The scientific names used on beauty product ingredient lists can be overwhelming but it’s important to be aware of what toxic ingredients you want to avoid in your beauty products.
One of my rules when reading ingredient labels is if the list looks like a scientific lab report then avoid! Also, if it’s a particularly long list (meaning lots of ingredients), then I tend to move on and find an alternative.
However, the scientific names for natural ingredients are used on labels also so I suggest you start to understand which ones are toxic (and which ones aren’t) so you can quickly spot them on a list.
Below is a list of 12 toxic ingredients you want to avoid according to David Suzuki (Canada) and the Environmental Working Group (EWG in the USA) – two consumer-focused organisations who are across all the latest research and are major advocates for reducing toxins for a healthier life.
- SLS/SLES (Sodium Laureth & Lauryl Sulfate) – found in products that foam including soaps, shampoos and facial cleansers. They can also be contaminated with 1,4-dioxane, another toxin to avoid as linked to cancer yet isn’t listed on labels! Many brands make a point of saying NO SLS on their labels.
- PARABENS – used as a preservative, these are widely used in skincare and makeup. Also often listed on labels that don’t contain this toxic ingredient. Look for butylparaben, ethylparaben, isobutylparaben, isopropylparaben, methylparaben and propylparaben.
- TRICLOSAN – used in anti-bacterial products including soaps, hand sanitisers and face wash.
- PEG – used in conditioners, moisturisers and deodorants, these chemicals are known as polyethylene glycols. They are commonly used as cosmetic cream bases and like SLS/SLES they can also be contaminated with 1,4-dioxane.
- PETROLATUM – a by-product of petroleum that can be contaminated with impurities, which is used in hair products, lip balm and skincare. Mineral Oil/Parrifn is also a byproduct of petroletum, which can carry carcinogenic impurities.
- BHA & BHT – Butylated Hydroxyanisole and Butylated Hydroxytoluene are closely related synthetic antioxidants used as preservatives in cosmetics like lipstick and moisturisers.
- COAL TAR DYES – used extensively in cosmetics, spot these by looking for C.I. followed by a number. P-phenylenediamine is a particular coal tar dye used in many hair dyes. Darker hair dyes tend to contain more phenylenediamine than lighter colours.
- DEA, MEA & TEA – found in moisturisers and sunscreens, as well as soaps, cleansers, and shampoos, these toxic ingredients are used to make cosmetics creamy or sudsy as well as acting as a pH adjuster, counteracting the acidity of other ingredients.
- CYCLOMETHICONE & SILOXANES – used in cosmetics to soften, smooth, and moisten, these are silicone-based compounds. Found in moisturiser, make-up and hair products.
- DIBUTYL PHTHALATE (DBP) – used mainly in nail products as a solvent for dyes and as a plasticiser that prevents nail polishes from becoming brittle. Look for nail polishes free of the many toxic ingredients they contain (hence the smell!)
- FORMALDEHYDE RELEASING PRESERVATIVES – a known human carcinogen, look for DMDM HYDANTOIN, DIAZOLIDI-NYL UREA, IMIDAZOLIDINYL UREA, METHENAMINE, or QUARTERNIUM-15 – I know…not easy to remember!!
- PARFUM/SYNTHETIC FRAGRANCE – if the fragrance used in a product is not from a natural source it may be a mixture of toxic ingredients. There is no regulation around listing what is in a fragrance so it’s likely to be a combination of thousands of chemicals, many of which have been linked to cancer and neurotoxicity. Move on a find a natural fragrance you love instead!
This list is by no means all of the toxic ingredients you will find in beauty products. They are just the main ones that research has shown may affect your health so best to avoid.
There are so many natural alternatives these days so when you spot any of the above just keep looking for a healthier option!
Read more about these ingredients in detail and the effects they have on your health and the environment on these websites: