What Ingredients To Avoid In Makeup

harmful ingredients in makeup and skincare

Confession time: for years after I switched to a whole foods nutrition, I was still using all conventional makeup and skincare products that contained known harmful ingredients. I knew that what I was putting in my torso had a profound impact on my health, just I wasn't paying much attention to what I was putting on my trunk.

Even subsequently doing a ton of research about clean skin care, all of my makeup was just the conventional products from the drugstore because I wasn't thinking nigh the harmful ingredients in cosmetics.

But when I got pregnant with my girl 4 years ago, I suddenly cared a lot more nearly what potential dangers were lurking in my lipstick, and how harmful ingredients impacted pregnancy.

It turns out ignorance was elation. I was shocked to learn about the harmful chemicals in makeup and skincare products. And I was even more surprised to notice out there is niggling to no government regulation in the cosmetic industry.

According to the Environmental Working Group, the boilerplate woman uses 12 products containing 168 unique ingredients every single day. Some of these are known carcinogens and can cause birth defects. Many are endocrine disruptors, which can inhibit your torso's ability to residual hormones naturally.

We put this stuff on our face and lips, nosotros kiss our kiddos with information technology, and it's not rubber for them or for you.

After researching the harmful ingredients in cosmetic products and learning more virtually how information technology could impact my family'southward health, I knew I couldn't go back to conventional cosmetic products. And I believe more than women need to know this information as well.

PS: I now write a monthly newsletter centered around agreement harmful ingredients in peel care and cosmetic products. Join my Clean Dazzler Customs to become it!

Lack of Regulation Is a Huge Problem in Personal Intendance Products

Retrieve ingredients with proven harmful effects are regulated in personal care products? Think again. There is almost zero federal regulation of the cosmetics manufacture in the U.s..

A product can go straight from manufacturing to store shelves without any type of approval or mandatory safety testing. The Food and Drug Administration only regulates misbranding or fake advert on packages—not what actually goes inside the packages.

In that location are over i,300 chemicals banned for use in cosmetics in the European union due to questions over their prophylactic. In comparing, the U.Southward. has only banned 11.

Just that's non the merely problem. If a product is sold in stores and consumers (like me and y'all) study problems—similar a lotion caused a severe reaction—the company does not take to report the complaint to the FDA. And even if the FDA is alerted of the complaint? The FDA has no authorisation to issue a recall of cosmetic products.

That ways at that place's basically no way to be sure a product is safe earlier it'southward sold, and no way to get unsafe products off of store shelves other than through voluntary testing and recalls done by the cosmetics companies themselves.

Self Regulation is the But Regulation

So do corrective companies do a good job regulating themselves? The Personal Care Products Council funds a review board called the Cosmetic Ingredient Review whose job it is to exam cosmetic ingredients for safety. Can we trust them to put consumer's safety over the bottom line of the companies who fund their enquiry?

In that location are definitely times when self-regulation has failed.

In July 2018, Johnson & Johnson was ordered to pay a $4.96 billion settlement to 22 women who found asbestos in talc in baby powder caused their ovarian cancer.
Guthy-Renker, the manufacturer of WEN hair products, settled a class-action lawsuit for $26 meg afterwards consumers said it acquired rashes and hair loss.
After decades of employ in soaps, the FDA finally banned triclosan from soap in 2016 over concerns about its long-term safe and contribution to antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Unfortunately, it is withal used in many products like toothpaste, mascara, and foundation.

And in that location are lots of other chemicals that are known to be dangerous (like the x harmful ingredients to avoid in makeup and skincare products listed below), but are withal widely used in the cosmetics industry.

"Natural" Doesn't Hateful A Lot When It Comes to Cosmetics

With food, specific marketing terms are regulated by the FDA. Simply when it comes to skincare and corrective products, there is no regulation.

"Natural" products can contain just as many harmful chemicals as conventional products. Fifty-fifty products labeled "unscented" can contain constructed fragrances.

The only mode to know for sure if there are harmful ingredients in your makeup or skincare products is to read the label. But even then, non every ingredient has to be listed, equally some formulations (like for fragrance) are considered "trade secrets" and don't have to be disclosed.

And possibly the biggest misconception in cosmetics, switching to natural makeup isn't always ameliorate. In fact, many natural brands, including mineral cosmetics, are some of the worst offenders. They oft use a higher concentration of ingredients that are often contaminated with heavy metals, like clay.

Heavy metals are found naturally in the earth, and stop up in a lot of household items, including cosmetics. The almost mutual toxic heavy metals are aluminum, cadmium, lead, mercury, and arsenic.

Wondering if your cosmetics contain heavy metals? Bank check out my in-depth article Does your makeup contain heavy metals? Here's how to know.

Color cosmetics, including powders and lipsticks, are often contaminated with lead. In fact, Beautycounter tested a wide range of products and establish some cosmetic brands independent up to 240 ppm of lead (the FDA encourages manufacturers to limit information technology to 10 ppm or less).

