Understanding the Loopholes
Many beauty products marketed as “clean,” “organic,” or “all-natural” still contain toxic ingredients, thanks to misleading practices like greenwashing. This occurs when brands use vague or deceptive claims to appear eco-friendly or safe, even when their products include harmful chemicals.
One major loophole is the Federal Fair Packaging and Labeling Act, which allows companies to use “fragrance” as a blanket label for undisclosed ingredients. Under this regulation, brands can hide harmful substances behind “fragrances” to protect trade secrets, leaving consumers unaware of what they’re applying to their skin.
To make informed choices, always scrutinize product labels and look beyond marketing buzzwords. Hidden toxins can lurk in everyday items, so it’s important to educate yourself on harmful ingredients to avoid.
Ingredients to Avoid
Formaldehyde
Synonym: quaternium-15, DMDM hydantoin, imidazolidinyl urea, diazolidinyl urea, sodium hydroxymethyl glycinate, 5-bromo-5-nitro-1, 3-dioxin, bronopol (2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol)
Known to cause: Known carcinogen, skin irritant, and can cause severe allergic rashes. Associated with neurotoxicity and developmental toxicity.
Synthetic Fragrance
Synonym: fragrance, parfum, perfume, flavor
Known to cause: Skin irritation, and can lead to immunotoxicity, nuerotoxicity and development toxicity. Known hormone disruptor and allergen.
Parabens
Synonym: methylparaben, ethylparaben, butylparaben, propylparaben, isobuthylparaben
Known to cause: Linked to breast cancer. Known endocrine disrupter and skin irritant. Can lead to immunotoxicity, neurotoxicity, and reproductive toxicity.
Phthalates
Synonym: DBP (dibutyl phthalate), DEP (diethyl phthalate), DEHP (diethlhexyl phthalate), BPA (bisphpenol)
Known to cause: own endocrine disrupter causes damage to the reproductive system for both genders and affects fertility.
PEG’s
Synonym: 1, 4-dioxane, ceteareth, polyethylene, polyethylene glycol, polyoxyethylene, PEG-10 laureate
Known to cause: Known carcinogen and shown to harm the nervous system.
Triclosan
Synonym: Antibacterial, triclocarban
Known to cause: Harmful to the reproductive system and the thyroid function.
SLES, SLS, and ALS
Synonym: Sodium Laureth Sulfate, BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole), BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene)
Known to cause: Can cause skin depigmentation and damage to the liver and stomach.
Other products to look out for
Chemical sunscreens
Endocrine and hormone disruptor
Avoid: octinoxate, oxybenzone, avobenzone, benzophenone, homosalate, and octisalate.
Petrolatum
Known carcinogen and causes cancer.
Avoid: Petroleum jelly, paraffin oil, and mineral oil.
Benzoyl peroxide
Known to have high levels of benzene, a cancer-causing chemical.
Avoid: Products containing terms like “BPO” (a shorthand for benzoyl peroxide), acne washes, spot treatments, and moisturizers containing the ingredient. It can also be found in some retinol, vitamin C, adapalene, tretinoin, and topical antibiotics like clindamycin or erythromycin.