WORST Toxic Chemicals in Cosmetics

April 20, 2015 by Hannah of Healy Eats Real 2 Comments

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Did you know that your skin can absorb the products that are put on it and many of them can
make their way into your bloodstream? Considering the amount of chemicals in the products
we use every day, this is a scary thought! (1) Thats why is is so important to know which
toxic ingredients in cosmetics could be harmful to your health!
Rates of Chronic Disease are Rising
When you start to look at how the chemicals in our everyday products are linked to
everything from hormonal imbalance to allergies and cancer, its no wonder that all of these

issues are on the rise. In the list below you will see how each chemical listed is associated
with one or more of these issues.
Almost everyone knows someone with cancer, allergies or hormonal issues like
hypothyroidism. Take a look at some of these staggering statistics:

Food Allergies among children have risen 50% between 1997 and 2011 (2)

The World Cancer Report predicts that new cancer cases will rise from an estimated
14 million annually in 2012 to 22 million within two decades. (3)

According the the CDC, it is estimated that 1 in 8 couples have trouble getting
pregnant or sustaining a pregnancy. Today in the US 6.7 Million women have an
impaired ability to get pregnant or carry a baby to term. (4)

It is important to understand that of the 10,500 ingredients used in your toothpaste,

sunscreen, nail polish, and so on, only 13 percent of them have been reviewed for safety in
the last 30 years, according to an Environmental Working Group (EWG) analysis and
those that have were reviewed by the Cosmetics Ingredients Review, which is run by the
cosmetics industry!
On average, you likely apply 126 different ingredients to your skin daily and 90 percent of
them have not been evaluated for safety. (5)
Dr. Mercola explained why using so many products with low-grade chemicals in them each
day is concerning:
..There is a serious lack of long-term studies on ALL of the chemicals in these products
so we dont really know what the long-term effects are. Its not just repeated exposure to one
chemicalits the combined effect of thousands of little chemical exposures, day in and day
out, that is of concern. (6)
Before we dive into some of the nastiest chemicals to avoid, I want to make clear that
although the article is titled Top 6 Chemicals to AVOID in Your Cosmetics, I will be
including other things like deodorant, soap and toothpaste in with this article even though
those items may not necessarily be considered cosmetics.
Without further ado, here are some (but not all) of the chemicals you should avoid in your
cosmetic or personal care products:
Top 6 Chemicals to AVOID in Your Cosmetics:

1. Parabens
Parabens are chemicals that are often used as preservatives.
Where they are commonly found:

lotion

sunscreen

shampoo/conditioner

eye makeup

soaps/body wash

What to avoid on labels:

Ethylparaben, butylparaben, methylparaben, propylparaben and any other word containing
paraben
How they affect us:
Parabens have been linked to hormonal disruption, allergies, autism, reproductive and
developmental defects and cancer. (7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
What to Use Instead:
You can buy naturally made products at most health food stores, but they can be pricey.
Luckily, making your own can be inexpensive and easy. Most of the products that contain
parabens can be easily made at home with easy-to-get ingredients including essential oils. I
make my own lotion/body butter with shea butter, coconut oil, almond oil, Melaleuca
Alternifolia (tea tree oil) and Frankincense essential oil, which are both great essential oils for
skin health. I make my own sunscreen with coconut oil (which has a natural spf of 4-6), zinc
(spf 5-20) and carrot seed essential oil (spf 30-40). However, I only use Young Living
essential oils since most other store-bought essential oils can also contain unlabeled chemical
additives, synthetic fragrances, pesticide residue or solvents like hexane that can be
absorbed into the skin.

