ingredients to avoid

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  • Aluminum Hydroxide (CI 77002)

    Used as a colorant in many types of cosmetics and personal care products. "Aluminum production" has been classified as carcinogenic to humans by the the international agency for research on cancer.

  • Benzalkonium Chloride

    Used as a foaming and cleansing agent or as an antimicrobial preservative. It’s a well-known irritant, & there is evidence that it may cause a contact allergy at concentrations as low as 0.1%. When used to clean the cages of mice, both sexes had decreased fertility.

  • Benzophenones

    Used as photostabilizers in cosmetics - photostabilizers have a photoprotective effect on the skin. Added as a carcinogen to the California EPA’s proposition 65 list of chemicals known to the state to cause cancer or reproductive toxicity in 2012. However, different benzophenones may have different hormone-disrupting effects. They were declared the contact allergen of the year for 2014 by the American Contact Dermatitis Society (ACDS).

  • Butylated Compounds (BHA & BHT)

    BHA is used as an antioxidant in cosmetic products, especially lipstick & eyeshadow. The US National Toxicology Program has classified BHA as "reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen", & it has been added as a carcinogen to the California EPA’s proposition 65 list of chemicals known to the state to cause cancer or reproductive toxicity. BHA also exhibits some endocrine-disrupting effects, & the European Union has listed it as an endocrine disruptor. BHT is a toluene-based ingredient used as a preservative. BHT is suspected to be potentially endocrine-disrupting & have carcinogenic effects. ​

  • Bismuth Oxychloride

    Used to give a shiny effect in makeup. Synthetically manufactured from bismuth, oxygen, & chlorine. It causes many people to break out or itch.

  • Bisphenol A (BPA)

    Used in the plastic packaging of products. BPA may leach from the plastic into the product we apply on our skin. The FDA has banned BPA in a few products based on some evidence of its effects on the brain, behavior, & prostate gland in fetuses, infants, & children.  BPA has been added to the California EPA’s proposition 65 list of chemicals known to the state to cause cancer or reproductive toxicity.

  • Butoxyethanol

    Used as a solvent in hair dyes, nail polishes, lacquers, vanishes, & inks. In one study, people exposed to high levels of butoxyethanol for several hours reported irritation of the nose & eyes, headache, a metallic taste in their mouths, & vomiting. Animal studies show destruction of red blood cells & damage to organs from exposure to butoxyethanol.

  • Carbon Black

    Used as a pigment in cosmetics - it is manufactured by the combustion of aromatic petroleum oil feedstock & consists essentially of pure carbon. The International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified it as possibly carcinogenic to humans. It may contain carcinogenic PAHS (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) as a contaminant.

  • Coal Tar

    Used as a biocide to treat various skin conditions, such as psoriasis, eczema, & dandruff. It’s believed that over 10,000 different compounds make up coal tar, but only 400 have been identified. It is known to be a human carcinogen based on sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity from studies in humans.

  • Ethanolamine Compounds

    Clear, colorless, thick liquids with ammonia-like odors. At higher concentrations, ethanolamines may increase the risk of asthma & skin irritation. They may break down in the product & form nitrosamines that are linked to cancer.

  • Ethoxylated Ingredients

    Made by the process of ethoxylation in which carcinogenic ethylene oxide is reacted with other ingredients to make them less harsh on the skin. as a result of the ethoxylation process, 1,4-dioxane (a carcinogen) is created & can be left behind in the product.

  • Ethylenediaminetetraacetic Acid (EDTA)

    This ingredient is not harmful in itself, but they enhance the dermal penetration of other ingredients contained in a product, so they can be very harmful when paired with toxic ingredients.​

  • fragrance

    The FDA does not require the disclosure of individual ingredients used to create fragrances. There are over 3,000 ingredients that can make up the term "fragrance", many of them toxic.

  • Formaldehyde-Releasing Preservatives

    These ingredients release a small amount of formaldehyde into a product over time. The International Agency for Research on Carcinogens has classified formaldehyde as carcinogenic to humans. The American Society of Contact Dermatitis lists it as one of the core allergens, even in concentrations as low as 1%. Temperature and storage time can increase the amount of formaldehyde released.  

  • Grapefruit Seed Extract

    Used as an antimicrobial preservative in cosmetic products. Numerous tests by independent researchers have shown that its antimicrobial properties are due to synthetic preservatives contained in it, not the extract itself. The synthetic preservatives found in GSE include benzalkonium chloride, benzethonium chloride, triclosan, and/or methylparaben.

