12 most unhealthy beauty ingredients

Brett Blumenthal - Sheer Balance

Are your beauty products doing more harm than good? Today, there are tons of beauty products on the market, all touting miracle worthy results. Whether the product erases fine lines, plumps lips or makes skin appear younger, you can bet there is a skin care product that promises to take care of those unsightly 'imperfections.' Unfortunately, some of the same products that claims these results can also do great damage to your skin and your health.

Truth be told, the FDA doesn't approve beauty products. And, many beauty products contain ingredients that are less than healthy for you. Many ingredients used by the beauty industry are manufactured, are synthesized in a laboratory or are toxic...none of which are great for your skin.

Here is a list of ingredients worth avoiding:

  1. Benzoyl Peroxide

  2. Diethanolamine (DEA), Monoethanolamine (MEA, Triethanolamine (TEA)

  3. Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate (DLS)

  4. DMDM Hydantoin & Imidazolidinyl Urea

  5. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) & Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate (SDS)

  6. Sodium Laureth Sulfate & Sodium Lauryl Ether Sulfate (SLES)

  7. Parabens (Butyl, Ethyl, Methyl, Propyl)

  8. Petrolatum (Petroleum jelly)

  9. Phenoxyethanol

  10. Phthalates

  11. Polyethylene glycol & Polyethylene (PEG)

  12. Propylene Glycol (PG) & Butylene Glycol

(TO get the details of each of these products, click here)

Your skin, just like your heart, is an organ...it is your largest organ, as a matter of fact. It is living, it is breathing and its primary function is to protect your body against infection and excessive water loss. Your skin is also instrumental in insulating your body, as well as synthesizing and protecting the vitamins you absorb. So, just like you wouldn't want to put chemicals or preservatives directly into your heart, you don't want to put them on your skin.

When in doubt, if you can't pronounce the ingredient or if it looks 'chemically' or manufactured, there is a good chance it might not be the best. Although the FDA does not regulate these companies and their products, do look for labels that state that they don't contain these chemicals and opt for those that claim that they are 'all-natural'. You can also use EWG's Cosmetic Database to check up on the products you buy to be sure.

Have you found products containing these chemicals bother you? Do you have any stories of bad reactions to these ingredients?

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Sources: Environmental Working Group, Care2.com