Since early days of my college (or should I say since last years of my school) - I have always been very interested in knowing the ingredient list of the products that I use on my skin and get fascinated by them just by reading them. Now that I possess a lot better understanding and knowledge of ingredients (courtesy the skincare courses, diplomas and certification that I have taken in the past two years), have I understood what these ingredients can do for us – do they mean good for the skin or more harm than the actual good. Having scanned through the ingredients list of some of the global skincare brands and done extensive research on them - I’ve learned that there are so many products out there that do way more harm than good to our skin and eventually pose a threat to our health in the long term. And I don’t just mean a lotion that dries out your skin or a mascara that clumps like crazy. I mean products that are actually believed to cause long-term issues within your body.
Yes, you may just be applying a product topically, but your skin can only protect you from so much. Our skin is like a sponge - any product that is applied atop your skin can seep through your pores and enter your bloodstream, interacting with what’s inside your body. This is why it’s important to keep it as natural as possible when it comes to beauty products.
It might sound like a lot of work to study every list of ingredients before buying a product, but try to keep in mind that what you’re doing is so much bigger than that. You’re protecting one of your most important assets: your body. I also think it’s a fun little game to compare ingredient lists and choose the one that’s the purest – it makes me feel so good to know I’m walking away with something that’s healthy for me.
To make this task a little easier, I wanted to share with you some ingredients that are believed to possibly harm the body. As with many scientific studies, it’s hard to definitively label an ingredient “good” or “bad”, but these are ingredients that have popped up often during my research on the topic. DEA, MEA, & TEA – These ingredients are used to make products creamy or sudsy. Look out for them in lotions, sunscreens, and cleansers like hand soap or shampoo. These chemicals are already restricted in Europe due to known carcinogenic effects and studies have shown that repeated skin applications can lead to an increased risk of liver and kidney cancer.
Sulphates – “Suphates are synthetic ingredients partially based on sulfur, which is derived from petrolatum or other sources,” There are hundreds of varieties of sulphates, but sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and sodium laureth sulphate (SLES) are the ones most commonly used in personal care products. These are used in many foaming products and can damage the eyes and severely irritate skin, so look out for these in shampoo and shower gel. SLS and related sulfates are very strong cleaners. In the same way that SLS dissolves the grease of your car engines, it also dissolves the oils on your skin, and causes conditions like excessive Drying out of your hair and scalp. Causing scalp irritations, cause or can worsen eczema, dandruff, and other scalp conditions, clogs your pores.
Petrochemicals – Look out for certain alcohols, or terms ending in “anol”, like isopropyl alcohol or isopropanol, methyl alcohol or methanol, butyl alcohol or butanol, ethyl alcohol or ethanol. These chemicals can be absorbed through the skin and be toxic to the kidney, brain and respiratory system. Parabens –Look for methylparaben, butylparaben, ethylparaben, and propylparaben – commonly found in many lotions, hair conditioners, deodorants, and makeup products. They are found in body creams, lotions and shampoos, as well as in almost any beauty product that has water added to it. Parabens have been shown to not only disrupt hormones, but also to potentially cause cancer especially breast cancer tumors.
Yes, you may just be applying a product topically, but your skin can only protect you from so much. Our skin is like a sponge - any product that is applied atop your skin can seep through your pores and enter your bloodstream, interacting with what’s inside your body. This is why it’s important to keep it as natural as possible when it comes to beauty products.
It might sound like a lot of work to study every list of ingredients before buying a product, but try to keep in mind that what you’re doing is so much bigger than that. You’re protecting one of your most important assets: your body. I also think it’s a fun little game to compare ingredient lists and choose the one that’s the purest – it makes me feel so good to know I’m walking away with something that’s healthy for me.
