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Long ingredient lists and harmful ingredients in cosmetics! We don't want that any more. Our skin is our largest organ and therefore deserves the best care. In this blog, we help you decipher ingredient lists and show you which ingredients you are best off avoiding.
Do you ever check the ingredient list of your skin and hair care products? Fortunately, we are becoming more and more aware of what we put on our skin. Even so, deciphering an ingredient list can sometimes be quite tricky! Of course, we are happy to help you with this.
Alcohol
Alcohol can dry out and irritate the skin considerably. You will find it in many cosmetic products. There is one small caveat to this, however: not all types of alcohol are bad for the skin. Cetyl alcohol, for example, is a fatty alcohol and actually retains moisture in the skin, so you do not need to avoid it. Other good alcohols are: cetearyl alcohol, myristyl alcohol and behenyl alcohol.
Alcohol is often used in a product because it has an antibacterial effect, but because it damages the barrier function, harmful substances can penetrate deeper into the skin.
It is also widely used as an ingredient in care products for oily skin. But alcohol actually triggers sebum production and therefore indirectly makes oily skin worse.
On the ingredient list as: Denatured alcohol/ Alcohol Denat, Ethanol, Ethyl alcohol, Benzyl alcohol and Isopropyl alcohol.
Butylated Hydroxytoluene (BHT) / Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA)
BHT and BHA can be found in hair products, sunscreens and lipsticks, among other things, and these ingredients have been linked to cancer, disruption of the hormone balance and skin irritation. Not something you want on your skin.
Benzalkonium chloride
This is a disinfectant and is therefore found mainly in household cleaning products. Unfortunately, it has also ended up in personal care products such as deodorant and moisturisers. Research links this ingredient to allergies and severe skin, eye and respiratory irritation.
Coal tar
Coal tar is found mainly in hair dye and anti-dandruff shampoos. Coal tar is a by-product of coal processing and is known to be carcinogenic, a cause of skin allergies and toxic to the respiratory tract.
Ethanolamines
These ingredients are surfactants and pH regulators. Despite limited research, they are often linked to allergies, skin toxicity, hormone disruption and impaired development of the foetal brain, and so on!
On the ingredient list as: Diethanolamine (DEA), Acetamide MEA, Cocamide DEA, Lauramide DEA
Ethylenediamine tetraacetate
This ingredient causes other chemicals to penetrate your skin barrier more effectively, allowing other harmful ingredients to bypass the skin's natural protection and irritate the skin.
Phthalates
Phthalates are plasticisers and are used to keep plastic flexible. In cosmetics, they are used to stabilise the scent in perfume and the colour in cosmetics. A 2020 study found that these harmful substances are linked to an increased risk of cancer and fertility problems in both men and women.
On the ingredient list as: di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), di-isononyl phthalate (DINP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP). Phthalates are not always stated on the ingredient list. Sometimes they are hidden under the name perfume. But perfume does not always mean phthalates. Confusing, isn't it?!
Formaldehyde
This ingredient can also be found in cosmetics as a preservative. It is linked to asthma, neurotoxicity and developmental toxicity and is generally irritating to the skin, eyes and lungs.
On the ingredient list as: Benzylhemiformal, Formaldehyde, Methenamine
Methylisothiazolinone
Although this ingredient inhibits bacteria and fungi, which of course sounds good, it is a cause of skin irritation!
Mineral oils
Mineral oils are produced during the processing of petroleum. You can find them in many lip care products and even baby products (!) because they create a protective layer on the skin. They have only one function and that is to seal the skin off from external influences by laying a layer on the skin. So they do protect the skin, but they have no further skin benefits!
On the ingredient list as: mineral oil, paraffinum (liquidum), paraffin (wax), petrolatum (vaseline), Petroleum oil
Octinoxate
This is a UV filter that disrupts the hormone balance and can cause allergic reactions.
On the ingredient list as: Octinoxate, Ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate
Oxybenzone
This is one of the most popular UV filters. As well as causing skin irritation, it is also a hormone disruptor.
On the ingredient list as: Oxybenzone, Benzpenone-3
Parabens
This is probably a familiar one. Parabens are preservatives that suppress bacteria and fungi, which gives products a longer shelf life. Parabens are hormone disruptors. How do you recognise them on your ingredient list? They end in paraben.
On the ingredient list as: Isobutylparaben, Ethylparaben, Propylparaben, Butylparaben, Methylparaben
Paraffin
These mineral oils are derived from petroleum and are often found in lotion, face cream, lip balm and hair styling products. Although paraffin does not penetrate the skin, it is still bad for the skin. As well as irritation and contact dermatitis, it also causes the breakdown of collagen. And of course we would rather prevent those wrinkles!
