Cosmetic Ingrediends Defined
The definition of safe makeup goes beyond “natural.” Many cosmetic products that are offered as natural, organic, or eco don’t actually have to follow any legal or industry rules about their ingredients. Additionally, not all natural ingredients are safe! Poison ivy is natural, but would you rub it all over your face?
What are safe cosmetics?
To be considered safe cosmetics, a product must not include any ingredients that could possibly impact our body’s normal function negatively and cause issues like allergies, hormonal issues, cancer, or reproductive harm.
To be considered safe makeup, a product must not include any ingredients that could potentially negatively impact our body’s normal function.
“Natural really doesn’t mean anything specific when it comes to products, “natural” can indicate that a product contains one or two natural ingredients. But that doesn’t rule out the presence of other potentially dangerous ingredients.
Since the FDA does not have the legal authority to approve any cosmetics before they go on the market, we can’t simply trust claims made by brands.
I generally look for products that distinctively list which ingredients they exclude.”
I want to rule out the harmful, toxic stuff, natural or not.
What ingredients should we avoid? Anything that may disrupt the way our hormones function, interfere with the thyroid & reproductive health, cause allergies, skin irritations, or even cancer. I've researched many different ingredients, & there are many.
I will list list of 10 ingredients for you I look for on cosmetic product labels.
Below, you’ll find a short list where they typically pop up, (they're be in more products that are listed), and why they’re potentially harmful.
▪︎Parabens
Where you’ll find it: body lotion, shampoo, conditioners, face cleanser, body wash, foundation, mascara..
▪︎BHA and BHT
Where you’ll find it: lipsticks, eyeshadow, blush, face powder, moisturizers, diaper creams, deodorant, and hair products.
▪︎Phthalates (Fragrance/Parfum)
Where you’ll find it: synthetic fragrance, nail polish, eyelash glue, and hairspray.
▪︎Octinoxate and Oxybenzone
Where you’ll find it: sunscreen, moisturizers, aftershave, lipstick, nail polish, skin creams, foundations, fragrance, hair products.
▪︎Triclosan
Where you’ll find it: antibacterial liquid soap, deodorant, shaving cream, soap bars, and toothpaste.
▪︎Ethanolamines (MEA/DEA/TEA)
Where you’ll find it: mascara, hair dyes, foundation, fragrances, sunscreens, pharmaceuticals, shampoo, and lotion.
▪︎Retinyl Palmitate and Retinol (Vitamin A)
Where you’ll find it: moisturizers and antiaging skin care.
▪︎Hydroquinone or Tocopheryl Acetate
Where you’ll find it: skin-lightening creams, face cleansers, moisturizers. and hair conditioner.
Diazolidinyl Urea (Formaldehyde)
Where you’ll find it: sunscreen, lotion, conditioner, shampoo, liquid baby soap, nail polish.
1,4-Dioxane (PEG or Sodium Laureth Sulfate)
Where you’ll find it: bubble bath, shampoo, liquid soap, and hair relaxers.
What are safe cosmetics?
To be considered safe cosmetics, a product must not include any ingredients that could possibly impact our body’s normal function negatively and cause issues like allergies, hormonal issues, cancer, or reproductive harm.
To be considered safe makeup, a product must not include any ingredients that could potentially negatively impact our body’s normal function.
“Natural really doesn’t mean anything specific when it comes to products, “natural” can indicate that a product contains one or two natural ingredients. But that doesn’t rule out the presence of other potentially dangerous ingredients.
Since the FDA does not have the legal authority to approve any cosmetics before they go on the market, we can’t simply trust claims made by brands.
I generally look for products that distinctively list which ingredients they exclude.”
I want to rule out the harmful, toxic stuff, natural or not.
What ingredients should we avoid? Anything that may disrupt the way our hormones function, interfere with the thyroid & reproductive health, cause allergies, skin irritations, or even cancer. I've researched many different ingredients, & there are many.
I will list list of 10 ingredients for you I look for on cosmetic product labels.
Below, you’ll find a short list where they typically pop up, (they're be in more products that are listed), and why they’re potentially harmful.
▪︎Parabens
Where you’ll find it: body lotion, shampoo, conditioners, face cleanser, body wash, foundation, mascara..
- Why you should avoid it: Research has shown Parabens mimic estrogen, which may disrupt normal hormone functioning and cause developmental and sexual reproductive harm. Research also links Parabens with decreases in thyroid hormone levels like hypothyroidism....