To make this task a little easier, I wanted to share with you some ingredients that are believed to possibly harm the body. As with many scientific studies, it’s hard to definitively label an ingredient “good” or “bad”, but these are ingredients that have popped up often during my research on the topic. DEA, MEA, & TEA – These ingredients are used to make products creamy or sudsy. Look out for them in lotions, sunscreens, and cleansers like hand soap or shampoo. These chemicals are already restricted in Europe due to known carcinogenic effects and studies have shown that repeated skin applications can lead to an increased risk of liver and kidney cancer.
Sulphates – “Suphates are synthetic ingredients partially based on sulfur, which is derived from petrolatum or other sources,” There are hundreds of varieties of sulphates, but sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and sodium laureth sulphate (SLES) are the ones most commonly used in personal care products. These are used in many foaming products and can damage the eyes and severely irritate skin, so look out for these in shampoo and shower gel. SLS and related sulfates are very strong cleaners. In the same way that SLS dissolves the grease of your car engines, it also dissolves the oils on your skin, and causes conditions like excessive Drying out of your hair and scalp. Causing scalp irritations, cause or can worsen eczema, dandruff, and other scalp conditions, clogs your pores.
Petrochemicals – Look out for certain alcohols, or terms ending in “anol”, like isopropyl alcohol or isopropanol, methyl alcohol or methanol, butyl alcohol or butanol, ethyl alcohol or ethanol. These chemicals can be absorbed through the skin and be toxic to the kidney, brain and respiratory system. Parabens –Look for methylparaben, butylparaben, ethylparaben, and propylparaben – commonly found in many lotions, hair conditioners, deodorants, and makeup products. They are found in body creams, lotions and shampoos, as well as in almost any beauty product that has water added to it. Parabens have been shown to not only disrupt hormones, but also to potentially cause cancer especially breast cancer tumors.
Lead - Lead is a toxic heavy metal that has unfortunately become quite prevalent. It is found in many products, such as whitening toothpastes and lipsticks, and in other substances such as water, either through direct or indirect contamination. The adverse affects of lead exposure are thoroughly documented and include, but are not limited to, neurotoxicity (brain damage), seizures, gastrointestinal issues, reproductive dysfunction such as reduced sperm count and motility, and kidney dysfunction.
BHA & BHT – These are used as a preservative and commonly found in moisturizers and makeup. BHA and BHT can induce allergic reactions in the skin and some research has identified BHA as a possible human carcinogen. Formaldehyd Formaldehyde is a chemical that may be inhaled or absorbed transdermally (through the skin). It is used in nail polishes, shampoos, including baby shampoos, and liquid body soaps. According to the International Agency for Research. Side effects include skin irritation and nausea. Formaldehyde exposure may be a contributing factor in cancer development, Propylene glycol and polyethylene glycol – Look out for “ethylene glycol”, which can be found in certain lotions, and propylene glycol, which is often an ingredient in mascara. These chemicals can easily penetrate the skin, weakening protein and cellular structure.
Synthetic dyes – Look out for any term that begins with “F&DC”, usually followed by a color and a number. Certain colors can be absorbed into the skin and cause depletion of oxygen in the body, and animal studies have shown almost all of them to be carcinogenic.
Triclosan – This is used in antibacterial and antifungal products, so be sure check for it in toothpaste and deodorant. Triclosan is classified as a chlorophenol, a class of chemicals suspected of causing cancer in humans.
