Cosmetic Ingredients to Avoid

!±8± Cosmetic Ingredients to Avoid

How many of these cosmetic ingredients to avoid can you find in your bathroom products? The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has little control over what's in the skin care products you use, therefore, the job falls on the judgement of the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel (CIR) to determine which ingredients are safe. (Yes, the skin care industry polices itself, wink-wink!) Therefore it's up to you to dig, decipher, & decide which ingredients are bad. Sounds tough? It's NOT. Keep in mind, you don't have to avoid ALL the bad ingredients just the MAJOR ones, & here is a list of 10 & their ill effects to start you off.

METHYL, PROPYL, BUTYL, & ETHYL PARABEN
Paraben is a PRESERVATIVE. They inhibit microbial growth thereby extending the product's shelf life (unfortunately not the consumer's life.) Look for them in shampoos, commercial moisturizers, shaving gels, & toothpaste.
eye, skin, respiratory tract irritation estrogenic/obstructs normal growth & development of a woman's breasts, uterus, & ovaries carcinogenic

DIETHANOLAMINE (DEA), TRIETHANOLAMINE (TEA)
DEA & TEA are emulsifiers & foaming agents. This is where the LATHER in your soap comes from. They also adjust the product's pH level to a weak base, commonly found in cleansers. TEA is listed under the Chemical Weapons Convention, as it can be used to manufacture nitrogen mustards (mustard gas) for chemical warfare. These chemicals are already restricted in Europe due to known carcinogenic effects.
allergic reactions eye problems dryness of hair and skin carcinogenic, especially to kidney and liver
DIAZOLIDINYL UREA, IMIDAZOLIDINYL UREA
Diazolidinyl Urea is an antimicrobial PRESERVATIVE similar to parabens. Two trade names for these chemicals are Germall II & Germall 115. Diazolidinyl Urea is also found in the commercially available preservative Germaben. Neither of the Germall chemicals are good anti-fungal agents & must be combined with other preservatives. Both substances release formaldehyde at over 50 degrees Fahrenheit, & formaldehyde is classified as a human carcinogen by the Environmental Protection Agency. Disinfectants, insecticides, & embalming fluids carry formaldehyde.
mucous membrane irritation dermatitis carcinogenic

SODIUM LAURYL SULFATE (SLS)
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate is also a FOAMING agent like DEA & TEA. It is often hidden in so called "natural" & "organic" cosmetics with the words "derived from coconut oil" on the label. SLS is also used in industrial products including engine degreasers, floor cleaners, and car wash soaps. Sodium Laureth Sulphate (SLES) is the alcohol form of SLS. It is slightly less irritating than SLS, but may cause more drying.
eye irritation dermatitis hair loss scalp scurf/similar to dandruff labored breathing canker sores carcinogenic
PETROLATUM
Petrolatum, petroleum jelly, or "rod wax" was discovered in 1859 in Titusville, Pennsylvania on some of the country's first oil rigs. Workers disliked the material forming on rigs because it caused them to malfunction, but they used it to heal cuts & burns. Petrolatum, however has NO medicinal effect or any effect on the blistering process, nor is it absorbed by the skin. Its effectiveness lies in its SEALING effect on cuts & burns, which inhibits germs from entering the wound & keeps the wound supple by preventing the skin's moisture from evaporating. Lip balms with petrolatum will claim to protect the lips from sunburn & chapping, but the substance interferes with the body's own natural moisturizing mechanism, thereby creating the very condition it claims to alleviate.
nasal congestion or dryness chapped skin lipoid pneumonia/(if inhaled excessively from the nose)

PROPYLENE GLYCOL (PPG), POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL (PEG)
PPG & PEG is usually made with grain alcohol mixed with vegetable glycerin, but a cheaper synthetic petrochemical mix is often used. Propylene Glycol is a HUMECTANT, a substance that retains the moisture content of skin or cosmetic products by preventing the escape of moisture or water. Look for it in antifreeze, spray-on oven cleaners, & automatic brake fluids.
hives eczema liver abnormalities kidney damage contact dermatitis eye & skin irritation skin drying
PVP/VA COPOLYMER
PVP/VA Copolymer is a petroleum-derived chemical often used in hairsprays & other styling aids. It is a fixative which adds exceptional clarity, & flexibility to the hair. It is also a humectant which softens & moisturizes the skin, but if inhaled, particles can damage the lungs of sensitive persons.

STEARALKONIUM CHLORIDE
Stearalkonium Chloride is a CONDITIONING agent. It makes hair shinier, cuts tangles, & eases combing. It also reduces static electricity by neutralizing the hair's electrical charge. Look for it in hair conditioners & creams. It was first developed by the fabric industry as a fabric softener but later became a cheaper alternative to protein & herbal hair conditioning formulas (which were better products).
dry & brittle hair allergic reaction
SYNTHETIC COLORS
Synthetic colors make a cosmetic look "pretty" especially in hair dyes. Coal-tar dyes are generally labelled as FD&C or D&C followed by a number like "FD&C Red No. 6" & "D&C Green No. 6." D & C stands for drugs and cosmetics, and they can not be used near mucous membranes. FD & C stands for Food, Drugs & Cosmetics, and these colors can be used in foods, drugs & cosmetics. Some synthetic colors suspected by the FDA to be carcinogenic are still in use like FD & C Red No. 40 used to color maraschino cherries & lollipops to give them their bright red appearance.
allergic reaction chromosomal damage lymphocytic & thyroid tumors
SYNTHETIC FRAGRANCES
Synthetic fragrance is a potpourri of ingredients ranging from 20 to 200, & there is no way to know what these chemicals are. The word "synthetic" won't be listed, so look for the word "fragrance" or "natural fragrance" on the label. Synthetic fragrance oils are primarily made from petrochemicals & attempt to duplicate the SMELL of a specific plant, (sometimes called "Frankenstein" fragrance.) The same principle is in "natural flavors".
headaches dizziness rash hyperpigmentation violent coughing vomiting carcinogenic

SUMMARY
The main reasons why companies use these ingredients is because they're CHEAP, they're protected by law, & the public is unaware of it. For instance, the FDA does not require fragrance manufacturers to disclose the ingredients of synthetic fragrances because these formulas are regarded as "proprietary." Therefore, many carcinogenic ingredients slip through the cracks & on to the market. The responsibility of safeguarding the consumer then is left up to YOU. Choose wisely as a consumer & buy safe products only. Read Aubrey Hampton's Natural Ingredients Dictionary for more info. This will convince the manufacturers that there is profit to be made, not by making it CHEAP but by making it RIGHT.