABELS, LOOK FOR: petrolatum, mineral oil, paraffin, paraffin oil, paraffin wax, propylene glycol, PVP/VA copolymere, and even isopropyl alcohol! 

Formaldehyde

What is it?

A highly toxic impurity, formaldehyde is released by a number of preservatives used in cosmetics. The use of formaldehyde in personal products has been banned in many countries, but not in the US.

Why it’s dangerous

Formaldehyde has been classified as a carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). It has also been identified as a substance that is “reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen” by the US National Toxicology Program. Formaldehyde is also well known as a skin irritant. Yet, there is still no requirement for the amounts of formaldehyde to be tested in personal products here in the US. (Can anyone say “YIKES?”)

Where it’s found

Formaldehyde and formaldehyde-releasing preservatives can be found in some nail polishes, shampoos, liquid hand soaps, body washes, nail glues, toothpastes, hair gels, hair smoothing products, lotions, and more.

ON LABELS, LOOK FOR: DMDM hydantoin, diazolidinyl urea, imidazolidinyl urea, quaternium-15, 2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol, and sodium hydroxylmethylglycinate.

1,4-Dioxane

What is it?

According to the Environmental Working Group, 1,4-dioxane is “an unwanted byproduct of an ingredient processing method called ethoxylation used to reduce the risk of skin irritation for petroleum-based ingredients. Though 1,4-dioxane can easily be removed from products before they are sold, its widespread presence in products indicates that many manufacturers fail to take this simple step.” So I guess you could say it’s an unwanted by-product of an already harmful ingredient (petroleum byproducts) that is put into personal care products.

Why it’s dangerous

Several organizations, including the Environmental Protection agency (EPA) and the US National Toxicology Program (NTP), have classified 1,4-dioxane as a probable human carcinogen. It has been linked to organ toxicity, neurotoxicity, and birth defects.

Where it’s found

This contaminant can be found in most products that produce lather, such as shampoos, liquid soaps, body washes, etc. It can also be found in hair relaxers and other products.

ON LABELS, LOOK FOR: PEG (polyethylene glycol), and any other ingredients that contain “eth,” like “laureth,” “ceteareth,” “oleth,” etc.

Synthetic Fragrances

What are they?

Synthetic fragrances are added to products to make them smell good. These fragrances can contain a laundry list of chemicals that don’t have to be disclosed on labels, since most fragrances are a unique blend formulated by companies. (A fragrance is considered a trade secret that is actually legally protected!) Instead, you’ll only see “fragrance” listed in the ingredients.

Why they’re dangerous

Unfortunately, synthetic fragrances can contain things like phthalates, petroleum byproducts, and parabens. (See info above if you can’t remember why these are bad.) Other harmful ingredients in synthetic fragrances include Toluene (aka methyl benzene), acetaldehyde, styrene oxide, acetonitrile, and and Musk tetralin (AETT), which have all been linked to dangerous health issues. Since companies don’t have to list all the chemicals that make up their synthetic chemicals, you’re basically getting a “mystery blend” of toxins. Most synthetic fragrances are also likely to cause or exacerbate allergies, headaches, or asthma.

Where they’re found

You can find synthetic fragrances in colognes, perfumes, deodorants, and almost any other personal care product on the market.

ON LABELS, LOOK FOR: fragrance or perfume. 

What to Use Instead

To completely avoid having toxic ingredients in your cosmetics and personal care products, we recommend replacing products with homemade versions. This allows complete control over ingredients, with the ability to formulate a product that’s perfect for your skin or hair type.

On this site, we have recipes for many simple, natural, non-toxic beauty care products, including:

• homemade “no-poo” shampoo and conditioning rinse
• hair spray and hair gel
• moisturizing body wash or facial cleanser
• non-greasy moisturizer, spray-on moisturizer, or solid lotion bars
• foot scrub and foot cream
• deodorant
• toothpaste, whitening tooth powder and mouthwash
• lip balm
• shaving oil and aftershave
• body scrubs or bath salts
• sunscreen and insect repellent
• baby care items
• dry scalp spray
• non-drying hand sanitizer, and more!

If you just aren’t ready to dive into making all your own products, a little research will be your best line of defense against toxin-filled products. Choose companies that are devoted to producing the most pure, natural products. (Hint: These will not be the big brands found in stores.) You’ll likely spend more for these products, but you’ll probably save on medical bills in the long run if you’re avoiding carcinogens and other toxic ingredients. Look for plant-based ingredients, nourishing butters, and essential oils that will naturally leave your complexion, hair, and nails looking beautiful.

If you want to do more research on products already in your cabinets, or other ingredients to avoid, you can visit the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep Cosmetics Database for more information.

What ingredients have you banned from your beauty products?

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References & Resources:

• http://www.safecosmetics.org/get-the-facts/chemicals-of-concern/phthalates/
• http://www.chemicalbodyburden.org/cs_phthalate.htm
• http://www.safecosmetics.org/article.php?id=290
• http://www.livestrong.com/article/150690-what-are-the-dangers-of-parabens-in-skin-care/
• http://safecosmetics.org/article.php?id=291
• http://www.naturalnews.com/031621_beauty_products_petroleum.html
• http://www.naturalnews.com/041323_formaldehyde_skin_care_cosmetics.html
• http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ingredient/702500/FORMALDEHYDE/#
• http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ingredient/726331/1,4-DIOXANE/#
• http://safecosmetics.org/article.php?id=288
• http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/04/05/carcinogens-found-in-quot-organic-quot-personal-care-products.aspx
• http://davidsuzuki.org/issues/health/science/toxics/fragrance-and-parfum/
• http://www.naturalcosmeticnews.com/toxic-products/warning-your-fragrance-could-be-toxic/
• http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=toxic-perfumes-and-colognes