If you read the first two parts of my Switch to Safer Series – My Why and How to Start – you’re probably thinking: okay, but what ingredients should I be avoiding? And honestly, that is probably the most common question I get! It’s also the question with the longest answer.
First of all, it will take time to get familiar with the biggest offenders. Don’t get discouraged! And while you don’t necessarily need to memorize every single ingredient it’s good to have a general idea so you can be mindful when reading labels.
Why You Should Care About Your Ingredients
Look, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: the US hasn’t passed a major law regulating the safety of ingredients in personal care products since 1938. Since then, we’ve learned a few things, mainly that the ingredients and chemicals we’ve been using are not as safe as we thought they were and science shows us that exposure to them matters.
According to the David Suzuki Foundation, one in eight of the 82,000 ingredients used in personal care products in the US are industrial chemicals, including carcinogens, pesticides, reproductive toxins, and hormone disruptors.
And yet, there is little to no regulation about what we put on our bodies. The bottom line? The ingredients in the products you use every day could be harmful to you and those you love.
But there’s a lot of information – and misinformation – out there, and as consumers it’s so important for us to know the facts so we can make well informed decisions to keep ourselves and our families safe.
The Facts
When it comes to beauty and personal care products, women are disproportionately exposed to toxic chemicals. On average, women use 12 products containing 168 unique ingredients every single day. By contrast, men use 6 products, with 85 unique ingredients.
Either way, each of those unique ingredients is potentially harmful. Many ingredients and contaminants found in cosmetics and personal care products act as endocrine disruptors which can have a profound effect on our hormones, reproductive system, metabolism and natural detox pathways.
These ingredients have also been linked to ovarian cancer, breast cancer, the early onset of puberty, fibroids and endometriosis, miscarriage, poor maternal and infant health outcomes, diabetes and obesity, and other health problems.
But There’s Hope!
Sounds pretty doom and gloom, right? Well, here’s the good news. One study showed that in just three days, teenage girls who switched their cosmetics and personal care products demonstrated a 25-40% drop in exposure to four toxic ingredients: parabens, phthalates, triclosan and oxybenzone. Switching to safer matters and can make a difference!
So, What’s a Consumer to Do?
Educate yourself, avoid greenwashing (more on that here), and switch to safer products. I outlined how to start the process here, and will get in to the details about ingredients to look out for below.
Remembeer, this is just the beginning. A lot of companies, like Beautycounter, ban in excess of 1,800 ingredients and have strict standards for safety and quality for the ingredients they do use. I have yet to find a company that is so committed to clean, not only when it comes to ingredients but with safety standards too. That’s a big part of why I became a consultant, but that’s a story for another time.
THE TOP 10 INGREDIENTS TO AVOID AND WHY
Synthetic Flavor or Fragrance
An engineered scent or flavoring agent that may contain any combination of 3,000-plus stock chemical ingredients, including hormone disruptors and allergens. Fragrance formulas are protected under federal law’s classification of trade secrets and therefore can remain undisclosed.
If you’re going to avoid ONE ingredient – this is it. It’s also the hardest to avoid and the hardest to navigate (What about “natural fragrance”? And essential oils? Is “fragrance free” really a thing?). Stay tuned for an entire post dedicated to this one! Found in: all types of cosmetics and personal care products.
Parabens (methyl-, isobutyl-, propyl- and others)
A class of preservatives commonly used to prevent the growth of bacteria and mold. Parabens are endocrine (or hormone) disruptors, which may alter important hormone mechanisms in our bodies. Found in: shampoo, face cleanser, body wash, body lotion, foundation.
Phthalates (DBP, DEHP, DEP and others)
A class of plasticizing chemicals used to make products more pliable or to make fragrances stick to skin. Phthalates disrupt the endocrine system and may cause birth defects. Found in: synthetic fragrance, nail polish, hairspray, and plastic materials.
