Stop sabotaging your skin! Many common skin care and acne products like face washes and body soaps contain ingredients that may be harmful to the skin and overall health in the long run. To avoid unnecessary health risks, here are the top five skincare ingredients to avoid:
1. Parabens
Parabens compounds that are often used as preservatives in beauty products. The four most common include methylparaben, propylparaben, butylparaben, and ethylparaben.
Why should you avoid these products? They can mimic hormones in the body, perhaps contributing to hormonal imbalance.
Some parabens have been found in breast cancer tissue and may even contribute to the growth of estrogen-related cancerous tumors
2. Fragrance
When you take a hot shower, pores in the skin open. This means that they are primed to soak in nourishment from their surroundings. Synthetic fragrances are commonly added to skincare and beauty products, but many of these compounds have yet to be adequately tested for safety
According to the Environmental Working Group, ingredients labeled as simply fragrance or parfum often refers to an “undisclosed mixture of various scent chemicals and ingredients.”
If you don’t know what it is, how do you know whether or not its safe to use on the body’s largest organ
Many fragrances may be compounds called phthalates, which are plastics. These compounds can cause allergic reactions in the skin, suggesting that they interfere with the immune system, promote inflammation, and are not ideal for optimal skin health
3. Triclosan
Many skincare products marketed to consumers with acne contain antimicrobial agents like Triclosan. Continuously using antimicrobial agents disrupts the natural skin microbiome and makes it far more difficult to recover to health.
Research suggests that the overuse of Triclosan may contribute to antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria. This means that infections on the skin will only become harder to eliminate. This is bad news for the health of communities and individuals alike.
4. Sodium lauryl sulfate/Sodium laureth sulfate
Both sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and sodium laureth sulfate (SLES) are commonly found in soaps and cleansers. These products can contribute irritation of the lungs, skin, and eyes. This irritation suggests that these products have negative interactions with the immune system.
Some experts also suggests that SLS and SLES may be contaminated with the carcinogens ethylene oxide and 1,4-dioxane, which is a by-product of ethylene oxide.
The overall safety of SLS and SLES is a topic of much debate, as earlier claims that this compound is a carcinogen itself have been disputed. However, it’s safe to say that these are probably not ingredients that you want to have close to your eyes, lips, and other mucous membranes.
5. Talc
Talc is an ingredient that was commonly used in baby powders. Unfortunately, research suggests that talc is a risk factor for ovarian cancer. Though, no conclusive evidence exists to determine whether or not talc actually causes cancer independently.
Regardless, talc is has a similar chemical structure to asbestos and is an ingredient that is likely safer to avoid.
Where to find a safe alternative
Finding safe skin care products can be a real hassle. To make things easy, we’ve created an all natural Probiotic Herbal Cleanser that works by bathing the skin in nutritious oils, healing rosemary extract, and beneficial bacteria.
To learn more about Probiotic Action’s safe Probiotic Herbal Cleanser, check it out here.
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