Tiffany Raiford
Rubbing gasoline all over your face probably doesn’t sound like something you might consider part of your daily beauty regimen, so it often makes little sense that women don’t check labels to see what exactly they are putting on their faces. Our trust is going to be our biggest beauty downfall – and I’m right there with most of you. I don’t read ingredients before I put things on my face. I read designer labels, instructions and results expectations and make my decision as to what to use on my face that way. But it turns out that the beauty industry is not exactly as safe or trustworthy as we’d like to think. In fact, many of the world’s biggest beauty producers are actually using ingredients that are quite harmful and dangerous, and consumers trust that they’re not. The next time you decide on a new beauty product, check for these 10 ingredients. One you want, and the rest you don’t; and you might want to go check what’s in your bathroom right now. Trust me when I say that there might come a day in the future when you look back with more than a little relief at the fact that you did not use this products on your skin or in your life.
Formaldehyde
Common sense should tell us we don’t want to use anything that’s used to fill deceased bodies, but we just don’t know it’s part of our beauty product ingredients. The reason for this is that it is not typically listed as formaldehyde. In fact, it’s more commonly listed as Quaternium-15. It is known to cause allergic reactions, and it’s most often found in nail polishes and other nail products.
DEA, MEA and TEA Products
If you see these three letters on the ingredients list on your makeup or skin care, go ahead and either throw it away, put it back and assume that it’s something you are far better off not using on your body in the least, because it’s not. These are known to be harmful to wildlife, and it’s suspected that they are linked to cancer. If someone told you that you could decrease your chances of being diagnosed with cancer by just avoiding products like this, wouldn’t you do it in a second?
Parabens
Found in just about everything, these are something you do not want on your skin. The chemical seeps through the skin and disrupts a number of functions. Scientists and medical professionals warn that this could cause you a number of health issues and that you should only use products on your skin that are paraben-free.
Colors Listed with CI and a Five Digit Number
These are particularly dangerous and not something you want even remotely close to your face. The reason is that it’s something that carries the risk of cancer with it, and some medical professionals believe that the ingredient also carries harmful toxins that can cause your brain to malfunction. It’s not something you want to find in anything you wear, and that’s why you should search labels for this particular ingredient and keep it away from your skin.
BHA
It’s something that you commonly find in many beauty treatments, but that does not make it safe. In fact, when tested on animals, it’s been shown to cause cancer, and many medical professionals believe that it could do the same in humans. It’s important that you do not allow this ingredient anywhere near your skin. Instead, try for something else like makeup and skin care products without BHA.
Hyaluronic Acid
Now this one sounds awful. Why would anyone want to put acid on their faces? Actually, this is something you DO want to look for in your beauty products, specifically your lotions. This is an ingredient that is going to help you keep your skin hydrated and make sure that it appears healthy at all times. It’s something our bodies contain naturally, but that we lose over time, so that’s why it’s so important.
Bismuth
It’s designed to help you look radiant and glowing, and it’s found in many common household items (including tin and nickel). The purpose of this product is to ensure that you look as fabulous as possible, but what beauty industry experts do not tell you is that it causes excessive sweat while wearing makeup. What this does is cause your face to break out, acne to form and your skin to look anything but radiant. It’s most commonly used in mineral makeup, and it’s something you should look out for.
Phthalates
This is a product that medical professionals believe disrupts a number of bodily functions, including the reproductive system, and that makes it quite dangerous. It’s been said that the chemical is found in a number of beauty products and should be avoided with care, not used on the skin and not allowed in beauty products.
Hydroquinone
This is a lightening agent and it’s usually found in anything that is advertised as evening your skin tone, and it’s quite dangerous. It’s been linked to cancer in animals, and that’s not something you want to deal with yourself. Go ahead and skip this product, and you’ll be very glad you did as you can help to reduce your risk of suffering from a disease that is not easily curable, and that’s something that’s going to make you feel a lot better in the future.
Fragrance
It’s used just about everywhere and in everything, but you’re going to need to look for fragrance-free product if you are prone to sensitive skin and outbreaks. It’s not something many people find very dangerous, and most would not even think twice about buying this. But you do need to avoid it if you have sensitive skin – and it’s found in almost everything. It’s important to know that when looking for this kind of information on your makeup list, you should also look for the phrase “Parfum” since it can be listed as this, too.
Photo by Nicky J Sims/Getty Images
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