WHAT'S IN YOUR MAKEUP? TOXIC COSMETIC INGREDIENTS

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There are several groups and types of chemical ingredients to look out for in cosmetics and personal care products. Some are:

Parabens

Though toxic, they are widely used to extend product shelf-life and inhibit bacterial growth. They are absorbed through the skin easily, which may be as invasive as swallowing a substance. There is evidence that parabens mimic estrogen, and threats include cancer.

Petrochemicals

They are petroleum and hydrocarbon-based chemicals which include ammonium compounds, FD &C and D&C dyes, ethylenes, polyesters, polypropylenes, and thousands more. They pervade our society — food and all kinds of products — and are refined all over the world. They are suspected to cause neurological and other problems as a result of topical application. Certain types, like petrolatum, can irritate skin and cause dermatological reactions.

Sodium Laurel Sulfates (SLS) or Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES) are two extremely pervasive petrochemicals found in innumerable PCPs, like shampoos. They are extremely irritating when they come into contact with nitrogen, and they are considered mutagens.

Phthalates

They have been used in hundreds of vinyl and household products for decades. Phthalates are solubulizers, plasticizers, or denaturants in cosmetics and PCPs. They are endocrine disruptors.

Diazolidinyl Urea or Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate (also listed as 3-diol diazolidinyl urea, 2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1, bronopol, imidazolidinyl urea, DMDM hydantoin, Germall II, Germall 115, formaldehyde.)

Used as preservatives, these carcinogens release formaldehyde (another carcinogen). They have been linked to immune dysfunction and other ailments.

Diethanolamine (DEA) Triethanolamine (TEA)

When these preservatives come in contact with nitrates they form nitrosamines, which are dangerous free radicals.

Lead

It's in expensive department store lipsticks, drugstore brand "kohl" eyeliners, eye shadows, lip liners, sunscreen, anti-aging creams, and more. Lead is a poison.

Fragrance

A blanket term for what can be composed of hundreds of chemicals.

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Why Choose Mineral-Based Cosmetics?

What Your Skin Absorbs from Cosmetics