2. Aluminum
Aluminum is usually included in most anti-perspirants as an anti-sweating agent. It acts as a
plug for the sweat glands to temporarily inhibit sweat from reaching the skin. Aluminium
colloidal colorants lakes are used in lipsticks to combine with color pigments and make
them insoluble. In toothpaste, aluminum is sometimes used for coloring and sometimes used
as a mild abrasive to polish tooth enamel.
Where it is commonly found:

Deodorant

Lipstick

Some whitening toothpastes

What to avoid on labels:

Aluminum Chlorohydrate, Aluminum Chloride, Sodium Alum, Sodium Aluminium

Chlorohydroxy Lactate, Sodium Sesquichlorohydrex Pg, Aluminium Sulfate, Aluminum
Bromohydrate, Anything with the word Aluminum before it.
How it affects us:
Reproductive toxicity. One study showed that aluminum was linked to testicular toxicity,
decreased sperm quality and reduced fertility in mice. (12)
Aluminum especially in deodorants has been linked to breast cancer. Some studies have even
found levels of aluminum in breast tissue. (13, 14)
What to Use Instead:
Make your own deodorant! I have a great recipe for homemade deodorant that works
wonderfully! Ive tried buying natural deodorants from the store and they never worked for
me. I have sensitive skin, but I still need a strong deodorant and this recipe works great. See
my deodorant recipe here.
You can buy organic lipstick or make your own here.
For toothpaste, I know many folks that make their own. However, its best not to use baking
soda every day on teeth because it is very alkaline and everyday use can disrupt the
acid/alkaline balance in our mouth which affects bacteria killing abilities (learn more here). I
prefer to buy this toothpaste formulated with redmond clay and alternate that with baking
soda scrub a couple times a week and thieves mouthwash which contains thieves essential oil
(great for dental health!). Buy discounted essential oils and thieves products here.
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3. Sodium Laureth Sulfate

Sodium Laureth Sulfate is a detergent, emulsifier and surfactant used in countless cosmetics
and cleaning products.
Where it is commonly found:

Shampoo/Conditioner

Hair dye

Toothpaste

Body wash

Make-up

Hand soap

Laundry Detergent

Bath Salts

What to avoid on labels: Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Sodium dodecyl sulfate, Sulfuric acid,
monododecyl ester, sodium salt, Sodium salt sulfuric acid, Monododecyl ester sodium salt
sulfuric acid. Ethylene oxide is often added to SLS.
How it affects us:
Sodium Laureth Sulfate has been linked in various studies to hormonal disruption,
neurotoxicity, reproductive toxicity, organ toxicity and possibly cancer. (15, 16, 17, 18)
What to Use Instead:
I either buy natural non-toxic body products or make my own with natural ingredients and
essential oils.

4. Fluoride
Fluoride is a chemical often added to drinking water, toothpastes and dental products.
Although fluoride is added to dental products and water because it is believed to improve
dental health and have no side effect, there is little data to support the claim that fluoride
improves dental health and there is ample data showing that there are side effects from
uncontrolled fluoride intake from water and other sources (19). 97% of Western Europe has
rejected water fluoridation. (20).
Where it is commonly found:

Toothpaste

Drinking water

What to avoid on labels:

Fluoride
How it affects us:
Fluoride intake is linked with many chronic diseases including arthritis, thyroid impairment,
reproductive problems (21). 36 studies have demonstrated fluorides effect on the brain (22).
What to Use Instead:
As mentioned above, for toothpaste, I know many folks that make their own. However, its
best not to use baking soda every day on teeth because it is very alkaline and everyday use
can disrupt the acid/alkaline balance in our mouth which affects bacteria killing abilities
(learn more here). I prefer to buy this toothpaste formulated with redmond clay and alternate
that with baking soda scrub a couple times a week and thieves mouthwash which contains
thieves essential oil (great for dental health!). Buy discounted essential oils and thieves
products here.

If your city does fluoridate the water, make sure you get a filter that removes or at least
reduces fluoride. Some US cities like Portland, OR and San Jose, CA have stopped
fluoridating the water. Many at-home water filters like brita or pur do not remove fluoride, so
do your research. Filters like the berkey water filter, countertop filter , or a reverse osmosis
filtration system are good options for greatly reducing fluoride in the water.

