So you have just purchased a new skincare product, drawn by its attractive packaging and the promise of beautiful, flawless skin. You can’t wait to experience the refreshing sensation of the lotion on your face and the delightful scent of its floral extracts. However, as you examine the back of the bottle and read the list of ingredients, you come across all these unfamiliar and incomprehensible names. 

What exactly are you putting on your skin?

How do I Know What to Avoid?

With so many options, it can be overwhelming to understand ingredient lists and decipher which are truly good for your skin. That’s why I’ve compiled a list of skincare ingredients to avoid like the plague and why you should avoid them. 

While these ingredients may be commonly found in products, they could be doing more harm than good. 

From harsh chemicals and irritants to potential allergens and toxins, this comprehensive guide will help you make informed decisions about the products you choose to use on your skin. Without further ado, here are the ingredients to just say no to.

• Acrylic Acid – a respiratory poison for human beings; can result in asthma, intense skin burns, and an allergic reaction that affects the skin or lungs; can damage the kidneys and renal system of animals; has been known to cause blood-related tumors as well as those on the skin in animals.
• Aluminum (pure aluminum powder) – a potent neurotoxin for humans; can bring about irritation of the eyes, skin, and lungs; an endocrine disruptor; linked to Alzheimer’s disease and breast cancer; can result in birth defects in animals.
• Aluminum Chloride 1.- a nose and lung irritant; can cause liver and bladder abnormalities in animals; can lead to brain-related disorders in animals; an endocrine disruptor connected to breast cancer and Alzheimer’s disease; generally, aluminum compounds are neurotoxic to humans.
• Aluminium Hydrochloride – an endocrine disruptor linked to breast cancer and Alzheimer’s disease; aluminum compounds are neurotoxic to humans.
• Aluminium Oxide – a strong nose and lung irritant; can cause skin cancer in animals; an endocrine disruptor associated with breast cancer and Alzheimer’s disease; aluminum compounds are neurotoxic to humans.
• Ammonium Laureth Sulfate – can cause skin irritation, can contaminate water, and may be tainted with the carcinogen 1,4-Dioxane.
• Ammonium Persulfate – a powerful irritant of the eyes, respiratory system, and skin; can cause asthma; limited use in cosmetics.
• Amyl Acetate – a neurotoxin; eye and lung irritant; a lung allergen.
• Benzalkonium Chloride – an immune system, lung, and skin toxicant; can induce asthma; use is restricted in Canada and Japan.
• Benzyl Alcohol – a potent neurotoxin; can bring about an allergic reaction in the lungs; can cause itching, burning, scaling, hives, and blistering of the skin; caused liver damage, coma, and death in animals.
• Boric Acid – known to be a potent reproductive toxin and endocrine disruptor, this substance is not suited for use on infant, injured or damaged skin; it can be fatal and cause birth defects in animals and is thus prohibited in Canada and Japan.
• Bronopol (2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol) – one of the most potent lung and skin toxicants; an endocrine disruptor; can form carcinogenic nitrosamine; a cause of allergic contact dermatitis; an environmental pollutant; and poisonous to wildlife.
• Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA) – classified as a human carcinogen; has led to brain and liver tumors in animals at low doses; an endocrine disruptor; can cause allergic contact dermatitis and skin depigmentation; prohibited in the European Union; and is a persistent environmental toxin.
• Butylated Hydroxytoluene (BHT) – an endocrine disruptor, and a skin and lungs toxicant at low doses; in animals, has caused death, liver and stomach cancers, thrombosis, fibrosis, liver and brain damage; is a strong skin and eye irritant.
• Butylene Glycol – a skin, lung and eye irritant; and an environmental toxin.
• Butylparaben – a skin and eye irritant; an endocrine disruptor connected to breast and ovarian cancer; and an environmental contaminant.
• Calcium Fluoride – neurotoxic to humans; causes bone weakness; and birth abnormalities and depression in animals.
• Ceteareth (with any numeral following it) – not safe to use on broken skin; an eye and lung irritant; may be impure with 1,4-Dioxane.
• Cetrimonium Chloride – a skin and eye sensitizer which can result in itching, burning, scaling, hives, and blistering; has caused cell mutations in animal studies.
