Home » 3 Ingredients In Your Cosmetics That Could Make You Seriously Sick

3 Ingredients In Your Cosmetics That Could Make You Seriously Sick

Cosmetics and the impact of their ingredients

Cosmetics have been around for ages.

Ever since people have used kohl to outline their eyes in ancient Egypt or covered their lips and faces in lead based pigments ages ago, humans have always been looking for ways to enhance their appearances.

However, you’d think that after centuries, with the modern research capabilities we have today, all cosmetics marketed to the public would be safe to regularly use. Unfortunately, it’s not the case. In fact the cosmetics industry is not as regulated as other industries such as the vehicle, electronics or tobacco industries, yet some ingredients found in many of today’s cosmetics have been found to contribute to illness, reproductive issues and even cancer.¹

But you can still find clean products that are healthy for you. Here we’ll share a list of ingredients you should seriously avoid, but we’ll also include ways you can easily find alternative products that are safe to use.

Cosmetic ingredients to avoid

The skin is the largest organ of the body and just because something is topical, doesn’t mean it isn’t absorbed through it. There are many ingredients that can pass through through our skin, reaching the bloodstream. With the average person using between 6-12 products daily,² …we’re talking about everything from deodorant, soap, lip balm, lipstick, foundation, hair spray and the like… you would think the personal care products on the shelves in stores would be fine to use. Well many of them are not, and some of the most common ingredients that are found in them are:

Talc

You’d probably think a product called “baby powder” would be totally safe to use. But, conventional baby powder is made with talc. Talc is a mineral that is found in roofing material and paint. It is also widely used in cosmetics.³ Many women have used it after showering and many parents use it in the form of Baby Powder. However, there have been recent studies and lawsuits involving women who have used it for years, due to the fact that it’s repeated and consistent use lead to the development of ovarian cancer.⁴ In fact Health Canada is taking measures to restrict the use of talc in cosmetics and non-prescription drugs because it may be harmful to human health.⁵ The American Cancer Society also states that “there is some suggestion of a possible increase in ovarian cancer risk” from talc use.⁶

So you might want to seriously reconsider using conventional Baby Powder or any cosmetics and powdered products that contain it.

Parabens

You’ve probably heard about parabens, but do you know why they’re bad for your body? Parabens are an endocrine disruptor, meaning they mess with your body’s hormones. They mimic estrogen in the body, and too much estrogen can cause cells to multiply and can lead to fertility issues and cancer.⁷

Also, just because a product is labeled as “paraben-free” doesn’t mean it’s okay or won’t cause problems. In fact, some companies just revert to using other preservative ingredients that are just as or more harmful than parabens…preservative ingredients like formaldehyde….

Formaldehyde and Formaldehyde-releasing ingredients

Formaldehyde is classified as a probable human carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer.⁸ But did you know that formaldehyde and formaldehyde-releasing ingredients are used in many shampoos and liquid baby soaps!….You’re probably thinking….”seriously!” ….Yeah, but if you want to avoid it, check out the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics information on the various types of formaldehyde releasing ingredients here.

The three ingredients listed above aren’t the only ones

While the mentioned ingredients are harmful to your health, there’s about twelve of them you should seriously consider avoiding. For more information and a comprehensive list of additional ingredients found in everyday products, check out The Dirty Dozen: Cosmetic Chemicals to Avoid.

How to Find Personal Care Products and Cosmetics that are good for you

To see if the products you are using are safe, check out the Environmental Working Group’s Cosmetic Safety Database. If you don’t already use natural products with pure ingredients you might find a lot of what you use might not be okay to use long term and you might need to make a switch to healthier cosmetics and personal care products.

To check the level of toxicity of current products you use you can go to: https://www.ewg.org/skindeep/

If you want to find products you can purchase that are made with purely natural ingredients or have a low toxicity rating you can check out your local Whole Foods or natural food store. However, you might need to check some of their products’ toxicity ratings on the Skin Deep site too. Just because a product is labeled as “natural,” doesn’t necessarily mean it’s healthy. It’s necessary to check the ingredients.

Where to buy cleaner cosmetics

If you’re looking to make the switch to cleaner and healthier cosmetics you can go to:

https://www.ewg.org/ewgverified/ and check out all the products listed.

Clean and healthy products that don’t mess with our hormones, should be the norm. But unfortunately they’re not. Drugstore shelves are lined with products that carry ingredients that are bad for our bodies and the planet. It’s really cool when major brands take initiatives to clean up the cosmetics they sell to the public. Some have started, but until the cosmetics industry is regulated and updated laws are put in place for the health of consumers, we’ll just have to rely on informing ourselves and sifting through all the available products to find the ones we can safely use on a regular basis.

What are some personal care products you use and have you already made the switch to cleaner cosmetics?

By the way, If you liked this post, you might want to also check out the post: Versatile Fashion That Doesn’t Hurt The Planet Or Your Budget

Want to share this with others or save it to pinterest? ->

References

1) 80 Years Later Cosmetic Chemicals Still Unregulated https://www.ewg.org/news-and-analysis/2018/06/80-years-later-cosmetics-chemicals-still-unregulated

2) The Story of Cosmetics https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfq000AF1i8

3) Talc – Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talc

4) Talcum Powder Lawsuits https://www.drugwatch.com/talcum-powder/lawsuits/

5) Health Canada Suggest That Talc May Be Harmful To Human Health https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/news/2018/12/health-canada-assessment-suggests-that-talc-may-be-harmful-to-human-health.html

6) Talcum Powder & Cancer https://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancer-causes/talcum-powder-and-cancer.html

7) Parabens Explained – What Are Parabens? The Truth About Skincares Bigges Bad Guy https://www.elle.com/uk/beauty/skin/articles/a36356/what-are-parabens/

8) Formaldehyde and Cancer Risk https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/substances/formaldehyde/formaldehyde-fact-sheet

Hi there! I’m Royah, a doula, childbirth educator, lactation counselor and the creator of Insider Mom. Becoming a parent made me realize so many things, one of which is the incredible work so many moms do in raising their kids, work that sometimes goes unnoticed in society. It’s unfortunate because, I truly believe that moms have one of the most valuable jobs in the world .

That’s why I created Insider Mom, to help you on your journey as a person and as a parent. Whether you want to find ways to get more sleep, workout more and feel energized, learn about the best parenting strategies, make more time for self-care, or other topics, you can find it on the blog.

If you ever have any questions, feel free to send an email to hello@insidermom.com.

Insider Mom

All Posts »