Ladies, stop what you’re doing right now. Don’t walk…run to your bathroom. It’s time for a cosmetics overhaul. That Wet-N-Wild lipstick you’ve been wearing since the 8th grade? Chunk it. It’s killing your lips. The “all-purpose” vaseline you slather on your skin? Petroleum is great for fueling cars, not so much for your body.
Thanks to our friends at Skin Deep, here is a list of ingredients to avoid in your products. These ingredients have caused severe allergic reactions and been linked to cancers, as well as complications with the nervous system:
1) Hair dyes with ammonia, peroxide, p-phenylenediamine, diaminobenzene; all
dark permanent hair dyes
2) Liquid hand soaps with triclosan
3) Nail polish and removers with formaldehyde
4) Lotions and creams with lactic, glycolic, AHA, and BHA acid
5) Hair products with parabens or “-paraben”
6) Shampoos or soaps with sodium lauryl or laureth sulfate
7) Lipsticks and eye makeup with synthetic dyes (D & C)
Does that mean you’re destined to live a bare-faced, ashy life? No! There are a plethora of resources on the web, including natural hair and beauty and healthy living sites. Many of these have reviews on safe products that look good on you and are great for you. Here’s to a healthy (and beautiful) you!
SLS and parabens are not unsafe. You will be hard pressed to find a lathering soap made after the 50s without SLS. Parabens are naturally occurring and can be food in most foods. Basically if you don't want something to turn moldy you need a preservative. And I'd rather a preservative with a long history than any of the new untried ones.
I agree with everyone about the AGA, etc
Lactic, glycolic, AHA, and BHA acids ARE all natural. They're derived from milk and fruit, amongst other things and even produced naturally in the body (lactic acid). Just because something is unsafe at high concentrations (t is an acid, after all) or has restricted use doesn't mean it is unsafe overall.
As much as I love natural products, let's not forget that natural doesn't always mean safe and healthy and artificial doesn't always mean unsafe or unhealthy. Would you buy my all natural face cream made from poison ivy and rattlesnake venom?
Thanks to all for the comments. Yes, the Natural Haven is a great resource to learn more about the scientific properties of different products. You can look at The Healthy Beauty Project too. I also go into more detail about healthier alternatives on my site.
I wrote this post for ladies to be aware of what goes into our products. Some of the ingredients named above that are used in our personal care products are actually banned in Canada and Europe or have restricted uses. (Check the Cosmetics Database).
Luckily, there are so many natural alternatives on the market that don't have "questionable" ingredients, so there is not need to take risks with hair and skin care products, if that is of primary concern to you.
Of course, everyone has to make the decision that it best for them both for aesthetic and health purposes. I hope this can be a starting point for those who are interested in exploring alternative options. 🙂
shea butter and water for my hair!
lactic, glycolic, AHA, and BHA acids are fruit/milk based and GOOD for your skin!! they help to turn your skin cells over more quickly, which helps clear gunk and clogs from your pores, purging your skin of spots AND these acids are exfoliating too! i have absolutely no idea why you are telling people to avoid these products, because they are wonderful, especially if you have acne prone skin, or skin that suffers from clogged pore/blackheads a lot.
you should always use sunscreen if you use products with the above acids in them, but they are not "bad" for your skin.
I agree with LaNeshe's comment: The Natural Haven (JC) is a natural hair lover and scientist who is happy to debunk all the myths out there and as she has said…"there are many in the natural hair world".
I now use her site to keep it real regarding info I read on various hair blogs.
i love to put shea butter on my face after i wash it with biore facial wash and exfoliator. i also use aloe vera gel if im having a break out, but since i started using shea butter that has been rare.
great article.
but actually – vaseline is terrific for your skin. it is one of the most effective sealers out there, preventing moisture from escaping
I use cosmetic database before every trip to the store!
great tips! thanks!
As far as #4, products with AHAs and BHAs are not really harmful when used correctly and not in excess. Of course everyone's skin is different, but those acids actually provide great benefit for the skin, especially glycolic acid. I swear by it.
To the Anonymous above, http://thenaturalhaven.blogspot.com/ is a great resource for scientific information on ingredients and their safety and such.
Can we please give more info on why these ingredients are harmful, or rather, more harmful than any others? Many things cause severe allergic reactions – seafood, nuts, aspirin, etc. and tons of things can be linked to cancer if done in excess. And please define what the standards are for "safe" vs. "unsafe". I understand that being natural has caused many of us to evaluate our lifestyles and how to make ourselves healthier, but sometimes this new found "enlightenment" can be a bit much.