Five Potentially Harmful Ingredients that you WON'T find in my Products
You may have already read about the ingredients that I don’t include in my natural products.
Here I talk about five ingredients that I believe have no place in skincare products and why I don’t use them.
Artificial Colours
Colours make our world a prettier place and there is no doubt that they make personal care products more attractive to consumers. Unfortunately most of these colours or dyes are made with synthetic chemicals. It can take up to 25 synthetic chemicals to make an artificial dye. These can increase your risk of skin sensitivity and irritation.
Parabens
Research studies point to the fact that some of the chemicals included in everyday skincare products may be linked to health issues and some of these studies have raised concerns about the potential role of parabens in breast cancer. Parabens are a class of chemicals used as preservatives in skincare products.
In 2012 it was reported in the news that parabens had been found in the tissue samples of 40 women with breast cancer and although there is no conclusive evidence to link parabens with breast cancer, parabens are an endocrine disruptor resulting in increased levels of oestrogen, the hormone which fuels the majority of breast cancers.
Perfume or Artificial Fragrance
We seem to live in a fragrance obsessed world where people believe that they need to drench their bodies in perfume and fill their houses with air freshener in order to smell clean. The truth is that artificial fragrances are made up of a concoction of chemicals, many of which are petrochemicals. Repeated exposure to petroleum by products may be linked to endocrine disruption. Fragrances also contain phthalates which is the next ingredient on my list.
Phthalates
This is a tricky one to say and is pronounced THAL-ates. Phthalates are derived from plastic and are known to disrupt hormones and are suspected carcinogens. They are found in many personal care products including hairspray, deodorants and shampoo. They are used in perfumes to ‘fix’ the scent and if a product lists aroma or fragrance on its ingredients it may contain phthalates. Europe banned phthalates in toys back in 2005 after they were linked to damage to the reproductive system and an increased risk of asthma and cancer.
Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS)
SLS is a detergent added to commercial soap, shampoo and toothpaste etc. It’s an inexpensive and very effective foaming agent and tricks you into thinking that the more foam that is produced the more effective the product will be. SLS is a known skin irritant. If you have dandruff or dermatitis it could be due to SLS.
