Who knew that there were so many toxic ingredients in beauty products?!
It’s one of those things that a lot of people take for granted, the safety of the products we use on a daily basis. In recent years there was some analysis on cosmetics with a focus on what many call the “Dirty Dozen” which highlights a group of chemicals that are added in just about every beauty product you come in contact with. The thing we’d like you to learn from this piece is that it isn’t just 12 ingredients hiding in your products that could be harmful to your health. There are at least a couple hundred chemicals that have shown to cause skin reactions, organ damage, cancer and other health issues that you most likely would prefer to avoid.
Harmful Chemicals in Everyday Products Can Kill
Here’s the thing, no one wants to be on egg shells when they’re picking up their typical list of products like shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, toothpaste, makeup, sunscreen or even anti-aging products. We don’t expect you to remember a list of 200+ toxic chemicals that you should avoid either, that’s just too much of a hassle! But once you get an eye for what’s bad for you, you’ll notice those ingredients pop up in all kinds of products and they’re pretty easy to spot. If all else fails, you can use one of the resources referred to here to lookup the chemicals and see if they’re taking a shot at your current or future health.
Toxic Ingredients in Beauty Products
We’ve found a toxic cosmetics guidebook that covers chemicals you should avoid in key products that you most likely use every day. The advantage to this list of chemicals is it breaks down the concern by product type and lists the top 5 – 15 chemical ingredients you need to try and avoid in that type of product.
So for instance, if you’re shopping for Shampoo or Conditioner you just click on over to the guidebook and click the top menu item Shampoo Ingredients to Avoid and it will tell you that there are 19 chemicals you should avoid when purchasing Shampoo. You’ll quickly notice that a shampoo you’re holding in your hand might have one of these ingredients.
Five of the chemicals aka toxic ingredients in beauty products listed that you should avoid are:
- Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS)
- Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES)
- Fragrance
- Cocamidopropyl Betaine
- Polysorbates
So let’s assume you’ve checked your ingredient label on the back of your shampoo and you found an ingredient that is on the list. You can actually click on the ingredient and look at the harmful side effects it may cause. If there is one that’s been linked to cancer and damages organs in your body, scan the shelves for something that is vegan, natural or has labels like paraben free. Companies that have labeled products with “chemical name” free are often trying to put their good side forward and are making an effort to lure the health conscience consumer. What you shouldn’t do is just pick up that new natural beauty product and buy it. Take a look once again at the ingredients and check to make sure it is telling the truth.
Be Careful When Shopping!
Another way to go about it is by product name, when going this route we use a service called the EWG Skin Deep Cosmetic Database. Enter the product name and it brings up the ingredients in that specific product which raise health concerns on a scale of 1 – 10. Either way you go about it, exercise caution when shopping so that you can avoid some of the most bizarre ingredients that are often not fit for human consumption but for some reason are allowed to go on your face, near your mouth!
Labels are tough to trust, because when a company says something is natural, herbal or other flattering words, it does not hold them legally to have safe ingredients or all natural ingredients in their product. Keep a watchful eye, most companies just don’t have you in their best interest. The best way to change the toxic products on our shelves is to vote with your money!
