Think about your daily beauty routine and the products you use on a regular basis. Some of these may be just a few beauty staples, while others do have a significant contribution to your daily beauty routine. There is a scary truth to the products you use on your face. They may be exposing your face to different harmful chemicals. 

This industry is unregulated by the FDA (Food and Drug Association). there is no pre-product approval before they hit the market. A very tiny approval process is done but this only applies to color additives and ingredients classified as over-the-counter drugs. There are thousands of chemicals in your products and most of these are absorbed in your body. The companies can use and experiment with different ingredients without government approval or review.  

Many of these chemicals can irritate your skin, while there are even few that can cause serious skin damage and disease when exposed too long. For formal skin checkups, see a professional like the Rocky Mountain Dermatology. 

The following are the chemicals you need to avoid 

Phthalates 

These are a group of chemicals that make your skincare products less dry. These chemicals are usually found on many creams and moisturizers. There are several studies that show links between these chemical and female and male reproductive defects, as well as other serious diseases like breast cancer, asthma, and diabetes.  

What makes it hard to identify is that this chemical is included in the label “fragrance” on the list of ingredients. The fragrance (perfume) is commonly used to hide some secret ingredients. The FDA also notes that “fragrance” blends are the causes of 30% allergic reactions to products.  

Parabens  

This chemical is often used as preservatives because they prevent bacterial growth in these products. However, several studies have linked parabens to endocrine disruptors that may have a significant effect on your reproduction while other studies also link this chemical to breast tumors. 

MIT (Methylisothiazolinone) 

This chemical has a serious toxic threat to the rats experimented in the lab. The lab rats experienced reddened lungs and swollen intestines. Some of these rats died. Europe has made steps on banning products that contain MIT. 

SLS (Sodium Lauryl Sulfate) 

It is an ingredient used to create a foamy property to your skincare products such as your face wash. In fact, it is present in 90% of the products you use for your face and body. 

SLS is not in itself a carcinogen. However, contaminants during the manufacturing process can mutations that can lead to kidney and liver defects and even cancer.  

Petroleum & Mineral Oils (Petrochemicals) 

The problem of petroleum and its mineral oil is it cant be metabolized. This means that it does not leave your body once it enters it. Once it penetrates into your skin, it may cause health hazards. These petrochemicals are also linked to major health concerns like tumor growth. 

Petroleum-based products are linked to cases of damaged nerves and even cancer. This is because these petrochemicals can be contaminated with different toxic chemicals (aside from it being a carcinogen).