When it comes to taking care of our skin, we rely heavily on skincare products.
After all, they are the key to having glowing skin.
However, not all skincare products are good for you. Some skincare products contain ingredients that can be damaging to your skin.
Even though these products might treat whatever skincare problem they are meant to treat, they leave behind another.
And most times, what they leave behind is worse that what you initially bought them for. (Think cancer!)
This is why it is very important that you know what skincare ingredients to avoid.
Some of us buy skincare products without checking the ingredient list. And this is wrong.
Firstly, the shorter the ingredient list, the better for you.
If you see an ingredient that you know nothing about, do your research about it. It’s as easy as typing the ingredient to Google search.
It is important that you know which ingredients are harmful and those that aren’t. If possible, look up common skin ingredients and try to know what each of them does and how they affect your skin type.
That being said, let’s get down to business.
I have compiled a list of harmful skincare ingredients you should avoid.
Here they are:
1. Parabens
Parabens are preservatives used in making most cosmetic products.
They can be written in various forms like methylparaben, ethylparaben, isobutylparaben, propylparaben, benzylparaben, and butylparaben.
They are added to these products to prevent molds, fungus or parasites from growing in your skincare products.
That’s sounds great. Right?
Though they are great for your skincare product, they are not so great for your skin.
Parabens are usually found in the tumors of breast cancer and all pointers indicate that these parabens get absorbed into the skin through skin care products.
It is believed that when your skin is exposed to excessive amounts of paraben, it can lead to breast cancer.
Though there are no conclusive studies about this, it’s a cause for concern. I advise you stay away from parabens.
There are paraben-free products you can get in the market. Opt for those instead.
2. Triclosan
This is another harmful skincare ingredient found in many products.
Triclosan is a common ingredient in skincare products that claims to perform antibacterial functions.
And it is indeed very good at that.
But that’s what makes it also bad, because not all bacteria are bad for you.
If you continuously expose your skin to this ingredient, it can cause harmful bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics to grow in your system.
And that’s bad news for you.
It also disrupts hormonal and thyroid functions within your body system.
If you must get an antibacterial skincare product, make sure it doesn’t have this ingredient. The long-term effects can be very damaging not just to your skin, but your body system.
3. Artificial dyes and synthetic color
Skincare products that come in different colors are likely made from synthetic colors gotten from coal tar.
These artificial colors are carcinogenic.
Not only that, when you use such skincare product, they deposit heavy metals on your skin. This can cause irritation or skin sensitivity.
To be safe, check the ingredient list of your skincare product and watch out for ingredients that start with FD&C or D&C. They are usually followed by a number. For example, FD&C 29.
Dyes are listed as p-phenylenediamine.
4. Triethanolamine, Diethanolamine and Monoethanolamine
These are chemicals found in cosmetic products and used as emulsifiers, foaming agents or are used to adjust the pH balance of your skin.
Using products with these chemicals for a long period of time can cause more damage to your skin than you can imagine.
They cause allergic reactions, like dryness of skin and hair, eye infections, etc.
They are used to form nitrates and nitrosamines, which can be found in makeup products like concealer and mascara.
Because of their hazardous nature, nitrosamines have been banned in Canada.
So, if you see any skincare product that has any of these chemicals, look the other way.
5. Petroleum
Petroleum is used in making skincare products.
And yes, its derived from crude oil!
It is often listed as xylene, petrolatum, mineral oil, toluene, liquid paraffin.
There have been lots of questions surrounding the safety of petroleum products.
One thing is certain though. It contains 1,4-Dioxane, which is a potential carcinogen. This implies that it can cause cancer.
Your skin pores need to breathe. Petroleum prevents this and suffocates them instead. Also, it disrupts the functions of your endocrine glands.
When next you are tempted to buy a petroleum skincare product, remind yourself that it is made from the same substance that is used to make petrol.
That should keep you in check.
6. Fragrance and phthalates
In as much as we want to smell nice, we have to be careful that we do not destroy our skin in the process.
Any skincare product labelled fragrance is bad for you.
First of all, you do not know what chemicals have been mixed together to give you that nice smell.
Fragrance can cause severe skin allergies, respiratory distress, dermatitis, etc.
Phthalates on the other hand are chemicals that used in cosmetic products to increase the softness and flexibility of plastics.
They are endocrine disruptors and they cause increased risk of having breast cancer and reproductive birth defects in both boys and girls.
The tricky part is, not all products list them as ingredients. They are usually categorized under fragrances.
But when they get listed, they are written in various forms like dibutyl phthalate, diethyl phthalate, and dimethyl phthalate.
Safest Option
How do you avoid these harmful skincare ingredients?
Simply go for something natural, instead of the common expensive-looking chemical-laced products found everywhere — in stores and online.
And be careful, not everything labelled natural is truly natural, or even safe.
So if you’ll go natural, make sure you’re sure it’s indeed natural.
It’s 100% organic and 100% plant-based.
Yet, it does more wonders in giving you a spotless skin than these chemical-based soaps.
Click here to learn more about this safest soap in the world!
In conclusion,
That a skincare product is considered effective in treating skincare problems doesn’t mean that all the ingredients used in making it are safe for your skin.
The more you continue to overlook these ingredients, the more they continue to damage not only your skin but your body system.
They can cause bigger problems that will be more expensive to treat.
So, when next you go shopping for beauty products, watch out for these harmful skincare ingredients. If a product has any of them, then it’s a big NO!
And don’t forget, to stay 100% safe, go for 100% natural products.
Then click here fast to learn about the BeauCrest African Black Soap.
Wow,thanks a lot
You’re welcome ma
This is an awesome write up Fadeke. Thank you so much.
Thank you Sarah! 🙂
Very enlightening! Thanks
Glad you find it so, Praise. Thanks 🙂
Hi Fadekemi,thanks for the writeup. Can you pls recommend a natural skincare products like body cream,moisturizer and the likes
Have you heard about the BeauCrest African Black Soap and Organic Moisturizer? They are both made from plants 100% (not just organic). We are actually having a promo on them both currently. Learn more about it here: https://www.beaucrest.ng/african-black-soap-flash-sale/
Regards
Good afternoon madam, please if someone have skin reaction like white spots in skin was is the solution
I can’t prescribe a definite solution. Thre are a lot of things that cause white spots. And there are different kinds of white spots indicating different skincare problems. You need to first know what is causing it before we can go ahead to treat it. This article should help you figure it out: https://greatist.com/health/white-spots-on-skin