PEG polyethylene glycol
PEG is used in cosmetics as an emulsifier, among other things. It is derived from petroleum and has no further skin benefits. The main safety risks of using PEGs in cosmetics relate to the production process and the by-products created in it. Possible contaminants are ethylene oxide and 1,4-dioxane, which can be quite harmful. In addition, PEGs are not biodegradable and are therefore not good for the environment!
On the ingredient list as: PEG followed by a number or Laureth sulfate, Coceth-7, Myreth-10, Myreth-3 laurate, Myreth sulfate, Isosteareth-200 palmitate, Almondeth-20
Phenoxyethanol
This is also a preservative that gives a product a longer shelf life. Phenoxyethanol can cause skin allergies and even damage to your nervous system.
Propylene Glycol
Propylene Glycol is used to bind moisture and allow the active ingredients to penetrate deeper into the skin. It damages your natural skin barrier and so there is a high chance that your skin will eventually react allergically or become irritated.
Perfume
Of course it is nice if your shower gel has a lovely scent. For many people it is even the reason for buying a product or not. Especially if you are sensitive to perfume, these toxic substances are responsible for irritation, hypersensitivity and other skin problems. You can of course opt for products with natural perfumes!
On the ingredient list as Fragrance, Parfum
Silicones / Siloxanes
Silicones make a product feel soft on the skin because they lay a layer over the skin. These are real hormone disruptors; they seal off the skin and have a negative effect on the immune system. On top of that, they are also toxic substances that are harmful to fish and animal life.
On the ingredient list as: Cetearyl Methicone, Cyclomethicone, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Dimethicone Stearyl, Dimethiconol, Phenyl Trimethicone, Trimethylsilylamodimethicone.
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS)
Foaming products may feel like they clean your skin and hair better, but this really isn't the case! SLS is a surfactant and is what makes a product foam. Because it is such a cheap ingredient, you can find it in around 90% of the shower gels and shampoos you can buy at the chemist. SLS is not very kind to the skin; it cleans so well that it also removes the skin's natural oils. This causes dry, irritated skin.
Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES)
SLES is a slightly milder variant of SLS, but you are best off avoiding this ingredient too. During the production of SLES, ethylene oxide can be released - a known carcinogen, nervous system disruptor and developmental toxin. Higher concentrations (more than 1%) can cause skin and eye irritation. Once again: even though something foams well, it really doesn't clean any better!
Written by: Helena Laarman
INCI list
Every manufacturer is required to state on cosmetics which ingredients the product is made up of. To avoid confusion, the same names for ingredients are used throughout Europe. A list of thousands of names has been drawn up for this purpose: the INCI list. INCI stands for International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients, in other words the international naming convention for ingredients in cosmetics.
The ingredient that is present in the largest quantity appears at the start of the ingredient list. The product right at the bottom is therefore present in the smallest quantity. Unfortunately, many products contain ingredients that are harmful to your skin, your body or the environment. These are the ingredients you would ideally want to avoid!
Aluminium
This is a widely used ingredient in deodorants. It is a toxic metal that mimics oestrogen in our system and acts as a hormone disruptor.
On the ingredient list as: aluminium, aluminium chlorohydrate, alum, alum, potassium alum
Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate (ALS)
You often come across this ingredient in 'natural' care products as a replacement for SLS and SLES. Despite being a milder variant, ALS causes skin irritation, so you are best off avoiding this ingredient!
Homosalate
Homosalate is a UV filter. As well as acting as a hormone disruptor, there is also a high chance of an (allergic) skin reaction.
Colourings
Artificial colourings (FD&C, FDC, FD and D&C colourings) are synthetic colourings based on coal tar. This is a severe allergen and contains many toxic substances.
On the ingredient list as: FD, FDC or FD&C colour.
Want to know more about the difference between mineral oils and natural oils? Then read on in this blog.
Talc
Talcum powder is often used as a shine agent in mineral make-up; it also absorbs moisture and grease. In general, talc is safe, but it can be contaminated with asbestos fibres. As is well known, asbestos is irritating to the lungs and carcinogenic.
Triclosan / Triclocarban
Both are antimicrobial agents and preservatives found in skincare products and household cleaning products, which is already concerning. They tackle not only the bad bacteria, but also the good. And we need these good bacteria to stay in balance.
On the ingredient list as: 5-chloro-2-(2,4 dichlorophenoxy) phenol; trichloro-2'-hydroxydiphenylether; and 2,4,4'-trichloro-2'-hydroxydiphenyl ether.
