The beauty industry is booming and we are exposed to so many products, many that are harmful and toxic to our bodies. I feel it’s important for me to share this post with you so that you can be more mindful when it comes to purchasing products that you use daily. Have you ever looked at the ingredients of your moisturizer or lipstick? Though products are applied topically, a lot the ingredients you find at the back of these products enter your bloodstream. These ingredients have been linked to causing cancer, allergies, reproductive issues and neurological disorders. In fact, a lot of these ingredients can be found in industrial chemicals, like degreasers, they keep grime off auto parts. If it’s strong enough for your car, what kinda harm do you think it’s doing to your skin.
Before I purchase products I do look at the ingredients first and there are several things that stand out to me, and I make sure to avoid them. These ingredients are Alcohol, Parabens, Fragrance, Sulfates, Mineral Oil, Triclosan, and Formaldehyde. There are more harmful ingredients as well, but these are some that I tend to keep my eye on.
Harmful Products
Alcohol– found in many products, very drying and irritating to the skin
Parabens-preservatives found in many beauty products that prevent the growth of bacteria in products, known to cause estrogen disruption, allergies, and interfere with the endocrine system
Fragrance-synthetic fragrances, can cause reproductive system problems, disrupt hormones and triggers allergies and asthma
Sulfates-gives the foaming effect to products like shampoos and soaps, carcinogenic, can cause skin irritations or harm the nervous system
Mineral Oil-found in baby oil and vaseline, clogs pores, no benefits to skin and may contain toxic chemicals
Triclosan-a synthetic antibacterial ingredient, linked to allergies, can contribute to antibiotic-resistant to bacteria and thyroid dysfunction
Formaldehyde-used as preservatives in many beauty products, known carcinogenic, can irritate the skin and eyes and may cause allergies
You may not see issues or changes right away, and it might even take months or years. It’s like one day you wake up and your body no longer tolerates the product you’ve been using for a long time. Some changes you may notice could include skin tags – caused by overproduction of melanin after using products that are sensitive to light. Your skin may also become allergic, irritated and become dry which over time can turn into eczema.
If a product contains ingredients that are hard to pronounce, research it first and check out what possible negative reactions you can get from using it. Like most warning signs indicated in products, make sure you do a patch test first or consult with a physician if you’re known to get allergic reactions to certain ingredients. I also highly suggest getting samples first before buying a full size.
