It’s great that you take good care of your skin. But do you know that your everyday personal care products and makeup contain ingredients that could harm your wellbeing?

Many of these chemical ingredients have now been linked to health issues like cancer, eczema, allergies, reproductive problems, and hormonal disruption.

Let’s take a look!

Parabens

Parabens are chemicals used to increase the shelf life of cosmetic products. They prevent the growth of mold and harmful bacteria in beauty products, especially those with high water content.

You’ll find parabens in the face and skin cleansers, moisturizers, sunscreens, shaving gels, deodorants, toothpaste, and makeup. Parabens could get absorbed into your body and are excreted in urine and bile.

These chemicals disrupt your hormone system affecting reproductive development, decreasing fertility rates, and increasing the risk of breast cancer in women.

There’s an ongoing argument over whether they’re safe. While some say excessive exposure may be harmful, some argue cosmetic exposure doesn’t cause any harm. If you want to err on the side of caution, use products without parabens.

Phthalates

Phthalates are used as lubricants in cosmetics and to increase the flexibility of plastics. You can find phthalates in hair spray, deodorant, perfume, nail polish, detergents, toys, and various other products.

Research studies say that phthalates are hormone disruptors and could lead to congenital reproductive disabilities in males and females.

This toxic chemical could also lead to infertility, endometriosis, ovarian cancer, asthma, allergies, and obesity.

Always check the ingredients list. If you note the terms “dibutyl phthalate,” “diethyl phthalate” toss them and opt for organic skincare and makeup. Likewise, adopt a fragrance-free policy and opt for skincare products that contain natural scents.

Fragrance

A pleasant fragrance surely lifts your spirit. But it has a downside to it. The fragrance is a combination of aromatic extracts from natural and synthetic ingredients. Most products list fragrance on their label, but a very few name the ingredients.

The fragrance is present in most personal care products, such as facial cream, body lotion, skin toner, deodorant, exfoliating scrubs, sunscreen, shampoos, and perfume. Acetaldehyde and benzophenone are some ingredients used in fragrances.

Acetaldehyde could adversely affect kidneys, nervous system, respiratory and reproductive systems. In comparison, benzophenone is linked to organ system toxicity and endocrine disruption.

BHT

The Butylated hydroxytoluene functions as an antioxidant in personal care products and cosmetics. The International Agency of Research on Cancer has classified BHT as a possible human carcinogen.

Long-term exposure to this chemical is linked to thyroid, kidney, and liver problems in mice. Likewise, some research studies point out BHT may act like estrogen in high doses leading to harmful reproductive results.

Sulfates

You’ll find sulfates mostly in your personal care and cleaning products. Sulfates are usually sodium lauryl sulfate and sodium laureth sulfate.

These chemicals strip away moisture and protective barriers from your skin, irritating your skin even more. Long-term use may also affect your lungs.

Moreover, these products may even cause environmental concerns such as deforestation and being toxic to aquatic animals. Likewise, sulfates are tested on animals to measure the irritation they cause to their eyes, lungs, and skin. These chemicals may cause cancer when combined with other products or when heated.

Other dangerous chemicals in cosmetics include

Formaldehyde

Phenoxyethanol

Alcohols

Polyethylene Glycols

Retinyl Palmitate and Retinol

Lead

Aluminum

DMDM hydantoin

Mineral oil

Triclosan

How to avoid harmful chemicals in skincare products

Learn which companies are phasing out harmful chemicals in their products. Choose products with few synthetic chemicals or with a more uncomplicated ingredient list.

Some skin care products are easy to make, so enjoy making your own sugar or salt scrubs and body oils using simple organic ingredients. Read labels carefully and do your research.

Look for personal care products marked fragrance free instead of unscented.

Look for a sunscreen that contains titanium oxide, zinc oxide, and avobenzone as active ingredients. These minerals aren’t potential hormone disruptors but reflect ultraviolet rays effectively.

Take shorter showers if your water supply is highly chlorinated, consider using the charcoal filter as a shower head.

Conscious Beauty

SCO uses cruelty-free, certified organic and vegan ingredients to give you clean, sustainable, and effective beauty products. Try our products and feel the difference.