Ingredients to Avoid

Please note that this list is by no means exhaustive. I seem to hear about a handful of new hazardous ingredients every day, and this list will surely grow along with my knowledge. Much of what I’ve learned has come from the Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database.  Alexandra, Siobhan, and  have taught me a great deal of the rest.

 

Coal Tar– The name hardly sounds appealing, but it can be found in everyything from shampoo to cosmetics. Oh yeah, it’s a carcinogen. Surprised?

Cocamide DEA– This is a chemically modified form of coconut oil that has been associated with allergic reactions and immunotoxicity. It’s used as a foaming agent, so it can be found in many shampoos, body washes, facial cleansers, and hand soaps.

Cocamidopropyl Betaine– This synthetic surfactant causes skin irritation and allergic contact dermatitis, and it may very well be contaminated with carcinogens called nitrosamines. If it foams, then check the label!

Fragrance/Parfum-This vague ingredient is considered dangerous because of the many chemicals that can comprise it. Fragrance has been linked to allergic reactions, breathing difficulties, and reproductive problems. Perfume and cologne aren’t the only products that contain fragrance, though. It’s also a common ingredient in moisturizer, shampoo, conditioner, and body wash.

Formaldehyde– Avoiding this carcinogen seems like it would be fairly easy, right? Unfortunately, formaldehyde is released by the following common cosmetic preservatives:

  • diazolidinyl urea
  • imidazolidinyl urea
  • DMDM hydantoin
  • quaternium-15
  • 2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1, 3-diol
  • sodium hydroxylmethylglycinate
If you spot any of those bad boys in the ingredient list of a current or potential product (which could include but not be limited to shampoo, conditioner, moisturizer, body wash, mascara, blush and eye shadow), then your best bet is to find a safer alternative. Its can also be listed as any of the following: cormalin, methanal, oxymethane , formic aldehyde, and methyl aldehyde.

Methylchloroisothiazolinone– This preservative has been associated with allergic reactions, and it is commonly found in shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and facial cleanser.

Methylisothiazolinone– Methylisothiazolinone is yet another preservative that causes allergic reactions. It might also be a neurotoxin. Shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and sunscreen are all places you might find this nasty ingredient.

Parabens– Parabens are chemical preservatives that have been found in human blood, urine, and breast tumors. They mimic estrogen and disrupt hormones. Watch out for parabens in your makeup, moisturizer, sunscreen, etc. Below are just a few of the many different types of parabens.

  • methylparaben
  • propylparaben
  • butylparaben
  • ethylparaben
  • isobutylparaben
  • isopropylparaben
As consumers begin to wise up and parabens become more unpopular, some companies are claiming to be paraben-free while disguising mixtures of multiple parabens with unfamiliar names. Don’t take a paraben-free claim at face value. The following paraben alternatives are not at all paraben-free and should be avoided as well:
  • fenilight
  • paragon
  • jeecide
  • liposerve PP
  • supguard
  • mulsifan
  • sepicide
  • nipasol
  • nipagin
  • nipaguard
  • nipabutyn
  • elestab
  • rokonsal
  • ascetect
  • liquapar
  • covacryl

Petrochemicals– Chemicals derived from petroleum hardly seem like something that we’d want anywhere near our skin, but they still manage to wind up in our personal care products (despite being linked to all sorts of awful health problem such as nerve/liver/brain damage, birth defects, and cancer). Try your best to avoid the following in any and all health and beauty products:

  • petroleum jelly
  • ethanol
  • isopropyl alcohol (isopropanol)
  • methyl alcohol (methanol)
  • butyl alcohol (butanol)
  • ethyl alcohol (ethanol)
  • propylene glycol

Phenoxyethanol– This chemical preservative has become a common replacement for parabens in a lot of allegedly natural brands. It has been linked to skin irritation, hormone disruptions, and even cancer. Watch out for this ingredient in all of your personal care products, but it’s especially common in moisturizer and foundation. Additionally, it is known by all of the following names:

  • Ethylene glycol monophenyl ether
  • Phenoxytolarosol
  • Dowanol EP / EPH
  • Emery 6705
  • Rose ether
  • 1-Hydroxy-2-phenoxyethane
  • β-hydroxyethyl phenyl ether
  • Phenyl cellosolve
Phthalates– These are endocrine disruptors that mimic hormones and could potentially cause neurological and reproductive damage. They are often a part of fragrance formulations (I’m lookin’ at you, Ralph Hot), but they’re also found in nail polishes and a variety of other personal care products. Some phthalates are a more common ingredient in plastics, such as DEHP and DMP.  Phthalates include but are not limited to the following:
  • dibutyl phthalate (DBP)
  • diethyl phthalate (DEP)
  • diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP)
  • dimethyl phthalate (DMP)

Retinyl Palmitate (Vitamin A Palmitate)– This ingredient is formed when palmitic acid is combined with Vitamin A, and it is especially dangerous in sunlight, where it might hasten the development of skin tumors.

Sulfates– Sodium Laureth and Sodium Lauryl Sulfates are caustic detergents/surfactants that are commonly found in toothpaste, shampoo, and body wash. Sulfates are linked to skin and eye irritation, as well as hormonal imbalance. Sodium Laureth Sulfate might even be contaminated with the carcinogen 1,4-dioxane, which is all the more reason to avoid it.

Talc– Look for this possible carcinogen in powdered makeup and baby powder.

Triclosan– It certainly kills germs, but this synthetic ingredient can also remain in our bodies long after we’ve rinsed the suspicious soap off of our hands. Did I mention its potential to leave us vulnerable when we encounter future bacteria?

 


 

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