Natural Beauty: Ingredients To Avoid

You should care about what goes on your body as well as what goes in it. While it’s good to nourish your insides you should take care of your skin, it is the bodies largest organ after all.

Many skincare products contain a lot of harsh toxic chemicals which is why we’re seeing such a growing number of natural beauty brands these days. I’ve worked with many and used lots of great products over the past few years so have picked up a few things.

You should be wary of long ingredient names that you’re not sure of, a long ingredient list and not seeing anything natural in them like familiar plants. Here I give you a list of some ingredients that you should avoid if you’re into keeping it natural or want to clean up your skincare routine.

Parabens

Commonly used preservatives to prevent bacteria and mould. Reported as endocrine disruptors, said to alter the body’s hormone functions.

Butylparaben
Isobutylparaben
Propylparaben
Methylparaben
Ethylparaben

Synthetic BHA/BHT Preservatives

Synthetic antioxidants which are used to help products last longer. Likely carcinogens and hormone disruptors.

Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA)
Butylated Hydroxytoluene (BHT)

Phthalates

Used as a preservative. Reported as a likely carcinogen.

Quaternium-15
DMDM Hydantoin
Imidazolidinyl Urea
Diazolidinyl Urea
Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate
2-Bromo-2-Nitropropane-1,3 Diol (Bronopol)
Germaben
Germal

Synthetic Sulfates

Synthetic surfactants (detergents) used to increase cleansing performance. Reported potential contamination with 1,4-Dioxane, which has been reported as a likely carcinogen.

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS)
Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES)
Sodium Lauryl ether Sulfate (SLES)

Ethanolamines

Surfactants (see synthetic sulfates) and PH adjuster (they alter the acidity/alkalinity of a finished product). They’ve been linked to allergies, hormone disruption, skin toxicity and inhibited fetal brain development.