• Cetyl alcohol – a skin and eye irritant in humans.
• Cetrimonium Chloride – can cause itching, burning, scaling, hives, and blistering of skin; has caused lung cancer in animals.
• Chloroacetamide – a strong skin, eye, and lung irritant; toxic if inhaled; in animals, causes paralysis, goiter, and birth defects; prohibited in Canada.
• Coal Tar – a known human carcinogen; leads to lung and urinary tract cancer; a potent skin irritant; has caused multiple cancers in animals; outlawed in several countries including Canada and the European Union; still used in anti-dandruff shampoos in the US and the U.K.
• Cocamide DEA (ethanolamide of coconut acid) – a strong human skin toxicant and suspected carcinogen; causes irritation of skin, eyes, and lungs in humans; has triggered liver and bladder cancer in animals.
• D &C Red 30 Lake – a strong nervous system toxicant; as an aluminum compound, disrupts endocrine system and linked to breast and ovarian cancer; persistent wildlife contaminant.
• D &C Violet 2 – a coal tar dye; a skin and eye irritant; long-term use of coal tar hair dye linked to bladder cancer.
• Dibutyl phthalate – neurotoxicant, related to impaired fertility and urinary abnormalities, associated with breast and ovarian cancers, pollutes wildlife.
• Diethanolamine (DEA) – linked to brain abnormalities in animals; may be contaminated with carcinogen 1,4-Dioxane.
• Dimeticone (dimethicone) – a petroleum derivative, environmental toxicant.
• Direct Black 38 – a diethanolamine-containing dye that is a confirmed human carcinogen; strong evidence of having caused bladder cancer; may harm unborn child; causes liver and kidney cancer in animals; banned in European Union.
• DMDM Hydantoin – contains the carcinogenic Formaldehyde ; skin, eye and lung irritant; environmental toxicant.
• Ethylparaben – skin and eye irritant; endocrine disruptor linked to breast and ovarian cancer; environmental contaminant.
• Eugenol – endocrine disruptor, skin, eye and lung irritant; a well-recognized consumer allergen; caused death, coma, insomnia, convulsions, hematuria, pulmonary edema and liver cancer in animals.
• Ext. D &C Violet 2 – this coal
• Formaldehyde – is associated with leukemia, pancreatic, skin, liver, and lung cancer; a powerful irritant to the skin, eyes, and lungs; can lead to cirrhosis in the liver; causes inflammation of the stomach, kidneys, and bladder; has the potential to cause skin burns; a potential trigger for asthma; classified as a hazardous air pollutant; a toxin to the environment; not allowed in Canada or Japan; determined to be safe for use in cosmetics in the US.
• Formaldehyde Resin – This substance, which contains Formaldehyde, can cause similar risks and may induce an allergic reaction in either the skin or lungs.
• Formaldehyde Solution (Formalin) – is associated with leukemia, nasal and nasopharyngeal cancer; has been determined to be a neurotoxin in humans and animals; linked to bladder and liver cancer; limited use is allowed in Canada and the European Union; known to be a human carcinogen associated with leukemia, pancreatic, skin, liver, and lung cancer; strong skin, eye, and lung irritant; can cause irritation of the liver (cirrhosis), stomach, kidneys, and bladder; may result in skin burns; has been identified as an asthma trigger; classified as a hazardous air pollutant; has been deemed an environmental toxin; not allowed in Canada or Japan; and, approved for use in cosmetic products in the US.
• Glyceryl Stearate – can induce weak skin, eye and lung irritation.
• Lodopropynyl Butylcarbamate – contains Diethanolamine ; potentially can affect thyroid functioning; may be a gastrointestinal or liver toxicant; not suitable for aerosols; has been linked to allergic contact dermatitis; restricted in Japan.
• Imidazolidinyl Urea (Uric Acid) – can lead to itching, burning, scaling, hives, and blistering of the skin.
• Isobutylparaben – known skin and eye irritant; can act as an endocrine disruptor and has been connected to breast and ovarian cancer; has been found to be an environmental contaminant.
• Isoparaffin – is derived from petroleum; is an environmental toxin; may lead to mild irritation; has been known to cause kidney damage in animals; however, not carcinogenic in humans.
• Isopropyl Alcohol (SD-40) – has been identified as a human neurotoxin; can induce skin, eye, and lung irritation; inhalation of vapors could result in drowsiness and dizziness; may cause skin dehydration and potentially could promote brown spots and premature skin aging; is a petroleum derivative.