Artificial fragrance – Even “unscented” products often contain artificial fragrance. Look out for the terms “fragrance” or “parfum”. In addition to irritating the skin, inhaling these chemicals allows them to be absorbed internally which can lead to further health issues like asthma or damage the immune and nervous systems. Phthalates - According to SafeCosmetics.org, phthalates were found in at least 72 products they tested, although it was not listed on their list of ingredients. The only exception was nail polish. This toxic chemical is a fragrance used in vinyl shower curtains (it gives vinyl its smell), air fresheners, detergents and more. Like parabens, phythalates have been shown to disrupt hormones and decrease sperm count. This toxic ingredient list is not limited to the chemicals listed above, but they are among those most commonly found in popular beauty products, and the main ones worth avoiding. Just as you are concerned with the safety of the foods and supplements you consume, you should be careful about what you put on your skin. The skin is the largest body organ. Toxins are eliminated through its pores in the form of sweat, and the skin absorbs extraordinarily large amounts of what is applied to it. Transdermal medications and over-the-counter drugs (i.e. Nicoderm) are effective for this reason. Beauty is more than skin deep. And, just as cleansing face washes, nourishing moisturizers, makeup and other products are great for enhancing your external appearance, so should they allow your internal beauty to shine through. Unfortunately, however, the list of toxic (or potentially toxic), health-damaging ingredients found in the myriad of beauty and skin care products on the market expands daily. Just as a word of caution - We shouldn’t really put anything on our skin, which we cannot think of eating. I know it sounds crazy and almost undoable but don’t forget it’s the largest organ of your body and the one, which provides shield to the rest of the body, and its organs.
Stay tuned for my next blog, which would talk about the Real Skin Foods.
Stay Natural & Healthy
Abha
BHA & BHT – These are used as a preservative and commonly found in moisturizers and makeup. BHA and BHT can induce allergic reactions in the skin and some research has identified BHA as a possible human carcinogen. Formaldehyd Formaldehyde is a chemical that may be inhaled or absorbed transdermally (through the skin). It is used in nail polishes, shampoos, including baby shampoos, and liquid body soaps. According to the International Agency for Research. Side effects include skin irritation and nausea. Formaldehyde exposure may be a contributing factor in cancer development, Propylene glycol and polyethylene glycol – Look out for “ethylene glycol”, which can be found in certain lotions, and propylene glycol, which is often an ingredient in mascara. These chemicals can easily penetrate the skin, weakening protein and cellular structure.
Synthetic dyes – Look out for any term that begins with “F&DC”, usually followed by a color and a number. Certain colors can be absorbed into the skin and cause depletion of oxygen in the body, and animal studies have shown almost all of them to be carcinogenic.
Triclosan – This is used in antibacterial and antifungal products, so be sure check for it in toothpaste and deodorant. Triclosan is classified as a chlorophenol, a class of chemicals suspected of causing cancer in humans.
Artificial fragrance – Even “unscented” products often contain artificial fragrance. Look out for the terms “fragrance” or “parfum”. In addition to irritating the skin, inhaling these chemicals allows them to be absorbed internally which can lead to further health issues like asthma or damage the immune and nervous systems. Phthalates - According to SafeCosmetics.org, phthalates were found in at least 72 products they tested, although it was not listed on their list of ingredients. The only exception was nail polish. This toxic chemical is a fragrance used in vinyl shower curtains (it gives vinyl its smell), air fresheners, detergents and more. Like parabens, phythalates have been shown to disrupt hormones and decrease sperm count. This toxic ingredient list is not limited to the chemicals listed above, but they are among those most commonly found in popular beauty products, and the main ones worth avoiding. Just as you are concerned with the safety of the foods and supplements you consume, you should be careful about what you put on your skin. The skin is the largest body organ. Toxins are eliminated through its pores in the form of sweat, and the skin absorbs extraordinarily large amounts of what is applied to it. Transdermal medications and over-the-counter drugs (i.e. Nicoderm) are effective for this reason. Beauty is more than skin deep. And, just as cleansing face washes, nourishing moisturizers, makeup and other products are great for enhancing your external appearance, so should they allow your internal beauty to shine through. Unfortunately, however, the list of toxic (or potentially toxic), health-damaging ingredients found in the myriad of beauty and skin care products on the market expands daily. Just as a word of caution - We shouldn’t really put anything on our skin, which we cannot think of eating. I know it sounds crazy and almost undoable but don’t forget it’s the largest organ of your body and the one, which provides shield to the rest of the body, and its organs.
Stay tuned for my next blog, which would talk about the Real Skin Foods.
Stay Natural & Healthy
Abha