Skin Care: 5 Common Chemicals to Avoid

Before, it just took me less than 30 minutes to shop for my favorite skin care brand, but today is a different story.  It took me more than an hour reading tiny labels, to see if they are really toxin-free.  Maybe, I have went to the wrong store.  I should have visited those few retailers who are selling natural skin care products without me having to scour all over the place.  But.. It was real fun.

I always have the philosophy that if I wouldn’t put some stuff in my mouth, then I wouldn’t dare put it on my skin.  Like good food, the secret to good skin care and beauty products is pretty simple – gather the finest and freshest ingredients and put them all together using careful techniques.

The real truth is that there are toxic chemicals in your cosmetics – from make-up, soaps, shampoos, to all those rejuvenating creams you massage all over your face.  The list is really long and it’s hard to remember all that.  So, I’ve listed the top 5 names you should be wary of:

1.  Parabens

Any word with an added paraben to it means I ditch a bag of my fave cosmetics.  These ubiquitous ingredient can extend a product’s shelf life as well as disrupt your body’s hormones.  It’s a good move that some labels come with a paraben-free logo.  I wish all manufacturers will join in this healthy campaign, before people become so truly aware – and they lose profit in the end.

2.  Synthetic Fragrances

I hate fragrances in my skin care regimen since I have a sensitive skin.  These nice scents, often seen as Phthalates, are synthetic chemicals used to stabilize the fragrance… and also make plastic flexible.  These endocrine disrupters may alter hormones and cause genital malformity.  It’s quite sad FDA don’t regulate these stuff and manufacturers hide it under the name fragrance or parfum.  Would you like putting plastic all over your skin?

3.  UREAS

There are many names to choose from:  Diazolidinyl urea, DMDM hydantoin, sodium hydroxymethylglycinate.  All of these can release small amounts of formaldehyde that is a culprit behind contact dermatitis.  These toxins are mostly used as beauty products preservatives, which are highly banned in some countries.

4.  1,4-dioxanne

Would you love to splash carcinogen on your skin?  Of course Not!  The nasty part is, this is a by-product of manufacturing, so some companies won’t list it.  To avoid encountering this, look for skin care products with the USDA Organic seal that bans the use of ethoxylation.  Or, you may skip products with these:  myreth, laureth, ceteareth, oleth, words ending with -eth, PEG, polyethylene, polyethylene glycol, polyoxyethylene, and oxynol.

5.  Mineral Oil

Don’t let the word fool you into thinking it’s organic.  This is a petroleum by-product which are derived from crude oil.  Imagine putting your car’s oil to your face. With time, it can cause your skin premature aging, clogging your pores until it can’t breathe.  Why do manufacturers use them?  Simple.  It’s pretty cheap and it can make a good filler, with no extra benefits.

If you’re curious on what the FDA has on product and ingredient safety, you can visit here.

Remember, beauty always come with a price.  Natural skin care products may come with a heavy tag price, but the gain is – priceless.

Think Twice before You Lather Up!