6 Common Ingredients to Avoid at All Costs
When it comes to skincare products, there’s a long list of ingredients you’ll commonly see on big brand and many “poser organic” skin products that you’ll want to avoid at all costs.
For both effectiveness and safety, it is highly recommended that you only use pure USDA Certified Organic skin products. We put together a list of 6 of the “worst-of-the-worst” offender ingredients to be sure and watch out for:
- Anything ending in PARABEN – Parabens wreak havoc with hormones, can increase fat storage in your body (especially in women) and can create problems at the cellular level which can cause you many major health problems.
- Alpha and Beta Hydroxy Acids (Lactic Acid and Glycolic Acid) – Using products that contain these acids may double the UV-induced cellular damage that occurs in your skin, which will actually accelerate the appearance of skin aging, not prevent it.
- Hydroquinone & Benzophenone – Both of these products are linked to different forms of cancer including skin cancer. They have also been known to be toxic to your kidneys and liver and could cause damage to your eyes and onset ochronosis, a condition that causes your skin to thicken and turn bluish-grey. These chemicals are BANNED in Europe.
- Fragrance – This is a scary one because “fragrance” is a catch-all term that may include any number of more than 3,000 chemicals. Many of these chemicals are known carcinogens, allergens and/or hormone disruptors that may cause toxicity. Nearly 35% of U.S. adults say they’ve experienced health problems when exposed to fragranced products.
- PFA’s & PEG’s – These are chemicals linked to cancer, liver damage, immune effects and thyroid problems. These come under many names. Be sure to avoid any ingredients with “fluoro” in the name.
- Octinoxate – This UV filter has hormone-mimicking effects and may be easily absorbed via your skin. It could potentially contribute to breast cancer risk and may alter thyroid hormones. This product is also known as octyl methoxycinnamate (OMC).
Do your skin and your body a favor and be responsible by reading the labels of all products before you buy them. Do your due diligence and if you aren’t sure what an ingredient is, do the necessary research and make sure it won’t have any negative long term effects on you.
