Skincare: The List of Cosmetic Ingredients to Avoid

In cosmetics as with our food, it is important to pay attention to what you apply to your skin. Today thousands of brands offer cosmetics whose composition is harmful for our organism, but also for the environment ❌ . Between endocrine disrupting, carcinogenic and highly polluting ingredients, it is not easy to navigate and make the right choice.

Here is a list of cosmetic ingredients to avoid to maintain beautiful skin and a healthy body 😇.

Cosmetic ingredients to avoid – Some definitions 📖

Before we take stock of the toxic ingredients that you should avoid, it is important that we define a few terms that will allow you to understand the consequences that these ingredients have on our bodies.

What is an endocrine disruptor?

According to the WHO, an endocrine disruptor is “an exogenous substance or mixture that alters the function(s) of the endocrine system and, as a result, causes a deleterious effect on the health of an individual, its progeny or sub-populations”.

It is therefore a compound that will have an impact on our hormonal system. This substance can interfere and modify the functioning of our organism as well as that of our offspring. It acts on the thyroid, ovaries, testicles, pituitary gland... which constitute the endocrine system, allowing these organs to communicate and function in harmony.

The disruption of this system can lead to serious consequences such as the deformation of a fetus, sterility, inconvenienced the sexual and cerebral development of an individual 😷. To find out more, we invite you to read this article from INSERM.

What is a carcinogenic ingredient?

It is simply an ingredient that will promote the appearance of cancer. This is possible if it enters the body and changes its functioning. Extremely bad, it damages the body and disrupts its functioning.

List of cosmetic ingredients to avoid for your health 🤚🏻❌

Alkylphenols:

Alkyphenols are emulsifying agents that allow all the active ingredients of a cream to be mixed well. The European Union recognizes a potential risk for fertility and for the foetus. They are endocrine disruptors and active carcinogens, which lead to breast cancer in particular.

BHAs and BHTs:

These are active antioxidants used in creams and lipstick. They are suspected by the International Agency for Research against Cancer (IARC) to be carcinogenic and to be endocrine disruptors by ANSES (National Health Security Agency).

Emollients:

These active ingredients are used in cosmetics to soften the skin. However, they are endocrine disruptors. Cyclotetrasiloxane is harmful to reproduction. They are found under the names cyclopentasiloxane; cyclotetrasiloxane; cyclomethicone; decamethylcyclopentasiloxane:

Titanium dioxide:

It whitens and pigments sunscreens and cosmetics. At the nanoscale, TiO2 penetrates skin tissue and can easily reach the nucleus of cells in all our organs. LAnses classifies titanium dioxide in nano form as a carcinogen.

WARNING: Organic and natural products use titanium dioxide in non-nanometric form.Indeed Ecocert verifies the absence of nanoparticles "less than 100 nm for cosmetics"

Brands using titanium dioxide in non-nanoparticle form: Avril, Lily Lolo, Eco cosmetics, UVBIO

Glycol esters:

An allergenic solvent that is very irritating to the skin. It can cause eczema and hives. They are able to penetrate the dermis and the placenta and are toxic to the blood, reproduction and the liver.

Formaldehyde:

It is an antimicrobial preservative found in varnishes. It is carcinogenic by inhalation, allergenic and irritant.

Mineral oils:

Mineral oils come from petroleum refining. They deposit a greasy film on the face which suggests that the skin is soft and hydrated. In reality, they bring no benefit to the epidermis and are even comedogenic.

Methylisothiazolinone:

It is a preservative found in conventional wipes and shampoos. It is highly sensitizing and causes allergies. The American Contact Dermatitis, an association of American dermatologists, named it in 2013 as the ingredient that causes the most damage in patients.

Paraben:

Parabens are antibacterial and antifungal. They are used to preserve cosmetic products. Satellite dishes weaken the skin and accelerate skin ageing. They are absorbed very quickly into the skin and are endocrine disruptors.

Phthalate:

Phthalates are used as perfume in cosmetics. They are named "perfume" in the INCI but the term hides a cocktail of unidentified chemicals.

These are strong endocrine disruptors that affect fertility, deform the limbs, promote cancer and obesity.

In natural products, the fragrances used are extracted from essential oils and do not contain phthalates.

PolyEthylene Glycol (PEG):

These are surfactants, detergents and emulsifiers that are supposed to moisturize the skin. They contain extremely toxic impurities that damage and irritate the skin. They are carcinogenic and promote breast cancer in particular.

P-Phenylenediamine:

It is mainly found in chemical hair dyes. They are highly allergenic and could promote bladder cancer.

Aluminium salt:

These are antiperspirants found in deodorants but also in toothpaste. They promote the development of diseases such as breast cancer or Alzheimer's.

Silicone:

Silicones are found in oil or wax form in conventional cosmetics. They give an impression of smooth, soft and hydrated skin. Like mineral oils, they have no benefits for the skin. On the contrary, the silicone forms a film on the skin which prevents the care products from penetrating and clogs the pores. They are very polluting.

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate:

These are surfactants, in other words, foaming agents found in toothpaste, shampoo and shower gel. It is a detergent that attacks the skin and exposes it to external aggressions.SLS is absorbed by the body, it then becomes an endocrine disruptor which can cause: premenstrual syndrome and symptoms of menopause, fertility, female cancers...

Triclosan:

It is an anti-bacterial, antifungal, antiviral and anti-tartar preservative It is found in toothpaste, anti-acne products, soap, cream and lotion… This component disrupts the functioning of the thyroid. It circulates easily in the body, traces of it are found in urine, blood and even breast milk.

As a bonus, here are all the INCI names under which you can find these harmful ingredients. Labels will no longer hold any secrets for you 😉.

These ingredients are mainly present in creams and conventional cosmetic products. To eliminate these ingredients from your beauty routine, we advise you to opt for natural and organic products 🌿 from which these ingredients are banned ❌.

At Veganie we analyze the labels and select cosmetics with the cleanest composition possible. The cosmetics we sell are free of any carcinogenic products or with endocrine disruptors 😇

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