▪︎BHA and BHT
Where you’ll find it: lipsticks, eyeshadow, blush, face powder, moisturizers, diaper creams, deodorant, and hair products.
- Why you should avoid it: Butylated compounds, often listed as BHA or BHT, act as a preservative in cosmetics, but can also disrupt our hormones and cause developmental and reproductive issues. The US National Toxicology Program found that it could also be a human carcinogen. Research also links Parabens with decreases in thyroid hormone levels like hypothyroidism....
▪︎Phthalates (Fragrance/Parfum)
Where you’ll find it: synthetic fragrance, nail polish, eyelash glue, and hairspray.
- Why you should avoid it: Phthalates can interfere with our bodies’ normal hormone functions. They’ve been linked to reproductive issues like female infertility, lower sperm counts, birth defects, as well as obesity and thyroid problems. Other research has linked them to cancer.
- Often phthalates hide under the innocent-sounding “fragrance/parfum” written on your ingredient list. Anything with undisclosed fragrance can mask a combination of hundreds of different ingredients, including phthalates. So avoid anything with the generic “fragrance” ingredient. Gravitating toward “fragrance free” products is a great place to start.
▪︎Octinoxate and Oxybenzone
Where you’ll find it: sunscreen, moisturizers, aftershave, lipstick, nail polish, skin creams, foundations, fragrance, hair products.
- Why you should avoid it: These UV filters can interfere with our bodies’ normal hormone functions. Research shows that octinoxate can have a harmful effect on a fetus’s reproductive organ development. And oxybenzone has been shown to alter the function of the reproductive system and thyroid in animal studies. Both are easily absorbed and have been found in mothers’ breast milk.
- These UV filters can interfere with our bodies’ normal hormone functions.
▪︎Triclosan
Where you’ll find it: antibacterial liquid soap, deodorant, shaving cream, soap bars, and toothpaste.
- Why you should avoid it: Triclosan can mess with our hormones, and one study linked it to the proliferation of breast cancer cells. Triclosan can accumulate in the body’s fatty tissues, and has been found in breast milk and infant umbilical cords. It has also been tied to the creation of “superbugs” that resist antibiotics.
▪︎Ethanolamines (MEA/DEA/TEA)
Where you’ll find it: mascara, hair dyes, foundation, fragrances, sunscreens, pharmaceuticals, shampoo, and lotion.
- Why you should avoid it: Studies link these compounds to cancer in animals and human male reproductive health problems. In the European Union, DEA is specifically forbidden from cosmetics.
▪︎Retinyl Palmitate and Retinol (Vitamin A)
Where you’ll find it: moisturizers and antiaging skin care.
- Why you should avoid it: Retinol is the chemical compound of vitamin A. It can be harmful in high doses, and derivatives retinoic acid and retinyl palmitate should be avoided in any quantity. Risks include skin cancer exposure and developmental and reproductive issues. Consuming high doses of vitamin A during pregnancy also has been linked to birth defects.
▪︎Hydroquinone or Tocopheryl Acetate
Where you’ll find it: skin-lightening creams, face cleansers, moisturizers. and hair conditioner.
- Why you should avoid it: The EU has banned hydroquinone, which is linked to increased exposure to UVA and UVB rays, as well as skin and respiratory problems. Hydroquinone is also a potential impurity of tocopheryl acetate, so if you want to reduce your risk of exposure you should avoid tocopheryl acetate as well.
Diazolidinyl Urea (Formaldehyde)
Where you’ll find it: sunscreen, lotion, conditioner, shampoo, liquid baby soap, nail polish.
- Why you should avoid it: Various preservatives used in cosmetics can release formaldehyde, a known human carcinogen. These may also cause skin irritation issues. Look for ingredients including: formaldehyde, quaternium-15, DMDM hydantoin, imidazolidinyl urea, diazolidinyl urea, polyoxymethylene urea, sodium hydroxymethylglycinate, 2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol (bromopol) and glyoxal.
1,4-Dioxane (PEG or Sodium Laureth Sulfate)
Where you’ll find it: bubble bath, shampoo, liquid soap, and hair relaxers.
- Why you should avoid it: 1,4 Dixoane, a known carcinogen and irritant, often ends up in our cosmetics, but not on the ingredient list. That’s because it’s an unwanted byproduct of ingredient processing. While manufacturers can remove it, testing of personal care products suggests that 1,4 Dixoane remains in many products. If you see ingredients like PEG or Sodium Laureth Sulfate, that’s a red flag. So if you want to be safe, avoid those ingredients as well.
