Did you know that the average American woman puts an average of 168 chemicals on her body every single day without even knowing it? And 60 percent of what we are putting onto our skin is absorbed right into our bodies. If that’s not enough to shock you, the FDA doesn’t require any pre-market testing or approval before skin care products and makeup hit the shelves where women—like you!—can easily buy them.
Not only are there toxic ingredients found in your makeup and lotions, they can be in your shampoo, lip balm, deodorant and other every day, seemingly harmless products.
Many of the ingredients included in U.S. skin care products have been banned in Europe and other countries. Scientific studies suggest that these ingredients could be linked to cancer, neurotoxicity and reproductive harm. The United States is much more lax about the ingredients they are 'ok' with using in your makeup or skin care products. According to the Huffington Post:
“The European Union has banned over 1,300 chemicals found in cosmetics. The FDA has only banned 8 and restricted 3.”
In addition, 80 percent of ingredients used in personal care products have never been tested for safety. (Marie Claire).
Among the findings of a survey from EWG are the following alarming statistics:
- 2.2 million adults (one of every 13 women and one of every 23 men) are exposed to ingredients that are known or probable human carcinogens every day through their use of personal care products.
- One of every 24 women, 4.3 million women altogether, are exposed daily to personal care product ingredients that are known or probable reproductive and developmental toxins, linked to impaired fertility or developmental harm for a baby in the womb or a child. These statistics do not account for exposures to phthalates that testing shows appear in an estimated three quarters of all personal care products but that, as components of fragrance, are not listed on product ingredient labels.
Women use more products than men, and are exposed to more unique ingredients daily, but men use a surprisingly high number of products as well. The average woman uses 12 products containing 168 unique ingredients every day. Men, on the other hand, use 6 products daily with 85 unique ingredients, on average.
The shocking truth is that there are many ingredients found in your makeup and skin care products that are bad for you, with many linking to cancer, organ toxicity, allergies and hormone disruption. What are the ingredients to be on the lookout for? Let’s go through them now so you can be sure to keep skin care products including these ingredients far, far away from your skin.
Steer Clear of These 5 Toxic Ingredients Found in Skin Care Products & Makeup
Print out this list out to do a spring cleaning of your skincare products, and to keep with you the next time you are purchasing makeup or skin care products as a guide of what ingredients to look for and avoid. Don’t put these on your skin!
Lead
Lead is a known carcinogen found in our foundation, whitening toothpaste, hair dye and lipstick. It’s a proven neurotoxin that is linked to miscarriage and reduced fertility.
Phthalates
Phthalates are a group of chemicals that are used primarily in nail polish and may be disruptive to the endocrine system, which is responsible for hormone production. If you don’t see Phthalates on labels, look for names such as DBP (di-n-butyl phthalate) and DEP (diethyl phthalate). Besides nail polish, you can find phthalates in anything from deodorant to scented lip balm. It’s used to plasticize products, making them more flexible and able to hold scent and color.
Butylated Compounds (BHT, BHA)
Found in anything from sunscreen to your favorite lipstick, these are toxic to the respiratory, liver, immune and neurologic systems. Here are some other makeup and skin care products that may contain butylated compounds:
- Moisturizers
- Skin cleansers
- Diaper creams
- Perfumes
- Blushes
- Foundations
- Lipsticks
- Lip glosses
- Eyeliners
- Eye shadows
Need help developing a skin care regimen that you’ll actually stick to? Discover the benefits of monthly treatments and a skin care regimen designed specifically for you with our SkinFit aesthetics program.
Triclosan
Another endocrine disruptor, triclosan is the active ingredient used in antibacterial cosmetics such as cleansers, acne treatments, antibacterial liquid hand soaps, antiperspirants and cleansers. Triclosan has also been paired with thyroid dysfunction and is a skin irritant.
Parabens
Parabens are probably the most widely used preservatives in cosmetics with no trouble at all penetrating your skin—easily. Parabens possess estrogen-mimicking properties that are associated with increased risk of breast cancer. They can be found in makeup, deodorants, shampoos, facial cleansers and body washes.
Those are just some of the harmful ingredients commonly found in our skin care products and makeup. Here’s a quick list of others to keep with you to look out for when reading labels:
- Formaldehyde
- Diethanolamine (DEA)
- Phenylenediamine (PPD)
- Petrolatum
- Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) and Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES)
- Toluene
- Hydroquinone
- Talc
- Dioxins
- DEET
- Carbon black
- Aluminum
- Tetrasodium (EDTA)
- Nanoparticles
- Synthetic colors
- Propylene glycol
- Sunscreen chemicals
- Siloxanes
- Fragrance/Parfum
- Triethanolamine (TEA)
A Note to Remember: What we put on our skin should be as clean as what you eat. Even in what seems like tiny amounts, a spray here or a dab there, many of those toxic chemicals can have a tremendous health and hormonal impact.
There are many beauty and skin care products out there on the market full of hidden chemicals. And those harmful ingredients can easily be hidden by confusing or deceptive titles.
We’re not trying to scare you into avoiding all makeup and skin care products, but we do want you to know that you have options when it comes to what we put on our skin. Since the makeup and skin care product industry isn’t transparent, it’s up to us to do our research in order to make healthier choices.
The Medical Grade SkinCare Products LifeScape Premier offers (SkinBetter Science, SkinMedica, PCA, Epionce, Revision) have been reviewed by our Aesthetician to ensure they do not contain any of the aforementioned toxic ingredients.
References: http://www.forensicsciencetechnician.org/15-ingredients-in-cosmetics-you-should-know-about/, https://foodrevolution.org/blog/toxic-chemicals-makeup/?utm_campaign=frn17&utm_medium=email&utm_source=email-automated&utm_content=3155&utm_term=existing-email-list&email=ssw%40lifescapemed.com&firstname=susan&lastname=Wilder
