10 Toxic Chemicals Used in Mainstream Skincare

Many of them are known to be absorbed into the body and can have short term and long-term effect. Women can even pass some of these chemicals along to fetus. 

Many of these synthetic chemicals are skin penetrators, skin irritants, endocrine disrupters and are carcinogenic.

In this article, we will look at the 10 most widely used chemicals found in cosmetics.

Parabens are used as preservatives to prevent bacteria mould and yeast growth, but unfortunately, they do more than just assist with this. Parabens are known to increase the risk of breast cancer. Parabens are absorbed through the skin and have been found in biopsies of breast tumours. Parabens also mimic estrogen and many medical studies suggest that it may be a factor in early puberty in girls.

Found in: Parabens can be found in makeup, body washes, deodorants, shampoos, facial cleansers, spray tanning lotions, toothpaste, shaving gels, moisturizers and topical pharmaceuticals. 

Synthetic colours are shown as FD&C and D&C on labels. F is for food and D&C represents Drug and Cosmetics along with a colour code as for example D&C Red 27. These synthetic colours are derived from petroleum or coal tar.

Synthetic colours are suspected to be human carcinogens, a skin irritant and are linked to ADHD in children and are banned within the European Union.

Found in: Any cosmetic product.

The fragrance is added to cosmetic products to give a product the illusion of being natural or simply to give a more desired scent but the term simply covers manufacturers chemical secret formula. Chemicals used for fragrance are known to be harmful to health and is associated with allergies, dermatitis, respiratory distress and has shown some effect on the reproductive system.

Found in: Artificial Fragrance can be found in perfume, cologne, conditioners, shampoo, body wash, moisturizers, cleansers and many other cosmetic products.

Phthalates are a group of chemicals normally used in hundreds of products to increase the flexibility and softness of plastics. Phthalates in cosmetics and personal care are dibutyl phthalate in nail polish, diethyl phthalate in perfumes and lotions, and dimethyl phthalate in hair spray.

It’s known to be an endocrine disruptor and has been linked to increased breast cancer, early breast development in girls and reproductive birth defects in both sexes.

Found in: Phthalates is found in hair sprays, perfumes, cologne, deodorants, moisturisers. Phthalates are also found in soft plastic kitchenware so using glass food containers, wood or bamboo cooking spoons and cutting boards is strongly recommended for avoiding this dangerous chemical.

Triclosan is used a antimicrobial chemical and is known as an endocrine disruptor especially thyroid and reproductive hormones, and a skin irritant and linked to making bacteria antibiotic-resistant. No evidence has shown using Triclosan in antibacterial soaps to have any benefit over washing with regular soap and water.

Found in: Triclosan is found in antibacterial soaps, deodorants and toothpastes.

Sodium laureth sulfate (SLES) / Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) is a surfactant and can be found in 90% of personal care and cleaning products (foaming products). SLS is known to be skin, lung, eye irritants and is known as a chemical that has potential to interact and combine with other chemicals to form nitrosamines, a carcinogen. These chemicals can lead to kidney and respiratory damage.

Found in: Acne treatment, body wash, cleansers, mascara and shampoo.

Formaldehyde-releasing preservatives (FRP) are used in many cosmetic products to prevent bacteria growth. This is a chemical that has been labelled as a human carcinogen by The International Agency for Research on Carcinogens (IARC) and has been linked to nasal and nasopharyngeal cancers. It’s also known to cause skin allergies and studies show it might be harmful to the immune system.

Found in: Body washes, nail polish, nail polish treatments, shampoos, conditioners, eye shadows and cleansers.

Toluene is a petrochemical derived from petroleum or coal tar and can be found on labels as benzene, toluol, phenylmethane, methylbenzene. Toluene is a potent solvent able to dissolve paint and paint thinner and can affect the respiratory system, cause nausea and irritate your skin. Pregnant women should avoid exposure to Toluene vapours as it can damage development in the fetus. Toluene has been linked to immune system toxicity.

Found in: Nail polish, nail treatments, hair colour and bleaching products and was used in removing cocaine from coca leaves in the production of Coca-Cola syrup until the dangers of this chemical were known.

Propylene glycol is a commonly used organic alcohol used as a skin-conditioning agent that’s classified as a skin irritant and penetrator. It’s been associated with causing dermatitis as well as hives in humans.

Found in: Shampoo, conditioners, moisturizers, sunscreen, makeup products and hair sprays.

Sunscreen chemicals are used as implied as sunscreen agents to absorb ultraviolet light, are endocrine disruptors and are believed to be easily absorbed into the body. They may cause cellular damage and cause cancer.

Found in: Sunscreen products and can be found under the following names; benzophenone, PABA, avobenzone, homosalate and ethoxycinnmate.

Avoiding all chemicals used is close to impossible but you can limit what your body is exposed to. 

• Look at the labels of products you want to buy and find out what those hard to pronounce names are
• Consider what you buy and avoid chemicals by avoiding processed food, wash your fruit and vegetables or better yet buy organic and drink daily recommended as some chemicals can be flushed out. Do remember though that many of them remain in your body
• ALLWAYS buy natural and organic products