  • Homosalate (HMS)

    Used as a UV filter in sunscreens & in skincare with SPF to protect from short-wave UVB rays. It penetrates the skin & has been found in mother’s milk. Studies have shown that it may be a weak hormone-disruptor.

  • Hydroquinone

    Used in skin-lightening cosmetic products. It is also an impurity of synthetic tocopheryl acetate. while it has been classified as a carcinogen, in vitro & in vivo studies show that it exhibits some mutagenic properties. Hydroquinone is banned in the European Union.

  • Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate (IPBC)

    Used as a preservative in cosmetic, personal care, & industrial products. It may cause dermal irritation or contact allergy. The American Society of Contact Dermatitis lists it as one of the core allergens, even in concentrations as low as 0.1%. When inhaled, it is toxic to the lungs.

  • -isothiazolinones

    Methylisothiazolinone (MI) was the American Contact Dermatitis Society Contact Allergen of the Year for 2013.  In addition, studies show that prolonged exposure to low levels of MI may have damaging consequences to the developing nervous system. 

  • Japanese Honeysuckle Extract

    Used as an antimicrobial preservative in cosmetics. The japanese honeysuckle plant naturally contains para-hydroxy benzoic acid (PHBA), which is what parabens are named after. Japanese honeysuckle might behave in a very similar way to synthetic parabens. See parabens for more.

  • Loose Powder Titanium Dioxide

    Used as a pigment in makeup. Based on experimental evidence from animal inhalation studies, titanium dioxide nanoparticles are classified as possibly carcinogenic to humans by the International Agency for Research on Cancer.

  • nanoparticles

    Particles of a very small size, ranging from 1 to 100 nm. The main concerns about them in cosmetic products are the possible translocation to viable skin cells &, as a result, its potential to damage DNA.

  • Octinoxate

    A UV filter protecting the skin from UVB rays. It penetrates the skin & has been found in mother’s milk. Studies have shown that it may have some weak hormone-mimicking effects.

  • Oxybenzone

    A UV filter to protect against UVB and short UVA rays. The National Health and Nutrition Survey has found it to be present in 96.8% of human urine samples surveyed. See benzophenones for more.

  • Parabens

    Used as preservatives in food, pharmaceuticals, & beauty products. There is some evidence that parabens can accumulate in human breast tissue. Clinical studies on animals have indicated that parabens may mimic estrogen and act as endocrine disrupters.  

  • Petroleum Ingredients

    Used as a skin moisturizer/barrier. Petroleum jelly contains high amounts of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs). Hydrocarbons have been shown to accumulate in the body over time, meaning that continued exposure can have cumulative, adverse effects. 

  • Phenoxyethanol

    Used in cosmetics, skincare, & personal care products. It is a member of the glycol ether family & is the product of the reaction of highly corrosive phenol with carcinogenic ethylene oxide. As a result, it may contain residue amounts of both. See ethoxylated ingredients for more.

  • Phthalates

    DBP, DEHP, & BBP are banned in the European Union from use in cosmetics due to their potential to disrupt the endocrine system & cause birth defects. DEP is commonly used as a fixative in synthetic fragrances.

  • Propylene Glycol

    Used in skin care, cosmetics, & even in some processed food. It is a known skin irritant & is frequently associated with contact dermatitis.

  • Resorcinol

    Used in permanent hair dye formulations & in acne treatment products. Studies have shown that it may disrupt thyroid hormone synthesis.

  • Retinyl Palmitate/Retinol

    Forms of vitamin A. Not recommended to use during the day when exposed to the sun. Animal studies have shown that retinyl palmitate speeds up the photo-carcinogenic effects of the sun &the development of skin tumors & lesions.

  • Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS)

    Used as an emulsifier or surfactant. SLS is frequently used in foamy or sudsy products. It creates lots of foam which makes us think its cleaning well, however it actually strips our skin & hair of their protective barriers. Mainly derived from petroleum, with toxic solvents being used in the manufacturing process.

  • Talc

    Used in pressed & loose powder makeup & baby powder. It's a naturally occurring mineral but it can be contaminated with asbestos, a known carcinogen. There is evidence that even asbestos-free talc can be carcinogenic.

  • Triclosan

    Used as an antibacterial agent in toothpaste & in hand & body washes, & as a preservative in cosmetics & personal care products. Animal studies have shown that exposure to high doses is associated with a decrease in thyroid hormones. Triclosan may interfere with the normal function of the endocrine system. Exposure may contribute to making bacteria resistant to antibiotics.  Triclosan imported from India & China may contain dioxins linked to cancer and endocrine-disruption.