Decoding Cosmetic Ingredients
I have been meaning to do a post on decoding cosmetic ingredients for probably the longest time, now and i am so glad that i am finally doing it. We all get attracted by the look, smell and feel of a product in our skin. But, how many of us really think about what goes into the product? How many of us actually KNOW what we putting into our skin. I can bet you all the money in the world that a vast majority of us do not even bother looking at the ingredients. Even if we do look at the ingredients, what exactly do we KNOW about them?
WHY DECODING INGREDIENTS IS IMPORTANT
Knowing what we put into our skin is very important. Our skin is connected to our bloodstream, so what goes on, goes in. Sometimes, its not a sole ingredient that causes concern, but the harmony of ingredients i.e how the ingredients work together. Certain products may contain ingredients which clash with antibiotics or other chronic medication you may be taking. Some ingredients you may be allergic to and just not know it. Some ingredients may be very toxic to your body and, that’s right, YOU DON’T EVEN KNOW IT.
DECODING INGREDIENTS
Now, it will be very hard for me to decode every single ingredients in the book. I will end up writing a dictionary and then you get bored. So, to make this easier for you and for me, we will group the ingredients into their various categories and take it from there.
PARABENS
Parabens are synthetic preservatives that are used by many cosmetic companies in order to improve the shelf-life of a certain product. I have always spoken against parabens and i will tell you why. Parabens have been used as a cosmetic ingredients for well over 70 years, now and they actually may be harmful to our health. Studies have found that parabens tend to mimic the hormone oestrogen. Due to oestrogen activity being linked to some forms of breast cancer, and parabens being found in breast cancer tissue/tumors – it is said that parabens may be a contributing factor or cause. I have to say, however, that this is not a definite study – evidently, because parabens are still being used.
My theory? Parabens are easy and affordable forms of preservative and trust me, in most cases, that’s what it boils down to. I am just one of those ‘better safe than sorry’ kinds of people. Cosmetics + Capitalism is a recipe for disaster, in my opinion.
SULFATES
Another favorite in the cosmetic industry. Let me just tell you that this is a detergent ingredient that companies put in your skin care products so you can rub it all over your delicate face. In most cases, you will find sulfates in your cleansers, especially the foaming gel ones. These ‘clean’ your skin by cutting through your natural oils on your face, breaking them down and washing them away. I know this is an oily skin individual’s dream but it is simply way too harsh. A dry face is not a healthy face, first of all. A good cleanser Should NOT be stripping your face of its moisture. Your oil is there fore a reason, it protects your face, stripping it leaves you vulnerable.
SYNTHETIC FRAGRANCES
We have all seen it and done it, you open the product, dunk your nose in it, sniff and exhale and say “oh i LOVE the smell!”. Well, i have git news for YOU. This will be labeled ‘PARFUM’ or ‘FRAGRANCE’ in the ingredients list. My biggest problem with this is WHAT EXACTLY IS IT? do you know that a company does not have to disclose what the fragrance actually is? What combination of chemicals were put together in order to make this beautifully smelling (to some) ingredient? It beats me.
I always advise people with with sensitive skin, especially to steer away from products which contain fragrance. To some people, it can be very irritating and also it can be very toxic, depending on the ingredients used to make this ‘fragrance’.
ALCOHOL
This one is tricky because we cannot just put a blanket statement on alcohol in cosmetics. Some of them are bad whereas other are actually quite beneficial. For example, stearyl alcohol is an emulsifier whereas Denatured Alcohol is just a godt damn no-no. The main problem with the harmful alcohols is that they are extremely drying to the skin. You will find alcohol in your oily-skin products, mostly the toners. I have seen many witch hazel toners that contain alcohol and these will tend to dry the skin. As i mentioned above, you NEED your oils. Drying your skin disrupts the protective barries; your acid mantle and Natural Moisture Factor. These NEED to be intact for your skin to be healthy.
Beware of: SD alcohol 40, denatured alcohol, ethanol, and isopropyl alcohol.
FORMALDEHYDE
Y’all… no kidding, we use this to clean implements at my school. These are so toxic and irritating to the skin and i just do not understand why they are added to skin care products. Oh, no, wait… they are cheap and accessible, that’s why! Avoid DD hydatoin, diazolidinyl urea, methanamin, and quarterium-15, as these ingredients release formaldehyde and are just as damaging.
PHTALATES
These are so sneaky because sometimes they don’t even make it to the ingredient list. These cause endocrine disruptions and is sometimes listed as a pesticide, man… a pesticide. Studies on phthalates are ongoing, but to be safe avoid DBP, DEHP, DMP, DEP, dibutyl/diethyl ester, and 2-benzenedicarboxylate. Also remember that a lot of the time, synthetic fragrances are made up of phthalates.
i did more of these early last year, so be sure to click on this link if you would like to know more.
Something to note: Ingredients above 1% are listed in order of abundance from high to low. Ingredients below 1% can be in any order, and colorants are placed at the end of the list. Added scent, even if it is comprised of several ingredients, can be listed as “fragrance.” Many of the ingredients in the last half of the list will be in low concentrations – probably 1% or less. A reasonable guide is that the first third of the ingredients make up over 80% of the product, and the last third make up about 1-5% of the product. You may be surprised that water is usually the first or second ingredient! Testers, samples and hotel toiletries are not required to display an ingredient list.
We live n the worst country when it comes to regulating cosmetic ingredients. Always look at European countries and what they say about certain ingredients because they seem to care about their people. I know that in Denmark, certain kinds of parabens have been banned in the country!
I know this just complicates things because you are probably sitting at home thinking to yourself “ah, but i have been using these things my entire life and i am a-okay!”. Better late than never.
Stay Woke.