A Quick Word on Chemicals in Cosmetics

When it comes to cosmetics, "chemical" is not a bad discussion. Chemicals are zippo to avert or be feared.

You are made of chemicals. Everything that you lot can sense of taste, smell, or hold—including water, coconut oil, and even dirt —is made up of chemicals.

In that location is no such matter as chemical-free cosmetics, and "natural" cosmetics are not free of chemicals. What y'all desire to avert is harmful chemicals in cosmetics, that is, chemicals that have known harmful furnishings. Simply considering cometic ingredients are natural, doesn't make them safety. And just considering an ingredient is constructed doesn't hateful information technology's unsafe.

Choosing Safer Skin Care Is Upward To United states of america

Because there is picayune to no regulation of harmful ingredients in personal care products, it is up to u.s.a. to cull safer products for ourselves and our families.

On a day to mean solar day ground, we are exposed to potentially unsafe chemicals from all kinds of sources—pesticides, plastics, car exhaust, and more nosotros can't command. Choosing safer skincare and corrective products is something wetin control, and it'due south a large part of our daily lives, which means removing harmful ingredients can have a big impact.

While they are few and far between, there are a number of companies that are paving the mode for transparency, responsibility, and prophylactic testing in makeup and skin treat women, men, and kids.

Choosing safer products (yes—that actually piece of work) involves finding companies that are transparent with their ingredients and committed to safety testing, and knowing what ingredients to avoid in makeup and skincare products so yous tin can make informed decisions.

Note: If you lot are struggling because you accept serious skin issues like hormonal acne and you don't know if clean or condom corrective products will work for y'all, check out Hormonal Acne: The Root Cause and How to Care for Information technology Naturally.

Top 10 Ingredients to Avoid in Makeup and Skincare Products

one. Parabens

Parabens are preservatives found in everything from soap to balm to makeup. If it has water in it, it probably has a paraben to go along it from growing bacteria. Examples include: methylparaben, proplyparaben, isopropylparaben, and isobutylparaben. If "paraben" is in the give-and-take, avoid it.

Parabens are known endocrine disruptors, meaning they mimic estrogen in the body and can pb to hormonal imbalances, and possibly even breast cancer. For example, a recent written report plant concentrations of parabens, specifically methylparaben, in human breast tumors. Another written report found 99% of all cancerous breast tumors independent parabens.

2. Artificial Fragrance/Parfum

Most every single conventional skincare and corrective product (even "unscented" ones) contains artificial fragrances. Manufacturers aren't required to reveal what'due south really in their fragrances, and then y'all'll merely see "Fragrance" or "Parfum" on the ingredients list when it could actually exist a cocktail of carcinogens, allergens, endocrine disruptors, and irritants.

iii. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate and Sodium Laureth Sulfate

SLS/SLES are foaming agents used in a slew of personal care products, including pare intendance and cosmetics, shampoo, and toothpaste. They are surfactants that can cause skin irritation or trigger allergies. Additionally, chemical compounds known equally "nitrosamines" are common by-products of the sulphation process. 90% of nitrosamines are believed to be carcinogenic.

4. Toluene

Toluene is a chemical unremarkably found in nail smoothen and hair dyes. It is a volatile petrochemical solvent that can exist toxic to the immune system and can cause nativity defects. If you're meaning, exist especially careful and avoid nail polish containing toluene entirely.

5. Phthalates

A phthalate is a plasticizer that is added to plastic to keep information technology from becoming brittle. Phthalates are used in cosmetics primarily in fragrances, and can besides exist found in other personal care products, such as hair spray and nail polish. Examples include: DBP, DEHP, DEP and others. Similar parabens, phthalates are endocrine disruptors and can cause hormonal and reproductive problems and nascency defects.

6. Polyethylene Glycol (PEG)

Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) is used is many types of cosmetics as a thickener, especially in lotions, shampoo, and sunscreen. PEG is often contaminated with both ethylene oxide (a known carcinogen) and 1,iv-Dioxane (which causes respiratory issues and is banned in Canada).

7. Formaldehyde

Formaldehyde is used as a preservative in cosmetics. It'south a known carcinogen that is also linked to asthma, neurotoxicity, and developmental toxicity. It can be found in preservatives such equally quaternium-15, DMDM hydantoin, and imidazolidinyl urea.

8. Oxybenzone (and other chemic sunscreens)

Bear with me on this one—this is HUGELY important.

Sunscreens come in two different forms: chemical and mineral filters. The most common sunscreens on the market use chemical filters such as avobenzone, oxybenzone, octocrylene, and ecamsule. Oxybenzone is a known endocrine disruptor and has been shown to modify thyroid office.

In 2019, the FDA released research that showed widely used chemical UV filters, which take been linked to hormone disruption, negative birth outcomes, reduced male fertility, and possibly cancer, are captivated in the torso in substantial amounts right after application. And in 2020, the FDA released new enquiry that reveals 6 chemic UV filters are detectable on the skin and in the bloodstream weeks after application.