Polyethylene glycol (PEG compounds)
PEGs are widely used in cosmetics as thickeners, solvents, softeners, and moisture-carriers. Depending on manufacturing processes, PEGs may be contaminated with measurable amounts of ethylene oxide and 1,4-dioxane, which are both carcinogens. They are LITERALLY EVERYWHERE! This is one I didn’t notice…until I did, and now I can’t stop seeing it. Found in: creams, sunscreen, shampoo, hand sanitizers.
Retinyl palmitate (Vitamin A Palmitate)
Retinyl palmitate is an ingredient composed of palmitic acid and retinol (Vitamin A). Data from an FDA study indicate that retinyl palmitate, when applied to the skin in the presence of sunlight, may result in adverse health consequences like lesions and photosensitization.
FDA, Norwegian and German health agencies have raised a concern that daily skin application of vitamin A creams may contribute to excessive vitamin A intake for pregnant women and other populations. Found in: creams, serums and most skincare products that are anti-aging or anti-wrinkle focused; some acne products.
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate and Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLS and SLES)
SLS and SLES are surfactants that can cause skin irritation or trigger allergies. SLES is often contaminated with 1,4-dioxane, a byproduct of a petrochemical process called ethoxylation, which is used to process other chemicals in order to make them less harsh. Found in: shampoo, body wash, bubble bath.
Oxybenzone
A sunscreen agent and ultraviolet light absorber linked to irritation, sensitization and allergies, and possible hormone disruption. Also really messes up coral reefs. Thankfully, lots of studies are being done on this (more specific info here) but in the meantime, oxybenzone and other chemical sunscreen ingredients are still widely used and on the market. Found in: sunscreen, moisturizer.
Formaldehyde
Used as a preservative in cosmetics…and to embalm bodies. Blegh. Formaldehyde is also a known carcinogen that is linked to asthma, neurotoxicity, and developmental toxicity. It’s present where quaternium-15, DMDM hydantoin, imidazolidinyl urea, diazolidinyl urea, sodium hydroxymethylglycinate, 2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3 diol (Bronopol), and several other preservatives are listed. Found in: shampoo, body wash, bubble bath, nail polish.
Ethanolamines (MEA/DEA/TEA)
Surfactants (used to make products creamy or sudsy) and pH adjusters (which counteract the acidity of other ingredients) linked to allergies, skin toxicity, hormone disruption, and inhibited fetal brain development. Found in: hair dyes, mascara, foundation, fragrances, sunscreens, dry cleaning solvents, paint, pharmaceuticals.
Triclosan and Triclocarban
Antimicrobial pesticides and preservatives that can pass through the skin and are toxic to the aquatic environment; they may also impact human reproductive systems. Found in: liquid soap, soap bars, toothpaste, hand sanitizer (read more here!).
As I said, there are MANY more ingredients to be aware of – this is honestly just the tip of the iceberg. But ya know what? It’s a solid place to start! I’m all about slow, manageable and personal steps, so if you can start remembering ONE ingredient to avoid, that’s great! Go through your products and look for that one ingredient. Pretty soon it will be two…then three…then four.
Your next action step: check the ingredients in the product or products you identified after reading the last post (ie whatever you use the most of, covers the most surface area or are running low on). Are any of the ingredients above present? Then look up the product in the EWG Healthy Living App and see what else you find. Next, we’ll find a safer swap!
If you need more help in the meantime, simply head over to this page and fill out a Skincare and Beauty Questionnaire. If you need assistance with life and home stuff, just put it in the notes!
And remember, when you shop through places like Beautycounter, Beautycounter, Follain, Credo Beauty, Biossance, Young Living, Thrive Market, Grove Collaborative and Primally Pure, you don’t need to stress about ingredients. They do the work for you.
Friends, when we know better we can do better. You can easily highlight all of these and add them to a note in your phone to easily reference while shopping. Or, simply save the below image (which includes a few more ingredients as a bonus!) to your phone or desktop.
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