Did you know that 1300 chemicals have been banned from cosmetics in the European Union while here in the US, only 11 are banned?
Did you know that on the average, women use 12 personal care products per day containing 168 different toxic chemicals?
There are literally thousands of potentially dangerous ingredients in cosmetics and personal care products and the odds are really high you’re applying some to your skin every day. This means that harmful toxins are being absorbed through your skin, into your blood and carried around your body. Don’t you find this frightening?
If you were standing in person, face-to-face with me, wondering which skin care product to purchase, first and foremost, I would want you to be aware of any dangerous ingredients in the choice you’re considering. Face-to-Face with Toxic Ingredients is a 3 Part Series to help educate but not overwhelm you. Each part covers 4 of the most common and harmful ingredients that it’s much better to live without. It is my hope you will use this information to spark the desire to learn more about clean beauty options that might be a better choice for your overall health.
#1 Laureth Sulfate and Sodium Lauryl
These are surfactants added to products like cleansers and shampoos to create foam. They dry out skin and the user may experience redness and irritation. If ever you should have this reaction, look to the soap product you’re using. Once surfactants enter the body, they can also damage healthy enzymes. Best to avoid sulfate names like Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Anhydrous Sodium Lauryl Sulfate.
#2 Parabens
Parabens are some of the most scary and dangerous ingredients out there. Parabens are used as a preservative to kill bacteria in cosmetics. Studies have shown that certain parabens may be carcinogenic and lead to fertility issues and congenital disabilities. When checking product labels, parabens can be labeled as Methylparaben, Ethylparaben, Isobutyl parabens, Alky parahydroxybenzoate, Butylparaben.
#3 Formaldehyde
This is a carcinogenic gas found primarily in synthetics and preservatives. Scientists have had their eye on this preservative since 1980. It enters the body through skin applications or inhalations. In cosmetics, the primary function of Formaldehyde is to preserve shelf-life.
#4 Phthalates (thall-ates)
Phthalates are used in cosmetics to help products be more flexible, soft and malleable, helping them stick to surfaces and easily spreadable. These compounds appear on a long list of cosmetics, plastics, water bottles and toys. A dangerous side effect of phthalates is that they may cause hormonal disruptions, reproductive issues, diabetes and other illnesses and are suspected carcinogens.
Phthalates can be disguised on ingredient labels as “fragrance”. The term fragrance (parfum or scent) may contain thousands of different kinds of chemicals and often contains phthalates. Be aware companies are not required to share chemicals in the ingredients and can simply list “fragrance”. You should avoid putting anything on your body that lists phthalate or fragrance along with ingredients called DBP, DEP, DMP and DEHP.
Our Face-to-Face articles will be posted each Friday. To have it sent directly to your inbox, sign-up with your email or each Friday you can access it on our website. See you next Friday for Face-to-Face with Toxic Ingredients Part 2.
Written by Rebecca, CEO and Co-founder of My Alchemy Skin Care and Cancer Survivor.