5 Harmful Skincare Ingredients: What You Need to Know

 

 

Everyone who believes that spending a large amount of money to achieve the skin of their dreams is the way to go is thoroughly mistaken. According to various dermatologists, a sea of posh and frilly cosmetic products available in the marketplace along with being a waste of money can also cause more harm than good.

Why? Because several harmful skincare ingredients like chemicals utilised in most skincare products and cosmetics are facing backlash from a new wave of informed and knowledgeable users who are unwavering when it comes to product and quality concerns.

A large number of beauty products consist of harmful chemicals that are bad for the health of your skin as well as the environment. Chemical-based skincare products are popular, but if you take the time to research their ingredient lists, you’ll quickly discover why they’re not the best option to get clear, beautiful skin. Many bad ingredients in skincare products don’t even benefit your skin at all; they’re added simply as preservatives to keep the product from going bad before you can use it all up. Before we move any further, let us understand what these chemical-based skincare products are.

 

What are chemical-based skincare products?

Our everyday skincare products contain dozens of ingredients. Some of these ingredients are essential and beneficial for our skin's health, while some can be damaging and should be avoided. Chemical-based skincare products, while they often seem like the best option, are actually filled with harmful chemicals that cause long-term damage to your skin. The most common of these chemicals are parabens, which have been linked to breast cancer in women and early puberty in girls; and phthalates, which may cause developmental issues like reduced IQ or ADHD in kids and miscarriages in pregnant women. The list of ingredients on the back of your favourite skincare products is often long and confusing. If you’re looking for healthy skincare products, make sure they don’t contain any of these five harmful ingredients that are found in chemical-based skincare products:

1. Fragrance

Both natural and artificial fragrances can cause irritation to your skin. In fact, as per the Academy of Dermatology Association (or ADA), fragrances are among the top leading causes when it comes to contact dermatitis, which is a skin condition where your skin becomes red and inflamed after coming in contact with an irritant.

Artificial fragrances are among the most harmful skincare ingredients as they are created using a mix of chemicals like preservatives and solvents that can irritate your skin. They have even been shown to result in skin problems like psoriasis and eczema due to the volatility of the chemicals that goes into making them. All fragrances that are high in concentrations can irritate your skin, even organic ones. Some research shows that fragrances are among the most common cause of allergic reactions to cosmetic products, so it is probably best to choose products that have no scent if you already have sensitive skin.

Some scented products can be worse for you than others. Products that you can wash off, like soaps, are more bearable and can have a higher concentration of fragrance in them. But on the other hand, products that stay on the skin, such as lotions, creams, etc. should have very low concentrations of fragrance or best, no fragrance at all.

This is why people with certain skin issues prefer using natural beauty products over those laden with chemicals as they provide relief to your skin while also keeping it away from the side effects that come with the presence of certain harmful skincare ingredients.

 

2. Parabens

Parabens refer to a group of chemicals that are often used as preservatives for skincare products, to increase their shelf lives. They can do this by preventing the growth of mould and other microorganisms like bacteria in the products. The most common parabens used as harmful skincare ingredients include:

-       Methylparaben

-       Propylparaben

-       Isobutylparaben

-       Butylparaben

Parabens are commonly used for makeup products and moisturizers. According to the FDA and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review (or CIR), parabens are safe to use for the preservation of cosmetic products and pose no major health risks, as they are used in rather small quantities in these products.

However, research shows that parabens can easily penetrate your epidermis, and into your body. This is a big issue because they stay in your body tissue and fluids and they have been found in the breast tissue of people with happens in cases of breast cancer, although no studies have clearly linked it to the higher odds of developing cancer.

Parabens are harmful skincare ingredients that can also interfere with the hormone production in the female body by impersonating estrogen, a hormone that plays a crucial role in maintaining the functions of the reproductive system in women. When this happens, your body might start to produce less than required levels of estrogen. Some research shows that this could have adverse effects on the regular reproductive function in both men and women.

 

3. Formaldehyde

You may recognize this ingredient in the liquid form of formaldehyde is used as a preservative for cadavers (dead human bodies) from science class. It is used as a chemical preservative to stop bacterial growth that might eventually happen in cosmetic products.

As per the International Agency for Research on Cancer, formaldehyde is considered to be a human carcinogen, meaning its exposure in large amounts for a stretched period of time can put you at risk of developing cancer. However, most skincare products contain so few quantities of formaldehyde that many manufacturers don't even consider it harmful to use it.

Even though only small amounts are used, many everyday skincare products such as cleansers, soaps, and moisturizers, contain formaldehyde, and it can still be harmful and act as an irritant to your skin. Research shows that normal skin can get contact dermatitis even under short-term use. It goes without saying that this ingredient shouldn't be in cosmetic products at all. It can be very irritating and sensitizing to the skin as well as carcinogenic. It should not be used in skincare products anymore even if it isn’t as damaging when lower in concentration.

 

4. Phthalates

Phthalates are a large group of chemicals that are actually used to soften plastic. Even in cosmetic products, they are used as softeners. They are generally included in many fragrances that are used in skincare products to make the scents linger.

The most common category of phthalate used in the making of skin care products is diethyl phthalate (or DEP). DEP helps products like moisturizers and lotions to seep into the skin barrier better. It is also used for fragranced products to help the scent remain for longer. 

As per the FDA, phthalates that are present in skincare products don't pose any significant health risks, even when present at the highest levels. However, they are known to be endocrine disruptors, meaning they may interfere with the normal actions of the hormones in our bodies.

Keeping harmful skincare ingredients like phthalates out of your skincare products can be tricky as the manufacturers who used phthalates in fragrances aren't required to mention them as an ingredient on the ingredient labels of their products, primarily because they are often considered to be a crucial part of the chemical makeup of fragrances. So, if you are looking to avoid products which contain phthalates, don’t just take a look at the ingredients mentioned on the back. Opt for products that specifically have a 'phthalate-free' label.

 

5. Alcohol

Alcohol can be found in many skin care products for various purposes. It can be used to help products dry more quickly on your skin, or as a preservative. Products like toners and cleansers are used to reduce the appearance of pores and help tighten the skin.

They are various types of alcohol used in skincare products. Alcohols like ethanol, propanol, and isopropanol are denatured alcohols and are most irritating to the skin. These types are usually found in soaps, cleansers, and toners. They tend to be overly dry and very harsh on your skin. If used frequently, these alcohols can damage your skin's natural barrier, making it difficult for your skin to retain moisture.

Denatured alcohol is one of the top ingredients in a skincare product, it is known to be overly drying and may even cause damage to your skin. Skincare products that contain a smaller amount of alcohol are less likely to be drying or irritating to the skin.

However, research shows that fatty alcohols like Cetearyl, Stearyl, and cetyl are safe for the skin as they are less irritating and can be beneficial to the skin. They act as emulsifiers, meaning that they help keep liquid and oil together in products. This is also the reason why they are frequently used in products like moisturizers and sunscreens. Nowadays, many people are opting for natural skincare alternatives for the same products as they are free from the commonly used bad ingredients in skincare listed here.

 

 

The ingredients listed above are only some of the many ingredients that have some adverse effects that must be stopped before they start affecting your skin or overall health. Keep in mind to check out the ingredient list at the back of the product and make sure it doesn’t contain any of these. This is one of the major reasons that people have switched to organic skincare products. Make safe and thoughtful purchases as skincare is nothing less of an investment and why settle for something.