THE DEVIL’S DOZEN || Skincare Ingredients To Avoid
I’d just like to start this post off by saying I hope you’re all keeping safe at home, and coping well during this difficult time. I know I haven’t been as active with posting as I originally said I was going to be, but my head’s been a little all over the place as of late. So, I took some time to myself, had a self-care day, and processed our new “normal” - I’m going to highly suggest that you take the time to do the same!
Moving straight into what today’s post is really about though; skincare. Skincare is undoubtedly one of the most important routines to implement into your everyday life. With the skin absorbing up to 60% of the products we put on it, it’s vital for us to ensure that it’s given only the most beneficial ingredients to feed on. I’m assuming since you’re reading this post you’re keen to look after yourself, but might not necessarily have the time to do hours of research into the field to find out what it is that you should be avoiding. Luckily for you, over the past few years I’ve spent a substantial amount of time doing just that. So, in an attempt to provide you with an insight into what some of the most potentially harmful and dangerous ingredients to avoid are, I've put together a little fact file on what I call, the devil’s dozen.
1. PARABENS
Parabens are (by far) the most common offender within skincare products. Why are they harmful? They’re preservatives that can mimic estrogen in the body, disrupting our fragile hormonal balance, and could potentially lead to both fertility and reproductive issues. Honestly, this is something you should try and avoid as often as possible. Most Commonly Found In: Face cleansers, body wash, body lotion, shampoo
2. PHTHALATES
Typically used to soften and increase the flexibility of plastics in a product, phthalates are a group of chemicals that essentially produce that sticky feeling on our skin. Why are they harmful? Whilst they are most harmful to children, you should probably avoid them at all costs. They can be serious endocrine disruptors and can potentially cause hormonal or reproductive problems and birth defects. Most Commonly Found In: Deodorant, lotion, fragrance & hair spray
3. ARTIFICIAL FRAGRANCE
Right so, whilst this one might not sound like it should be part of this list, artificial or superficial fragrances can be made up of multiple chemicals that don’t necessarily have to be disclosed in the ingredients list. Think of it as a sneaky trade secret. Why are they harmful? You never actually know what your skin is being exposed to and more often than not, the ingredients that make up these fragrances include many dangerous chemicals that could cause allergies, hormone disruption or even lead to bigger health problems such as infertility. Most Commonly Found In: Moisturizers, hand creams and hair products
4. ALCOHOL
There are actually many different types of alcohol, such as; ethanol, isopropyl alcohol, alcohol denat, and methanol. These are all used within skincare to make creams feel lighter, aid other ingredients in penetrating your skin, and set as a preservative. Why are they harmful? Whilst this all might sound okay, a high concentration of bad alcohols in skincare can deteriorate your skins protective barrier, leading to dryness, irritation and breakouts. Fatty alcohols however, are not irritating to the skin. Either way though, I really believe that alcohol should‘nt be included within a skincare product.
5. SODIUM LAURYL SULFATE & SODIUM LAURETH SULFATE
SLS and SLES are foaming agents used in a number of personal care and skincare products. Why are they harmful? They are commonly known to cause skin irritation and trigger various allergies. It’s also important to note that chemical compounds called “nitrosamines” are a by-product of the sulphation process, and around 90% of these are known to be carcinogenic. Most commonly found in: The majority of skincare items that foam up! (Foaming cleansers, face wash, body wash, shampoo etc)
6. ALUMINIUM
Aluminium is a toxic lightweight metal that is used in a number of products. Why are they harmful? It can have oestrogen-like effects in our systems, that can eventually lead to the disruption of the healthy functioning of the endocrine system. Most commonly found in: All care products.
7. SILOXANES
These are used in a variety of cosmetics and skincare treatments in order to soften, smooth and moisten the skin. Why are they harmful? Siloxanes are suspected to be endocrine disruptors as well as reproductive toxicants. Most commonly found in: Hair products, facial treatments, deodorants and moisturizers.
8. DEA (diethanolamine), MEA (monoethanolamine) & TEA (triethanolamine)
These are clear, colourless liquids that have an ammonia-like odour. Why are they harmful? They are known carcinogen and respiratory toxins. In fact, this is one of the reasons why the EU restricted the use of them within personal care products such as the below items. Most commonly found in: Wetting agents, facial cleansers, shampoos, hair relaxers and body wash.
OTHER INGREDIENTS TO BE AWARE OF:
1. Mineral Oil 2. Polyethylene Glycol 3. Triclosan 4. Talc
I hope that’s given you a good amount of knowledge to take away with you. Of course, there’s many other ingredients that you might want to avoid too, but these are (what I thought) the main ones!
Love always,
K x