• Hydroquinone – is a toxin to the eyes, lungs, and nervous system; can cause itching, burning, scaling, hives, and blistering of the skin; suspected to be a liver and stomach carcinogen; has been found to cause liver cancer, DNA and ovary mutations in animals; restricted in Canada.
• Lactic acid – is a strong skin and eye irritant; can lead to skin burns; has been known to cause changes in the liver, brain, and blood in animals; has been linked to mutations and birth defects in animals; limited use is allowed in Canada.
• Laureth-7 (polyethylene glycol ether of lauryl alcohol) – may be contaminated with the carcinogen 1,4-Dioxane.
• Lead acetate – has been suggested as a possible human carcinogen and neurotoxin; known skin and eye irritant; classified as an environmental toxin; and, banned in the European Union.
• Lecithin – may be a lung irritant when used in aerosol form; has been determined to be a potent asthma trigger; can form carcinogenic nitrosamine compounds when in contact with nitrosating agents.
• Manganese Sulfate – has been found to be a strong human neurotoxin; can be harmful if exposed for an extended period of time or breathed in; can lead to convulsions, DNA mutations, and protein loss in animals; and, is toxic to wildlife.
• Methamine – is a strong skin, eye, nose, and lungs irritant; can lead to itching, burning, scaling, hives, and blistering of the skin; may be contaminated with the carcinogen 1,4-Dioxane; and, should not be used in aerosol cosmetics.
• Methyl Methacrylate – can be classified as a strong neurotoxin; a strong eye and lung irritant; may lead to asthma and skin burns; has been known to cause cancer and stomach bleeding in animals; classified as a hazardous air pollutant; and, banned in Canada and in the US.
• Methylparaben – is a skin and eye irritant; can act as an endocrine disruptor and has been connected to breast and ovarian cancer; and, has been found to be an environmental contaminant.
• Mineral oil (liquid petrolatum) – has resulted in blood and skin cancer formations in animals; is
• Sodium Laureth Sulfate – known for its capacity to irritate the skin and contaminate water, it may be contaminated with the cancer-causing agent 1,4-Dioxane.
• Sodium Lauryl Sulfate – a skin and eye irritant, when used in toothpaste it can cause canker sores.
• Talc – although it may not contain asbestos, it has been proven to be fibrogenic, meaning it causes tissue injury and fibrosis, as well as skin and lung irritation.
• Teflon – it has been found to cause toxic pneumonitis and skin cancer in animals, and has not been studied for safety in humans.
• Tetrasodium EDTA – it contains formaldehyde and has been found to be cytotoxic and genotoxic in animals; it is a strong skin and lung irritant in humans and is one of the most widespread toxins that pollutes waterways.
• Thimerosal (Thiomersal, Merthiolate) – this oxin is damaging to the skin, nervous system and immune system; mercury, which is linked to autism, is present in it and it has been found to cause cancer in animals; it is also an environmental toxin.
• Thioglycolic Acid (contains mercury) – it is a strong human skin irritant, causing itching, burning, scaling, hives and blistering of the skin; it is also a lung allergen and has been restricted in cosmetics and banned in Canada.
• Toluene (methylbenzene) – it is a skin and lung toxicant and carcinogen; it accumulates in fat tissue and is a soil contaminant.
• Triclosan – this endocrine disruptor affects thyroid hormone-associated gene expression and has been linked to fetal death in animals; it is also a strong skin irritant and an environmental toxin.
• Triethanolamine (TEA) – it has been linked to lymphoid, kidney and renal tumors in animals and may be contaminated with the carcinogen 1,4-Dioxane; it is a skin and eye irritant even when used in low doses.
• Triphenyl Phosphate – a human neurotoxin, it is a skin, eye and lung irritant and can cause tremors, depression and diarrhea in animals.
• Xanthene (AKA106, CI 45100) – it has been found to be unsafe for use in cosmetics in the US and has been linked to cancer and various organ mutations in animals.

Conclusion

Let’s be honest: in our pursuit of youthful and flawless skin, we often overlook what truly goes into our skincare products. The harsh reality is that many of them contain potentially harmful chemicals and synthetic substances. If these ingredients could speak, they would shout, “Avoid me at all costs!” So Let’s say goodbye to wasted money and hello to a healthier, more radiant complexion!