If you love your daily skincare and cosmetic products, please ensure you are aware of ingredients you should bypass. I want to assist you with that overwhelming task and give you my top eight (8) ingredients to avoid in personal care products.
I’ve been doing some research in recent months and I have been shocked to discover some ingredients that are considered harmful to your skin. As the saying goes, ‘you don’t know what you don’t know’ so I want to help you make the best decision for YOU!
The first item I would like mention is review the website from your favorite brand. Your first question should be: ‘are ALL the ingredients of the products I use listed on this website?’ Some brands only list the ‘good’ ingredients and leave the ‘nasty’ ingredients for the packaging, hoping you don’t pay attention to it.
1. Parabens are Ingredients to Avoid in Personal Care Products
By definition, Parabens are chemicals! They are often called preservatives in skincare and cosmetic products. Chemically, they are a series of parahydroxybenzoates also known as hydroxybenzoic acid. Paraben usage can have potential negative health implications and are known to cause cancer.
Besides being found in skincare and makeup, parabens are found in toothpaste, topical treatments, used as food preservatives and may be linked to breast cancer. Several different parabens are:
- Methylparaben
- Ethylparaben
- iso-propylparaben
- n-propylparaben
- benzylparaben
So many personal care products contain parabens and they wash down the drain, into our wastewater thus into our environment. Protect yourself and your environment by selecting PARABEN FREE.
2. Sulfates are Ingredients to Avoid in Personal Care Products
Sulfates are also known as:
- SLS
- Sodium lauryl sulfate
- SLES
- Sodium laureth sulfate
- Sulfuric acid
- Surfactants
They occur in our everyday lives. Sulfates are found in some skincare products as its main use is to create a foam and/or lather giving you the impression it has a cleansing power.
Sulfates can irritate your eyes, skin and more importantly, your lungs especially if it’s long term use of products with sulfates in it. Sulfates can cause reactions to your skin, especially if your skin is sensitive.
Sulfates can remove too much of the oils that are part of your skins protective barrier causing redness and itchy, dry skin. There can be up to fifty (50)% of sulfates in a product so you should always choose SULFATE FREE.
3. DEA are Ingredients to Avoid in Personal Care Products
DEA is used in diethanolamides production which are common ingredients in skincare and cosmetics. DEA is also known as:
- Diethanolamine
- Cocamide DEA
- Lauramide DEA
- DEOA
- DEA-Ceth Phosphate
- DEA-Oleth-3 Phosphate
- Myristamide DEA
- Oleamide DEA
DEA are used to make skincare and cosmetics sudsy and creamy. DEA is mainly found in moisturizers, cleansers, sunscreen, soaps and shampoo.
DEA can cause eye and skin irritation, high doses have been shown to cause liver cancer, precancerous changes in your thyroid and your skin so elect for DEA FREE.
4. PEGS are Ingredients to Avoid in Personal Care Products
PEGS are petroleum based and can be an ingredient in skincare and cosmetics. They are used as softeners, thickeners, solvents, cream bases and moisture-carriers.
PEGS are also known as:
- Polyethylene glycols
- PEG-4
- PEG-80
The numbers above let you know the average weight. The lower the number, the more easily PEG’s can penetrate your skin, making it easier for them to enter your blood stream.
During the manufacturing process, PEGS may be contaminated and pose serious health risks. They can harm the nervous system and some evidence says it may affect human development.
Every time you use a product with PEG’s, you put yourself at risk for toxins so be selective and adopt NO PEGS in your skincare and cosmetics products.
5. Phthalates are Ingredients to Avoid in Personal Care Products
You are exposed to Phthalates in breathing particles, food and drink products and they are in hundreds of products we use daily.
When Phthalates are absorbed in your body they can affect hormones and compromise your immune system. They can also increase chances of eczema and asthma in children.
Phthalates are also known as:
- DEHP
- DEP
- DnOP
- BBP
- DBP
- DiDP
- DnHP
- Diethyl phthalate
- Dibutyl phthalate
- Bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate
Phthalates are one of the most common and dangerous ingredients found in skincare and cosmetics. They are used as a preservative to extend shelf life of a product. Your choice should be PHTHALATE FREE!
6. Synthetic Fragrance is an Ingredient to Avoid in Personal Care Products
Artificial, synthetic and fake scents can be toxic and destructive to your health. Some skincare and cosmetic companies use the word fragrance to offset some chemicals in their products to give it the necessary scent they want.
As you know, a company’s fragrance blend is its trade secret. As a result, companies don’t have to give a detailed list of fragrances in a product.
Synthetic fragrances can affect your health and well-being. They have been linked to:
- Migraines
- Asthma
- Allergic reactions
- Disruption of hormones
- Skin irritations
- Some forms of cancer
As we aren’t aware of the exact ingredients or chemicals used by brands that have fragrance in them, it is best to avoid those products and say NO SYNTHETIC FRAGRANCE.
