The cosmetics, shampoos, lotions and other products we put on our bodies can be just as harmful as anything we put in them. Ingredients found in face washes, sunscreens and more have been linked to everything from hormonal disruptions to cancer, and what’s worse is that they go directly into your bloodstream when applied to the skin or hair. While there are certainly lots of studies with different perspectives on this topic, everyone can agree that using more natural products or—better yet, making your own—is the safest bet for you and the environment.
12 Ingredients to Avoid in Makeup + Skincare Products
12 Ingredients to Avoid in Makeup + Skincare Products1. Sodium lauryl sulfate
Found in: shampoo, body wash, foundation, face wash, mouthwash and toothpaste
SLS has been shown to cause or contribute to: skin irritation, canker sores, disruptions of skin’s natural oil balance and eye damage. It is also widely believed to be a major contributor to acne (especially cystic acne) around the mouth and chin.
2. BHA
Found in: exfoliants, perfume
The National Toxicology Program classifies butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) as “reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen.” It can cause skin depigmentation. In animal studies, BHA produces liver damage and causes stomach cancers such as papillomas and carcinomas and interferes with normal reproductive system development and thyroid hormone levels. The European Union considers it unsafe in fragrance.
3. Triclosan and triclocarban
Found in: toothpaste, deodorant, antibacterial soap
Triclosan was all the rage as antibacterial products became ubiquitous in the 1990s. Even the FDA agrees that there is no health benefit to humans who use triclosan, and in 2013 ruled that manufacturers using it had to demonstrate that there were no long-term detrimental effects. Triclosan (in liquid products) and triclocarban (in bar soaps) have been linked to hormonal disruptions, bacterial resistance, impaired muscle function, impaired immune function and increased allergies. Instead, use naturally antibacterial and antiseptic agents like tea tree oil.
4. Aminophenol, Diaminobenzene, Phenylenediamine (Coal Tar)
Found in: hair dye, shampoo
Coal tar, a byproduct of coal processing, is a known human carcinogen, according to the National Toxicology Program and the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Hair stylists and other professionals are exposed to these chemicals in hair dye almost daily. Europe has banned many of these ingredients in hair dyes. While FDA sanctions coal tar in specialty products such as dandruff and psoriasis shampoos, the long-term safety of these products has not been demonstrated.
5. Parabens
Found in: makeup, moisturizer, shaving gel, shampoo, personal lubricant and spray tan products
The FDA acknowledges several studies linking parabens, which mimic estrogen, to breast cancer, skin cancer and decreased sperm count, but has not ruled that it is harmful. According to the European Commission’s Scientific Committee on Consumer Products, longer chain parabens like propyl and butyl paraben and their branched counterparts, isopropyl and isobutylparabens, may disrupt the endocrine system and cause reproductive and developmental disorders. Look for ingredients with the suffix “-paraben” as well—paraben-free products will be labeled as such.
6. Polyethylene/PEGs
Found in: scrubs, body wash, makeup, toothpaste
Those tiny plastic beads in face or lip scrubs and exfoliating washes are made from polyethylene (used because they’re gentler on the skin than natural exfoliators like walnut shells). These synthetic chemicals are frequently contaminated with 1,4-dioxane, which the U.S. government considers a probable human carcinogen and which readily penetrates the skin. Polyethylene has been noted as a skin irritant and should never be used on broken skin. Polyethylene beads in scrubs and body washes also are not filtered by our sewage systems, meaning they can collect pollutants and travel into waterways, where they’re consumed by fish and marine animals.
7. Retinyl palmitate, retinyl acetate, retinoic acid and retinol
Found in: moisturizer, lip products, sunscreen, anti-aging products
Retinol products (often found in anti-aging products) have the opposite intended effect and become carcinogenic in sunlight, making it extra important to only use them at night and to avoid any sunscreens containing retinol-derived ingredients.
8. Petroleum distillates
Found in: mascara
Petroleum-extracted cosmetics ingredients may cause contact dermatitis and are often contaminated with cancer-causing impurities. They are produced in oil refineries at the same time as automobile fuel, heating oil and chemical feedstocks.
9. “Fragrance”
Found in: moisturizers, deodorant, lotion, face cream, shampoo, conditioner
Federal law doesn’t require companies to list on product labels any of the chemicals in their fragrance mixture. Recent research from Environmental Working Group and the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics found an average of 14 chemicals in 17 name-brand fragrance products, none of them listed on the label. Fragrances can contain hormone disruptors and are among the top 5 allergens in the world. Our advice? Buy fragrance-free wherever possible.
10. Oxybenzone
Found in: sunscreen
Oxybenzone is one of the highest-risk chemicals found in sunscreen. It acts like estrogen in the body, alters sperm production in animals and is associated with endometriosis in women. Studies on cells and laboratory animals indicate that oxybenzone and its metabolites may disrupt the hormone system. Opt for sunscreens with zinc oxide or titanium oxide or avobenzene instead.
11. dibutyl phthalate, toluene and formaldehyde
Found in: nail polish and other nail products
These chemicals, known as the “toxic trio,” have been linked to birth defects, endocrine disruption, headaches and respiratory problems—especially concerning for nail salon workers and those who frequently get manis or pedis. It’s advised that pregnant women avoid nail products altogether. Brands like OPI and Zoya have pledged to remove these chemicals from their products.
12. Hydroquinone
Found in: skin lighteners
The FDA warns that this skin-bleaching chemical can cause a skin disease called ochronosis, with “disfiguring and irreversible” blue-black lesions on exposed skin. Illegally imported skin lighteners can contain mercury, which can poison adults and children and is especially toxic during pregnancy. Be wary of imported skin lighteners, don’t buy products without ingredients clearly labeled, and always avoid products with “mercury,” “calomel”, “mercurio” or “mercurio chloride.”
