Toxic ingredients to avoid in cosmetics

The defence of conventional cosmetic manufacturers is that these substances are in very small proportions. But if we think about everything we wear every day, it gives us a significant amount of products. We shower and use gel and shampoo, we put on deodorant, and moisturising body cream, we clean our faces and hydrate them, in the case of men they can shave with soap, aftershave, etc, and many women put on makeup using various products. In the end, the sum of these “small amounts” is a lot daily.

Parabens

They are preservatives with a bactericidal and fungicidal function that are used to extend the life of cosmetics. They are endocrine disruptors, which means that they have a structure very similar to natural sex hormones, so they alter the hormonal function of the body.

Due to their bad press, many manufacturers have decided to eliminate them from their formulas, but often substitute ingredients that are just as harmful or even worse. We can find them with the names Methylparaben or E-218, Ethylparaben or E-214, Propylparaben or E216 or Butylparaben or E-209.

It is one of the main ingredients of traditional cosmetics that you should avoid. Use makeup products without parabens or silicones, you will be able to prolong the life of your skin thanks to avoiding potentially toxic substances.

Petroleum derivatives

Here we can include paraffin, petroleum jelly and mineral oils and they are used to create a waterproof layer on the skin that gives an appearance of softness and smoothness. They act as if we were putting plastic on the skin, plugging the pore and preventing it from perspiring, which leads to dehydration of the skin and an alteration of its natural function. We find them with names such as Paraffinum, Mineral Oil, Petrolatum, Vaseline, etc.

Phthalates

They are a group of chemical compounds that are used as solvents, softeners and aroma fixatives, widely used in perfumes and nail lacquers. Different scientific studies relate them to dysfunctions of the nervous system, malformations in the foetus, DNA damage or even cancer. Phthalates are widely used in nail lacquers to fix the colour

Formaldehyde

Used as a preservative, it was banned in 2004 when the WHO declared it carcinogenic. Until then, it was considered “suspicious”, like many of the ingredients that are used today, but which cosmetic houses can continue to use until an official body declares it dangerous.

Polyethene glycol(PEG)

It is a group of chemical compounds that are used in cosmetics as solvents and emulsifiers because they increase the foaming power of the formula. The problem with these compounds is not so much their toxicity, which although suspected, has not been proven, but rather their power of penetration into the skin, which makes the rest of the toxic ingredients that accompany them in the formula, penetrate much more.