Top 10 Common Ingredients To Avoid
There I was…it was a lazy Saturday afternoon and I was in the teeny tiny apartment bathroom my boyfriend (now husband!) and I shared. I was rifling through the one cabinet we owned, scanning my entire collection of personal care products in a new app I had heard about called “Think Dirty.” I scanned face washes, shampoos, toothpaste, and old cans of hairspray I hadn’t picked up in months…and I was. so. angry. What started as something fun to do to pass the time…something like figuring out your enneagram number or your love language had quickly taken a sharp turn as my phone reflected back to me red number after red number.
Essentially, the Think Dirty app rates how “toxic” your products are. If the product received a score of 0-3 it flashed back a green number after the barcode had been scanned. Getting a green number must’ve felt like passing a hard test…because I only seemed to keep failing. My products were rating in the red zone as product after product came back in the 8-10 category, with only a handful of 5’s and 6’s in the mix, which scored yellow on the app.
Before we get too far into this story, this was 2016 and I was a clean beauty novice. I wanted to be more eco-conscious and I was REALLY tired of having troublesome skin after 24 years of life. I started looking into skincare and new products and have come across the concept of clean beauty almost accidentally. At the time clean or green beauty was hardly mainstream or on the rise. Schmidt’s deodorant hadn’t started lining the shelves of your local Walmart, Think Dirty was hardly a complete database, and nobody seemed to be questioning what was in their products…at least not in my corner of the world. It wasn’t until I did that initial scan of my products “for fun” did I actually even try to read an ingredient label on the back of my shampoo bottle. Being a weight conscious teen and young adult, I had spent many afternoon analyzing ingredient labels on food - tracking calories, scanning for sugar, etc - but it hadn’t occurred to me to do that to my shampoo or my mascara…ever. It was a wakeup call.
First came the frustration, then the denial, then the complacency, and then the anger. How were companies allowed to be putting these chemicals into their products if they were so “bad” anyways? Wasn’t there a government entity (or really anyone) out there regulating and rating this stuff (short answer - NO)? I went into full research mode and felt completely jarred by what I found.
Since this is a #nojudgementzone, I’m not big on shaming or fear-mongering. This isn’t a complete list of all the ingredients you may want to avoid by any means. That list, my friends, is completely personal to you, your health, and your goals. I would describe myself as having somewhat sensitive skin, but I am not allergic (to my knowledge) of any of these ingredients and could theoretically use them in my routine. However, they are just ones I’m choosing to be more aware/selective of on the products that do contain them. As always, please do your own research. I’m not a doctor or scientist…and most importantly I’m not you! Only you know what will work best for you!
This is just a place for you to get started and help you identify some of the big nasties in the world of cosmetics and personal care products. So, without further ado, here are 10 ingredients you might want to avoid:
1. Parabans (propyl-, isopropyl, butyl-, isobutyl)
Parabans are used in cosmetics as artificial preservatives aka they make products last longer on the shelf by reducing the chase of products growing bacteria or mold! The issue? Parabans are in a lot more things than you may think. Also, Parabans have been linked to cause hormone disruption by acting like a very weak estrogen in the body, fertility issues, and potentially increase your risk of cancer. Learn more.
2. Sulfates (SLS and SLES)
Sulfates are foaming agents commonly found in shampoos, body washes, and toothpastes. In shampoo, sulfates can be known to strip hair color. In toothpaste SLS can irritate those who are sensitive by causing or aggravating canker sores. Overall, sulfates are known to cause potential irritation and is often contaminated with other substances. Why mess with all that when there are natural friendlier alternatives to get your suds on?
3. PEGs, Propylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol
PEGs are synthetic liquid substances that absorb water and is composed of two different alcohol groups. PEGs can be found in several common personal care products, including foundation, shampoo, sunscreen, conditioner, mascara, body wash, and more! It is known to be a skin penetrant (aka increases skins absorption) and a possible skin irritant. It can potentially increase the risk of contact dermatitis (via the Mayo Clinic - “Contact dermatitis is a red, itchy rash caused by direct contact with a substance or an allergic reaction to it.”) as well as contact urticaria (aka an immediate swelling and redness to the skin after coming into contact with an aggravating substance).
