Toxic Beauty and Skincare Ingredients to Avoid in 2020

For many women, using a dozen of cosmetic products throughout the day doesn’t even sound like much. We’re not only speaking about make-up, but soaps, shampoos and deodorants as well. In our chase for beauty, we forget considering the ingredients we actually put on our bodies. It might sound dramatic, but what if we told you that a scary amount of those are toxic? Ask our specialists at Neora or any other skincare professional and they’ll tell you the same.

Why Reading Ingredients’ Lists Is Essential

How can we protect ourselves and those we love? By keeping in mind only a few of the main negative components of beauty products, we might save a lot of trouble later on. Unfortunately, governmental institutions don’t always have the time, or care enough, to help by removing danger from the shelves. Even if they do, there are companies that do a great job at hiding ingredients by playing with loopholes in the labeling system.

There’s cancer risk linked to some of these ingredients, and not only skin cancer. Plus, more than a few have the potential to disrupt normal endocrine activity, mess around with your hormones and lead to infertility. Not to mention those who are completely unsafe to be used by small children or pregnant women, as they cause malformations and developmental delays. Again, they can even be found in soaps!

Furthermore, it seems like not everything that’s natural is entirely good for you. There goes the rest of our hopes and dreams… We mean heavy metals, that come from natural sources and become very toxic if inhaled, absorbed through skin or ingested.

Major Ingredients You Should Steer Clear From

• Parabens are your first enemy. You might have heard in TV commercials that such-and-such product does not contain any… and they better not. They are the most common in beauty products, can be found in literally any type of product and have the purpose of extending their shelf-life. Parabens can disrupt hormonal balance and lead to cancer.
• Formaldehyde, one of the creepiest ingredients, is commonly known as being used in the morgue to preserve dead bodies. Well, it also seems to preserve cosmetics pretty well, so it’s added to shampoos, soaps or nail polish. It is incredibly toxic for the digestive system, nervous system and could cause asthma, so it shouldn’t have place in a skincare routine.
• Triclosan is a strong antibacterial, initially meant for hospital use. Meanwhile, it has been declared harmful, leading to endocrine disruption, cancer or at least allergies, although it still appears in cleansers, including soap, sanitizer and toothpaste.
• Phthalates, compounds used to make plastic more resistant and flexible, also show up in nail polish, hair spray, or in perfumes, to make them stick to skin. They have a negative impact on the reproductive system, with the potential to cause fetal malformations.
• PEGs, or polyethylene glycol, are used in shampoos, lotions, sunscreen and even baby products with moisturizing purposes and as thickeners. They might only cause irritation, but they can be contaminated by 1,4 dioxane. This one appears during manufacturing and is likely to cause cancer or respiratory conditions.
• MEA, DEA and TEA, or di-, mono- and triethanolamine, are foaming agents and also carcinogens. In case you didn’t guess, they might show up in anything related to washing, but also in makeup products or hair dye.
• Dimethicone comes close at a steady pace and it’s related to shampoos, moisturizers, anti-aging-products. It’s based on silicone and it’s supposed to leave your hair and skin soft and smooth. On the dark side, it blocks pores and could lead to serious irritation or acne.
• Artificial fragrances and colors, on a general note, are usually pretty well hidden, but could cause allergic reactions or cancer. They can also be used in literally any beauty product, steer clear of anything that only says ‘fragrance’ on the label. You don’t know what that is and you probably don’t need to know what it could do to you.
• Heavy metals, such as lead or aluminum, include high risks in their packages. They could cause immune system disruptions, hormonal imbalance or neuro-developmental issues in children. Some of these could be in your lipstick.
• Sodium lauryl or laurate sulfate appear in personal care products, such as shampoo, toothpaste and other cleansers, causing irritation or allergies by allowing other chemical components to penetrate the skin.

What Ingredients Are Your Real Friends

Horrific as it may sound, there are possibilities to replace all these harmful ingredients in your skincare routine with better, less invasive ones. Start small, one at a time, otherwise you might get lost in front of store shelves, reading labels for hours.

For instance, parabens can easily be replaced by Vitamin E and natural oils, such as those sourced from citrus seeds or tea tree. Same deal with formaldehyde. With triclosan, it’s even more simple: warm water and a plainer soap should do the trick in removing germs.

Moisturizers based on PEG can be swapped for more calming, hydrating ingredients, including Aloe Vera, hyaluronic acid or honey. Fragrances and colors in your products of choice should be specified as being organic or natural. Soaps containing DEA or sodium sulfates should be exchanged for castile soap or decyl glucoside.

There’s a whole world out there in this beauty industry. An abundance of companies, brands and products, it can be confusing to pick the right ones. Learn about skincare ingredients, how to combine them and what to avoid. Choose organic and natural when possible, but don’t skip the label read. Neora products might be a good place to start since they have established a reputation on the market. Good luck and keep yourself healthy!