5 Toxic Ingredients You Don't Want In Your Beauty Products
If you're a health conscious person, then what you put into your body is important to you. Like most people, we pay attention to what we eat, where it comes from, how it's prepared, and if it's good enough for our bodies.
However, do we all take that same approach when it comes to cosmetics? Before choosing what brands you use, check out these 5 Toxic Chemicals Found In Cosmetics You Need To Avoid.
How do you normally choose your cosmetics? Ask a friend? Pick up a magazine to read what's trending in beauty, or browse all the popular stores and just purchase what catches your eye?
Some people are really loyal to their beauty products and use the brand that works best for them and continue to try what that brand keeps putting out without checking what ingredients are being used.
If this all sounds familiar to you, don't worry because you're not alone. But if you'd like to take more precaution when choosing these products you should know what's really in them.
Navigating the labels of cosmetics and beauty products can seem impossible. It's hard understanding what exactly is in each product and you can't let some advertising fool you. Some brands will mislead you into thinking you're buying an "all natural" or "organic" product and that's not always the case. This is because this industry isn't regulated like it should be.
Most of the toxic chemicals in cosmetics are harmful to your skin and overall health.
We've broken down some of the harmful ingredients found in everyday beauty products so you can be aware the next time you're shopping.
Cosmetic Chemicals To Avoid
Paraben
These are preservatives used in cosmetic and beauty products as well as some pharmaceutical products. They are primarily used to prevent mold or bacterial building up in the products you're using. They are in commonly used products such as make up, shampoo, and body cleaners. However, these chemicals can have harmful side effects.
There's been growing concern that Paraben can be linked to increased risk of breast cancer (although nothing has been confirmed). However we do know that increased exposure to sunlight can damage DNA and skin cells.
While you're browsing the shelves in the beauty aisle it may be tough to be able to spot out which products you should stay away from. If you look on the labels, you'll want to stay away from products that have methylparaben, propylparaben, isoparaben, or butylparaben.
You can also check out this list of beauty products that do not use Parabens. However, keep in mind that "all natural" and "organic" doesn't always mean non toxic. Please keep in mind that even these "Paraben free" products have used other synthetic ingredients that could also be harmful. However there isn't enough research or proven testing to say so just yet.
Lead
When buying a home, one thing that comes up during inspection is lead testing. Depending on which state you live, some homes require lead testing if the home was built before a certain year. Why you ask? Because it can harmful to your health!
Why would anyone want to use beauty products with such a harmful substance? Probably no one, right?
Well, lead is tricky. It's commonly used in products like lipstick and hair dye. However, it's usually not found on the label listed as an ingredient but rather a contaminant.
Since lead isn't out right on many labels you can avoid eyeliners of the kohl/kajal/surma category, or check any caution labels on hair dyes that states they contain lead acetate.
Check out this at home test to see if any of your lipsticks contain lead!
Formaldehyde
I'm sure you've seen this name before. Formaldehyde is a toxic, colorless gas that has many different uses. However, one wouldn't typically think their beauty products would have this chemical in them.
This is the same Formaldehyde used in embalming fluid, a mixture of chemicals used to preserve cadavers. However, it the world of beauty it's used to keep the growth of bacteria out of products like nail polish, shampoos, eye makeup, and body washes. These are everyday products that as consumers we're ingesting, possibly without our knowledge.
This chemical is known for causing allergic reactions and causing harm to your immune system. However, with other unknown effects confirmed, it's probably best you eliminate products that contain this toxic ingredient.
Many products use other compounds and "cocktail" ingredients as a Formaldehyde donor. Some of these are Quaternium-15, DMDM Hydantoin, Ureas. You might want to look for these ingredients when choosing items like nail polish, skin moisturizer and perfumes.
Sunscreen Products
Sunscreens are designed with the intention of protecting you from the sun. However, it's best to do your research and find the purest of them to really save your body damage. Ingredients such as benzophenone, PABA, avobenzone, homosalate and ethoxycinnmate are thought to cause more damage to your skin cells and possibly cause cancer.
Petrolatum
The use of Petrolatum or other mineral oil based products can also cause harm to your body. These ingredients are commonly found in lip balms, moisturizers, even baby products. It creates a layer on your skin that blocks your body from releasing toxins.
Check out this list of lip balms that don't contain Petrolatum.
How Can I Avoid These Harmful Products?
We all probably have items with one or more of these ingredients on the label. It's difficult to eliminate everything that's harmful from your life. We live in a very processed world and most items are not all natural.
However, start out small. Go through your beauty products and everyday cosmetics and see where you can make small changes. Try out some all natural products that are healthier for your body. Over time you can slowly swap out harmful things from your home to products that are better for you.