4. Fragrance
Oh, where do I even start with fragrances - especially synthetic ones? This is a hot topic in the world of clean beauty and it could basically have its own dedicated post (and likely will!). Here’s the deal - since the ingredient “fragrance” is deemed proprietary and is protected under a brand’s trade secrets, companies do not have to disclose what makes up their particular blend of fragrances. Therefore when you see “parfum” or “fragrance” on the label, I want you to think “potential chemical cocktail.” Since companies do not have to disclose their fragrance ingredients specifically, it can be used to mask unsavory chemicals that the company would rather not display on the ingredient label! YIKES! Not all “fragrance” is created equally and even clean brands can list “fragrance” as an ingredient. That’s why it is so important to do your research and figure out the integrity, values, and methods of how companies are choosing to scent their products.
5. Triclosan
Tricolsan is a common antibacterial and preservative agent found in soaps, cleaning products, and other personal care products! The main concern with this ingredient is its potential for contamination and links to potential endocrine/hormonal system toxicity. It is known to especially affect the thyroid and reproductive system.
6. Aluminum
Aluminum is often found as an ingredient in antiperspirants that block the sweat glands and prevent your body from naturally releasing toxins through your underarms. Aluminum has potential links to breast cancer as it usually enters the body through your lymphatic system. It has also been known to have a high risk of asbestos contamination. It’s not the absolute worst ingredient in the world, but there are so many amazing options without it!
7. Toulene
Toulene is a solvent that is toxic to the body and has the potential to cause harm to the immune system, cause birth defects, and can cause severe neurological harm if inhaled. Toulene is most commonly found in nail polishes, but also in things like permanent markers, certain types of glue, and paint thinners! No, thanks!
8.Phthalates (DBP, DMP, DEP)
Pthalates are “plasticizing” (basically it helps with the flexibility of plastics!) chemicals that have been linked to potential hormonal disruption. According to the FDA, DBP has been used in nail polishes (to prevent cracking), DMP has been commonly used in hairspray (to create hold without stiffness), and DEP has been used as a solvent in fragrances. DEP is the most commonly used and therefore can often be hidden under an ingredient label under their proprietary mix of "fragrance.” Learn more.
9. Oxybenzone
To quote the EWG: “Oxybenzone is a sunscreen ingredient associated with photoallergic reactions. This chemical absorbs through the skin in significant amounts. It contaminates the bodies of 97% of Americans according to research by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.” Basically Oxybenzone is a chemical sunscreen. It has been known to have environmental impacts like destroying the reefs (Oxybenzone bleaches the reefs and heavily increases the chance for mortality). In fact, Hawaii has even banned the substance to protect their reefs!
10. Formaldehyde
Formaldehyde is one of the more tricky ingredients on this list because most products won’t just come right out and say “formaldehyde.” Instead, look for formaldehyde releasing ingredients on the ingredient list like “formalin” and “methylene glycol.” These ingredients most commonly used as a preservative in cosmetics and have been linked to cancer, immune system toxicity, and allergic reactions! Learn more.
A Note
For more information about ingredients I definitely recommend checking out the EWG, FDA, and the brand website or company website that makes, formulates, and/or manufacturers the product. It is important for each of us to do our own research to determine what is right for us, uniquely. If you are shopping online, many places that sell clean beauty have lists that denote what they do and don’t allow in the products lining their shelves. For example, Beauty Counter’s The Never List, Credo Beauty’s The Dirty List, Natural Grocer’s “Things We Won’t Carry and Why” List, and even Sephora has a pop-up list at the bottom of their “Clean at Sephora” section that details what ingredients they do not allow! The information is usually out there, you just have to find it and/or reach out and ask!
Again, I’m not a doctor, so if you have any health-related questions around ingredients you may want to avoid I definitely suggest and support reaching out to a licensed professional or professionals that you trust with your health and wellbeing! This is not a comprehensive list of all ingredients I avoid or one “should” avoid. These are ingredients I commonly see others avoiding in the clean beauty community (individuals and brands) and I try to do my best to avoid them as well.
What ingredients do you avoid? Let me know!