Have you ever wondered how many personal care products you use daily like shampoo, conditioner, soap, cream, deodorant, perfume, makeup, hair products and more? Many of these beauty products are not exactly beautiful, as they contain toxic chemicals and even carcinogens. Look for these toxic products on cosmetic labels and avoid them.
Toxic chemicals present in cosmetics
Some ingredients of beauty products are not exactly beautiful, as researchers in the United States have found that one in eight components, of the 82 thousand used in personal care products, are industrial chemicals that are toxic and even carcinogenic.
Only in perfumes their formulas are considered a trade secret and companies are not obliged to disclose their components. Many of these toxic chemicals hidden in fragrances can cause allergies, migraines and neurological irritations in sensitive people and have been associated with cancer.
The 10 most contaminated cosmetic products
Below we give you a list of 10 chemicals that will be good to look for on the labels of those sparkling shampoos, aromatic creams and soft makeup. It’s not about getting terrified and running away to throw everything away, but about avoiding its use as much as possible:
1. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
Used as a cleaning agent to make sparkling and bubbly products, it is a contaminant that can cause cancer. Look for it on labels also as Sodium Sulfate Laureth.
2. Triclosan
Used mainly in deodorants, antiperspirants, cleaners, antibacterials and hand sanitizers, it is considered to interfere with hormonal functions.
3. Formaldehydes
Used as preservatives in cosmetics, they are toxic and have been recognized as carcinogenic. Look for them as DMDM Hydration, Diazolidinil Urea, Urea Imidazoleidinil, Methenamine, Quarternium 15 and Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate.
4. Parabens
They are widely used as preservatives in cosmetics. They are suspected of interfering with hormonal functions. Look for ingredients that end in “paraben” such as Methylparaben.
5. Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) Compounds
They are widely used in creamy-based cosmetics. They can interfere with your physical development and damage your nervous system. Look for ingredients with the letters “ethyl” or “glycol”.
6. Butylhydroxyanisol (BHA) and Butylhydroxysitoluene (BHT)
They are preservatives and antioxidants used mainly in makeups and moisturizing creams. BHA is toxic to the immune system and a possible carcinogen. BHT can be toxic to the immune system, skin, lungs and liver. Both substances can cause allergic reactions, interfere with hormonal functions and promote the growth of tumors.
7. Pphenylenediamine
They are dyes used in hair dyes and appear on the product label as “CI” colors followed by a five-digit number. These coal tars have been shown to be carcinogenic.
8. Diethanolamine (AED, MEA or ASD)
They are chemicals used to make the products creamiest or more frothy. AED and its compounds irritate the skin and eyes, can be toxic to the immune and nervous systems, and can react with other ingredients in cosmetics to form carcinogenic toxics.
9. Dibutyl Phthalate
Used mainly in nail products and perfumes, laboratory experiments have shown that although it is not a carcinogen on its own, it can increase the ability of other chemicals to cause genetic mutations and interfere with hormone function causing reproductive and developmental problems.
10. Siloxanes
Used in cosmetics to soften, soften and moisten them, they are suspected of interfering with hormonal functions and causing liver toxicity. Look for them as Cyclomethicone and ingredients that end in “siloxane” such as Cyclotetrasiloxane.