Learn how to make just about any DIY personal care product on our DIY Bath + Body and Skincare + Makeup pages. You might even become a total DIY beauty routine convert. (I know I couldn’t live without this homemade turmeric mask!)
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Hi, about BHA (Beta Hydroxy Acid); if in one toner, they have combination of AHA,BHA,PHA, Niacinamide 2% –> is that OK to use? Because somes said that this combination are good and beneficial to all skin types. Can you explain. Thank you.
Do you know how to avoid cosmetic that use Hydroquinone? Sometimes some product doesn’t write it on their label.
Ah.. at last someone making this guide. It will educate the reader about what is in my cosmetic
my website
What about Ethylhexyl Palmitate? Is that safe?
I have gone through this site.Now a days we are using lots of cosmetic products without knowing their harmful effects.this site make us aware of the precautions while purchasing the cosmetic materials.We also have a same kind of site which deal with health issues.For more information please visit to our website.
all product ingredients doesnt affect everyone you have to find what works for you and make-up is a multi billion industry as we can see these so called dangerous ingredients isnt stopping no ones show??
I hope people don’t take this article as a guide because I think some of these list are not well researched. Please read some valid journals and then you can conclude it is harmful enough. Like BHA, seriously, I agree with Laura H. You can’t just claim something dangerous not without good references, solid proves, you have responsible in your writing because It’s in internet, everyone read it.
Amen sister! I couldn’t agree more. I am an avid cosmetic chemistry researcher and I feel this article is irresponsible and wreck less. Fear mongering against oxybenzone is disputable when the benefits far out weigh the risks. Why make people scared of a sunscreen that prevents cancer and photoaging when they’re guaranteed to look far older and have a higher risk of the skin cancer you claim they’ll get FROM ISING a product to prevent it? PLEASE do your research with credible sources, like medical journals or peer reviewed studies, before you post articles such as this. You should be embarrassed. Some of the DIYs posted here have phototoxic (causes melisma and other hyperpigmentation when exposed to UV light) essential oils like lavender or others that impose chronic inflammation and cell death (accelerated aging). Do your research. Natural doesn’t always mean better.
Hi. Could you please advise where you studied ? Thanks
And just because the AMA doesn’t approve such studies doesn’t mean tgey havent been done and that doesn’t take away the validity of the claim therefore you are the one who should be embarrassed. There are plenty of other ways to block the sun. Ypu putting out a claim about lavender without providing your documented studies is just as irresponsible as ypu claim the author is. So please…sit down. Until you are staring cancer in the face you have no right to tell ANYONE they shouldn’t have access to this information. Natural always means better. It is from the earth and from Godand our bodies can eliminate it properly. You soujd hypocritical and foolish.
You may be the one who needs to research these products. You may also want to research hormone be and what happens when they are out of whack. You may also want to research estrogen and things that mimic estrogen. Bad bad stuff. Why would anyone want to put chemicals on there bodies. Would you open your mouth and pour chemicals down your throat. Well when you use products with chemicals, that’s pretty much what you’re doing. They are absorbed into your body. Da! Some people are just idiots.
The BHA in chemical exfoliants stand for beta hydroxy acid (typically salicylic acid which helps with a number of skin concerns), not the chemical this list says. It would have taken simple research to see this difference.
You also cannot claim things are safe for everyone when they have not been tested. I have been told to avoid products containing formaldehyde and formaldehyde releasers by an allergist. These products have many names and products without them tend to cost more as formaldehyde releasers are preservatives.
So where is the list of products that do not contain these items? and do you know of any makeup that does not have rosemary in them? I am allergic Thanks
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Really informative.. Good to see all this reactant in same article.. I am Ayurveda expert.. Love to hear more on same topic. Cosmetics are fast reactive chemical and it will burn skin tissues and cells.. Its good to be use Ayurveda and herbal products.
These are great to be on the lookout for. Not all products will have these ingredients but this is a good resource to take note of. Sometimes acne can be my worst nightmare but with watching for these ingredients, I may have a chance to clear them up. Thank you for this.
Thanks for your sharing, it’s a good post, keep going and support you. And maybe you intersted in
As a scientist and a woman with sensitive skin it is important for me to read labels on products. It’s good to learn labels, plus if you have an allergic reaction or you skin doesn’t respond to something well you can start to see a pattern to find what products work for you and the ones that don’t work for you. I use a mix of homemade, natural and commercial products. I say do what works. Great post and thanks for sharing :-)
I recently had a bad reaction with propylene glycol in Toms deodorant, let’s just say I haven’t used it since, and try to stay away from products containing it. The reaction caused horrible peeling, darkening, and redness under my arms. Thank you for this list.
This is SO important, I wish more people would ask “what’s in my cosmetics?” and not just, “is this tested in animals”.
Seeing BHA on this list makes me wonder how well researched this list is, as it seems the author is confusing Beta Hydroxy Acid (salicylic acid, an exfoliant, often called BHA) with butylated hydroxyanisole, a preservative/stabilizer. They are not the same thing. Butylated hydroxyanisole is not used as an exfoliant but it’s listed as being found in them in the list above, which is what makes me think it’s being confused as being the same thing as Beta Hydroxy Acid. Is this a mistake?
In addition, it seems odd to include retinol on here when it can be irritating to some people, but for others (like myself!) it’s a miracle product. It’s not the same thing as parabens or formaldehyde, which have scientifically backed horrific effects! I avoid most of these ingredients but some of it seems like fear mongering and not well researched.
This is such a great guide! I remember how overwhelming changing to natural products is so this is really useful.
Ewelina xx
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Thanks for the post! I see a lot of variations on Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, such as Sodium Laureth Sulfate and Cocosulfates. Should these be avoided as well?