Claret tests showed concentrations of oxybenzone were more than 180 times the FDA'south level of concern after a single application, and soared to more than 500 times after iv days of regular use.

Chemic sunscreens should be avoided at all costs—especially with children! Oxybenzone tin can too be found in sunscreen, SPF lotions, lip balm, and makeup. If y'all're using a tinted moisturizer or foundation with SPF, it probable has chemical UV filters (Here'southward the rubber tinted moisturizer I recommend that has mineral sunscreen.)

Stick with mineral sunscreens, for both yourself and your children. Mineral sunscreens create a barrier on the surface of the skin to physically bounce or reverberate the sun's rays away from the skin, which means they do not penetrate the skin.

To find mineral-only sunscreens, you need to check the ingredients. Fifty-fifty sunscreens labeled as "mineral sunscreens" may contain both mineral and chemical UV filters. This is the mineral sunscreen I recommend, which uses Zinc Oxide and has no parabens or other harmful ingredients.

9. Diethanolamine

Diethanolamine is a foaming agent. It's a known carcinogen and respiratory toxin, which is why the EU has restricted its apply in personal care products. Despite this, information technology's still used in bubble bath, body launder, and shampoo in the US. It's often abbreviated as DEA on cosmetic labels.

10. Triclosan

Triclosan is an antibacterial agent once used in antibacterial soaps. In 2016, it was banned from soap used in wellness-care settings, simply information technology is still allowed in personal cosmetics. Non only does triclosan contribute to antibody resistant leaner, just it's too an endocrine disruptor and was shown to contribute to gut inflammation and promote tumor growth in mouse studies. Not good.

a guide to harmful ingredients in makeup and skincare products

How I Choose Safer Cosmetics

Want to stay up to date when it comes to the clean beauty industry? Join my Make clean Beauty Community! I send out pretty hefty emails all nearly safe pare care, cosmetics, and household products.

Besides reading labels, 1 of the best resources I accept found to evaluate the safety of products is the Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep Database. Each production is given a score based on the ingredients it contains. It'southward a super piece of cake way to figure out if the products you are using on yourself and your children are rubber.

I besides have spent the past few years searching for brands that are trustworthy and make products that work actually well. This hasn't been the easiest chore, as many "natural" brands don't really test their materials or are completely void of loftier-performing, prophylactic active ingredients, which are what give products their anti-crumbling or acne-fighting effects.

The perfect balance to me is cleaner, safer skin care that contains both natural and organic synthetic ingredients that are safe and actually work. I only support brands that are transparent, practice not use any harmful or questionable ingredients, and recognize the demand for rubber testing of ingredients.

If you're looking for a adept identify to start, check out my Guide to Clean Beauty Brands: Where to Start and What to Avoid for a comprehensive listing of different make clean beauty brands, and where they stand on ingredients and testing for heavy metals.

I've also put together a comprehensive review of the 8 Best Natural Deodorants: 2021 Testing and Review.

My Top Safer Cosmetics Brands

i. Beautycounter

Beautycounter is what I utilise exclusively now for pare care and makeup. In detail, the Countermatch line does wonders for my dry skin, and I use the Countertime line for its anti-aging effects. It'southward the only skin care brand I've found that actually works and my skin hasn't felt dry and has been blemish-complimentary since using it. (Many people with sensitive peel are actually sensitive to the harmful ingredients and contaminants!)

I'grand a makeup junkie, and information technology's the only makeup with a safer label that doesn't brand me breakout and has a beautiful paint. I dear the Lip Gloss in Spice… information technology is everything! They likewise practise rigorous testing in their color cosmetics for heavy metals like lead.

Beautycounter has committed to a wellness and safety standard that goes well beyond what is legally required in the United states, and doesn't include any of the 1,800 known harmful ingredients in their products. They are the simply company I know of that tests both raw materials and finished products for contaminants and heavy metals, and go above and beyond to advocate for better legislation in the beauty manufacture to protect people and the environment.

2. Primally Pure

Primally Pure is a brand that makes natural skincare products with ingredients that are sourced with the utmost attending and care. If y'all're looking for a natural deodorant that works—the Charcoal Deodorant is it! I use information technology daily and it's swell for sensitive skin. I besides love the Everything Spray and use it nightly as a toner and throughout the day to freshen up my face (great for after a workout).

three. Dr. Bronner'south

Dr. Bronner'south is an organic soap make that but uses pure organic and Fair Merchandise ingredients. No constructed preservatives, and no detergents or foaming agents. They make the most magical Pure-Castile Liquid Soap that tin be used for just near anything. I also utilize their All-One Toothpaste and Pure-Castile Soap Bars.

My goal in sharing this information is to empower yous to brand better decisions for yourself and your family. Hopefully, 1 twenty-four hour period there will be better regulation in the cosmetics industry and all personal care products will be safer. Until then, check product labels for these 10 harmful ingredients in makeup and skincare products, and notice cosmetic companies yous tin can trust, similar Beautycounter.

Exist strong,