If you use any kind of beauty products, then you may already be well aware of some of the ingredients contained in them. However, what about those beauty products that have an ingredients list that is a mile long, and it is hard to pronounce? Do you really know what is going into those beauty and cosmetic products you use on a daily basis?
There are five main ingredients you can find in many shampoos, conditioners, deodorants, and cosmetics. These ingredients are chemicals that are used in the products to preserve them, improve their odor, or try to exemplify the way it cleans or moisturizes.
Modern science has proven what was already assumed through common sense: toxins from our environment are, in large part, absorbed through our skin.
Chemicals to Avoid in Beauty Products
These chemicals should be avoided in beauty and cosmetic products. These are parabens, sodium lauryl sulfate, phthalates, formaldehyde, and oxybenzone.
Parabens
These are the preservatives commonly found in several beauty products ranging from lotions to makeup and everything in between. If the product you are using contains water, then it is most likely that it will also contain parabens because this is what manufacturers use to stop the growth of bacteria.
Parabens have been known to disrupt endocrines while mimicking estrogen, which can lead to hormonal imbalances and potentially, breast cancer. This ingredient goes by several names, all of which contains the word paraben including methylparaben and propylparaben, to name a couple.
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
These are the foaming agents that are used in beauty and cosmetic products. They can cause skin allergies and irritation. A common byproduct of sodium lauryl sulfate are nitrosamines, and approximately 90% of these chemical compounds are known carcinogens.
Phthalates
This ingredient is a plasticizer that is added to many plastic products to keep it from becoming brittle. They are commonly used in cosmetics, fragrances, and other personal care items. They are also known as endocrine disruptors and can cause hormonal imbalance as well as reproductive problems. Examples of phthalates contained in these products include DBP, DEHP, and DEP.
Formaldehyde
This ingredient is used in cosmetics as a preservative and is also known as a carcinogen that has been linked to asthma and neurotoxicity. On the ingredients list of your products, it may be listed as quaternium-15, DMDM hydantoin, orimidazolidinyl urea.
Oxybenzone
This ingredient is mostly found in sunscreen and can be either in mineral or chemical filter form. Again, this chemical is known as an endocrine disruptor and has been known to alter the thyroid function. It can also be found in other beauty products, including makeup and moisturizers.
Choosing safer options
Why Choose Natural Skincare?
With the beauty industry booming alongside the health and wellness industry, more people are concerned about the products they are using and what they are putting onto their skin. For this reason, many people are choosing natural alternatives to the chemical-filled products that are common.
Here are a few reasons to consider natural skincare:
Your skin and body absorb what it is put onto them. This also includes ingesting products such as breathing in hairspray or powders, and when we use lipstick or other lip cosmetics. All of the toxins and chemicals contained in these products end up in our body in some way. However, going for natural and plant-based products significantly diminishes the amount of chemicals your body is absorbing.
Chemicals aren’t regulated in skincare products. Many things in the beauty industry are unregulated meaning that you will find that some labels or ingredient lists can be both misleading and deceptive. Some ingredients may even be purposely left off the list, and many products are not tested for safety.
You are protecting your endocrine system. Phthalates and parabens are two of the biggest known endocrine disruptors. Continual use of products containing these chemicals can cause health problems later in life, including reproductive problems.
Natural products work just as well as commercial products. When you use more natural substances, it is easier for your body to accept them and metabolize them. Chemicals can cause havoc in the body. Natural products still contain everything needed for the product to be effective, and they also nourish our body.
Simple is always the best. Using beauty products with a shortlist of ingredients that you are familiar with and can pronounce can lead to you being able to make much simpler decisions when it comes to your beauty or cosmetic products. It can also reduce your overall costs, narrow down what you may have a reaction to, and can help control the amount of waste you produce as well.
If you have made the decision to switch to a more natural alternative over commercially manufactured products, then you are doing what you need to do to take care of your skin and body. When making the switch, you should find a trusted source — a place like Aequa.in that offers great substitutions to the products containing chemicals.
Choosing a natural skincare routine has never been easier than it is now with so many available choices. Choose natural products that only enhance your body’s natural functions. You should be able to notice a significant difference after switching from commercial products to all-natural products in as little as three to four weeks. When you first begin using natural products, your skin may go through a detoxification process, but then you will begin to notice brighter skin, healthier hair, even fewer breakouts and irritation. Choosing natural skincare will simplify your beauty routine while allowing you to be as healthy as you can be.