Steer Clear of These Beauty Ingredients

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Steer Clear of These Beauty IngredientsLet’s face it: the most noticeable part of our body is the skin. Some may argue that they zero in on the eyes, cheeks, lips, nose, hips, etc. but still, those things are attached to the skin. Well, sort of. It’s something we wear aside from our clothes, and it reveals plenty of things about us: age, diet, hygiene, etc. That said, it’s important that we take good care of our skin. This is the very reason why we don’t mind taking two hours from our busy schedules to work on our daily skin care regimen. It requires effort, it’s a tough job, but it needs to be done.

The skin care products are not cheap, either. You go to the department store and you see shelves of skin care gels, sprays, and creams for different skin types. Some promise to reverse the clock and make you look younger, some are for skin hydration, and some guarantee that if you use them for seven days, you’ll lose all those pimples and your large open pores will be less visible. The price depends on the brand and purpose, but at the end of the day, all of these skin care products contain chemicals.

Sure there are efforts to produce organic skin care products that are paraben-free, but that’s not the only thing that needs to be considered when buying skin care products. You need to know what ingredients are in the product especially since there are chemicals and ingredients that damage not just the skin, but the health as well. Yes we want skin that’s healthy, glowing, and young looking, but we must also be cautious in choosing the products that we use on our skin.

Here are some beauty ingredients that you should avoid:

Parabens

We’re starting the list with parabens. This is present in almost all skin products from all over the world. At present, specialists are discussing if there is some truth to the rumor that parabens are indeed one of the many factors that cause cancer but just to be on the safe side, avoid products that contain parabens. Do yourself and your skin a huge favor: go for organic skin care products that are paraben-free.

Phthalates

Sounds fancy, but these chemicals are responsible for making plastics difficult to break but at the same time flexible. It sounds like a weird combination, but that’s what it does. In some cases, phthalates are used as dissolving agents for other types of materials. Now the reason why we mentioned that is because phthalates are present in perfumes and body sprays to make the scent last longer. If you enjoy using your skin care products because they smell nice, that’s also because of the phthalates. Aside from the fact that it’s used in producing plastic, it’s also a cancer causing ingredient. Not too keen on bathing yourself with perfume now, are you?

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Triethanolamine, Ethanolamine, and Diethanolamine

These liquids smell like ammonia and are colorless, clear, and viscous. Triethanolamine, in cosmetic products, is used in mascara, blushers, eyeliners, foundations, and makeup bases. You can also fine Triethanolamine in hair dyes, fragrances, hair care products, shaving products, wave sets, sunscreens, and other skin care products. Ethanolamine and Diethanolamine, on the other hand, can be found in hair dyes and hair curling products.

These chemicals are used to lessen the surface tension of substances that are to be emulsified. This is essential in allowing oil-soluble and water-soluble ingredients blend and work together. They are needed to maintain the pH of cosmetics and skin care products. They are also used as foaming agents, lubricants, and surfactants. The downside: they cause skin irritation and allergies.

Fragrances

Fragrances are responsible for the flowery, powdery scents that most skin care products have. Chemicals are not at all pleasing to our olfactory senses, so to help us enjoy the experience of using these skin care products, fragrances are added. We are naturally drawn to products that have a pleasant smell. As a matter of fact, the first thing we do is sniff the product and check how it smells before buying. One thing that you must know, however, is that these fragrances cause allergies and irritation whether the skin care product is synthetic or natural.

Sulfates

Sulfates are sulfur-based synthetic ingredients that are present in the skin care products we use daily such as toothpaste, shaving foam, facial cleansers, body wash, and shampoo. They are also function as surfactants in the products that we use to clean our home. While sulfate has over a hundred varieties, sodium laureth sulfate (SLES) and sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) are the ones that are most present in skin care products. Products that are high foaming contain sulfates and are enjoyed by many for the very simple reason that it produces foam. It’s something the kids can play with during bath time, it gives the feeling that all the dirt goes with the foam after rinsing, and it requires a small amount of shampoo or soap to produce foam.

Research shows that SLES and SLS are irritants that can cause skin drying, itching, redness, and irritation. Moreover, the by-products of these sulfates are carcinogens.

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