5. Synthetic Fragrances
So many of the products that we use on a day-to-day basis contain synthetic fragrances that
are created in a lab with toxic chemicals. When you see fragrance on a label it can include
up to 300 different chemicals and still only say fragrance!
Where it is commonly found:

Perfumes/cologne

scented body products

o body wash
o shampoo
o scrubs
o lotions
o make up

air fresheners

cleaning products

laundry detergents

scented candles

What to avoid on labels:

Fragrance
How it affects us:
Chemical fragrances have been linked to allergies, reproductive damage, hormonal
disruption, sperm damage and cancer (23).
What to Use Instead:

It is actually pretty easy to make your own scented products with natural essential oils! You
can even make your own perfume! I love using a essential oil blend from Young Living
called Joy for my perfume, you can just mix it with a carrier oil like almond oil and rub it on
your neck or wrists and it smells great without any toxic chemicals! I like to make simple
cleaners with lemon or thieves essential oils and it even kills germs naturally! Ive basically
replaced all of the toxic cleaners and chemical body products in my home with homemade
non-toxic products made with natural ingredients like castile soap, baking soda and essential
oilsand I even save money on it too! Essential oils can help support health and emotions,
so instead of using toxic scented candles, I just use an essential oil diffuser to make my home
smell nice and detoxify the air while improving my health instead of hurting it.

6. Triclosan
Triclosan is a pesticide commonly found in anti-bacterial hand soap. It is supposed to kill
germs, but even the FDA has found no evidence of this. For other consumer products, FDA
has not received evidence that the triclosan provides an extra benefit to health. At this time,
the agency does not have evidence that triclosan in antibacterial soaps and body washes
provides any benefit over washing with regular soap and water. (24)
Where it is commonly found:

Antibacterial soap

Toothpaste

Deodorant

What to avoid on labels:

Triclosan, triclocarban, anything antibacterial will usually have triclosan.
How it affects us:
Triclosan has been shown to impair muscle function and disrupt natural hormone levels (25,
26, 27).
What to Use Instead:
For soap, I like to use plain old castile soap or to attack bacteria I use Young Living Thieves
hand soap which contains essential oils that may help with bacteria and support the immune
system (you can join Young Living here). You can also just add thieves essential oil to
unscented castile soap for the same benefits. I also like thieves toothpaste for the same
reason. You can also make your own toothpaste with baking soda and essential oils like
peppermint or thieves.

These are some of the worst chemicals to avoid in cosmetics and other
personal products. What other chemicals would you add to this list?

Sources:
1. http://extoxnet.orst.edu/tibs/cutaneou.htm
2. http://www.foodallergy.org/facts-and-stats
3. http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/04/health/who-world-cancer-report/
4. http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/infertility.htm
5. http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/08/14/red-alert-on-cosmeticproducts-will-they-cause-a-health-disaster-like-asbestos-did.aspx
6. http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/07/13/sodium-lauryl-sulfate.aspx
7. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25584915
8. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24652746
9. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24652746
10. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25128701
11. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14745841
12. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7601326
13. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21337589
14. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16045991
15. http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/PHS/PHS.asp?id=953&tid=199
16. http://www.oehha.org/prop65/prop65_list/files/P65single020510.pdf
17. http://www.drfranklipman.com/sodium-lauryl-sulfate-from-coconut-is-it-safer/
18. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8780078
19. http://fluoridealert.org/studytracker/
20. http://fluoridealert.org/content/europe-statements/
21. http://fluoridealert.org/studytracker/
22. http://fluoridealert.org/studies/brain01/
23. http://www.safecosmetics.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Not-So-Sexy-report.pdf
24. http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm205999.htm
25. http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/triclosan-a-chemical-used-inantibacterial-soaps-is-found-to-impair-muscle-function-22127536/?no-ist=
26. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0166445X06003407
27. http://www.beyondpesticides.org/antibacterial/triclosan-research-3-09.pdf
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Comments

1.

Georgina says

June 8, 2015 at 11:49 pm

I was reading your article on the harmful chemicals on cosmetics. What products do
you use for skin care and make-up? Thank you.
Reply
Hannah of Healy Eats Real says

October 9, 2015 at 12:01 pm

Hi Georgina,
For skin care I make my own products with essential oils
(healyeatsreal.com/essentialoils/). For makeup, I use Lauren Brooke
Cosmetics (Laurenbrookecosmetiques.com).
Reply

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