7. Retinol is an Ingredient to Avoid in Personal Care Products
Retinol is actually derived from Vitamin A. Retinol became popular to treat acne breakouts, improve the appearance of skin and as an anti aging tool. Retinol is also known as:
- Retinoic acid
- Retinaldehyde
- Retinyl palmitate
- Retinol propionate
There can be many negative side effects because retinol is such a powerful ingredient. Side effects of retinol use include:
- Skin irritation
- Dryness and redness
- Skin inflammation
- Increased sun sensitivity
Retinol use can also thin out the surface layer of your skin increasing the possibility of sun damage from UV rays. It can lead to changes to your skin’s pigmentation and cause dark spots, thus the choice should be NO RETINOL.
8. Mineral Oils are Ingredients to Avoid in Personal Care Products
Mineral oils are derived from crude oil and petroleum based ingredients should be avoided. They are cheap and are easy for the industry to obtain. Mineral oils are known as:
- Petroleum
- Paraffin
- Petrolatum
Mineral oils and its derivatives can:
- Clog pores
- Strip skin of natural oils
- Cause dryness
- Cause irritation
- Cause allergies
- Accelerate aging
- Create a water resistant barrier
If you use mineral oils on your skin regularly, please be aware that it is associated with cancer. The European Union classifies it as a carcinogen so the definite choice should be NO MINERAL OIL.
Summary of Ingredients You should Avoid in Personal Care Products
Firstly, please click the above image for an PDF file of the Ingredients to Avoid in Personal Care Products. I want to provide you with the best possible value as you’ve been kind enough to read this far. I purchase my skincare and cosmetics online. Do you?
If you don’t, I want to offer you the option of a QR Code in case you purchase your products in-store. The first QR Code is the Summary of the Ingredients to Avoid and the second QR Code is all the Ingredients to Avoid that’s in the PDF version.
You could put the QR Code on one of our Origami Owl Custom Jewelry’s Inscription Collection, then you would always have the list of Ingredients to Avoid in Personal Care Products that can Harm Your Skin with you at all times while you’re shopping!
All of these ingredients can cause serious issues to your health and no personal care product is worth that. Your skin is your largest organ and sixty (60)% of what you put on your skin is absorbed in your skin. It only takes twenty-six (26) seconds for something on your skin to absorb in to your bloodstream so these are ingredients to avoid in personal care products.
Many of these ingredients are unrestricted in the USA and Canada however, International regulations are stricter. Make sure to read labels on all your products and look for these ingredients and their acronyms. Start taking a smarter approach; read labels, buy and use skincare products and cosmetics that are better for you.
Would you prefer Clean, Safe Personal Care Products?
If you want safer, clean, effective skincare and cosmetics, choose brands that don’t use any of these ingredients or if they don’t list all of their ingredients on their websites.
I would like to introduce you to Willing Beauty Skincare and CMYK Cosmetics, two (2) brands of Think Goodness that are safe, clean, good for you brands.
Willing Beauty Skincare and CMYK Cosmetics do not formulate with ingredients that have been clinically shown to be toxic, carcinogenic or potentially harmful to your health. As I mentioned above, the personal-care industry is virtually unregulated.
Our skincare and cosmetics products have all of their ingredients listed on our website and on its packaging. I want to highlight a few of our outstanding products for Willing Beauty and CMYK Cosmetics.
Our Willing Beauty Regimen consists of five (5) products:
1. Do Over Nourishing Cleanser
2. Daydream Illuminating Day Moisturizer
3. Out of Sight Rejuvenating Eye Treatment
4. Partner in Time+ Age-Defying Night Serum
5. Sleepover+ Replenishing Night Cream
Some of the fabulous product ingredients include:
- Hyaluronic Acid
- Bakuchiol – nature’s own retinol
- Niacinamide
- Peptides
- Ceramides
Our CMYK ‘The One and Only Mascara’ has only fourteen (14) clean, smart, skin-friendly ingredients and a few key ingredients include:
- Carnauba Wax
- Cetearyl Olivate
- Synthetic Beeswax
I am sure you noticed we select super-resilient, natural ingredients at optimal levels for nourished, smooth and glowing skin. Our products go above and beyond, agreeing with European standards, banning over 1,300 ingredients that are clinically shown to be toxic, carcinogenic or potentially harmful to your health.
At Think Goodness, our Vision is to be a ‘GLOBAL FORCE FOR GOOD.’ We want to deliver random acts of goodness that bring joy and happiness to people. Every order equals a random Act of Goodness and I’d love for you to learn more about us!
My motto is “Never dull your Sparkle! Spread light, love and kindness! Remember, Goodness is Love in Action!”
I’d love to stay in touch with you! Click below so we can connect and learn more about each other!
