Why You Shouldn’t Use Personal Care Products with These Ingredients In Them

The hair care products, lotions, cosmetics, and other products we put on our bodies can be as harmful as what goes into them. Some ingredients found in skin care products like face washes and sunscreens have been linked to everything from disruptions to hormones to cancer. Even worse, these ingredients go into the bloodstream when you apply them to your hair or skin.

There are plenty of studies out there with a whole range of perspectives on the topic. But one thing we agree on is the use of products and that contain naturally derived ingredients.

Here are 6 ingredients we say you should stay well away from.

1. Parabens

Parabens are a whole host of chemicals, like butyl parabens or methyl parabens that are included to preserve a product’s shelf-life. They’re often one of the most common offenders in hair and skincare products and you’ll find them in things like makeup, face masks, night creams, and body washes.

Parabens actually mimic estrogen in the body and disrupt your hormonal balance. They’ve even been linked to breast cancer and fertility problems.

2. Formaldehyde

In its purest form, formaldehyde is actually a colorless gas. It requires water to be used as a formula in cosmetic ingredients. Ingredients that slowly release formaldehyde are commonly added to skincare products to preserve the products.

Formaldehyde is an anti-bacterial preservative. It’s added to products to reduce the growth of bacteria in a particular product. Small amounts certainly won’t do much harm. In fact, formaldehyde naturally occurs in many things like food and plants. In low levels, it’s safe and legal to use in skincare products.

However, there are those products that use formaldehyde releasers. These are time-releases that are economically feasible for skincare product manufacturers, but they can cause skin irritation. While using just one product that has a formaldehyde-releasing preservative in it might not pose a health risk, the product may not be your only source of exposure. In fact, there are many products we use daily that contain these ingredients.

Formaldehyde-releasing preservatives have been known to cause allergens. Some common ingredients that fall within this category include:

• Bronopol
• Diazolidinyl Urea
• Imidazolidinyl urea
• DMDM hydration

3. Aluminum

There are a few studies linking aluminum to Alzheimer’s disease. However, recent research does cast some doubt on the connection. Yet other studies indicate that aluminum could be linked to certain brain disorders and even breast cancer.

In powder form, aluminum is used in self-care products like deodorants and antiperspirants.

Aluminum is a neurotoxin. It’s an endocrine disruptor that’s been documented to cause birth disorders in animals. It also causes skin irritations.

4. Triclocarban and Triclosan

You’ll find these ingredients in antibacterial soaps, toothpaste, and deodorants.

Back in the 1990s, triclosan was all the rage in antibacterial products. The FDA, however, agrees there is no health benefit to using it and has since ruled that manufacturers using the ingredient must demonstrate that there aren’t any long-term effects.

Both triclocarban and triclosan have been linked to bacterial resistance, hormonal disruptions, impaired immune function, increased allergies, and impaired muscle function.

Ditch the chemicals, and rather use natural antiseptic agents like tea tree oil and coconut oil-based products like our coconut milk and sandalwood body wash that will leave your skin clean and nourished.

5. Tetrasodium EDTA

This is a chelating agent that is both genotoxic and cytotoxic. Clinical tests even show that tetrasodium EDTA can increase the penetration of other harmful chemicals. This is especially worrying, as the chemical is often found in formulas with other ingredients that have been deemed harmful.

6. BHT

BHT are synthetic antioxidants that are typically used to extend a product’s shelf life. They’re likely hormone disruptors and carcinogens that can lead to liver damage. Your liver is your body’s number one form of detoxification and if it’s not functioning the way it ought to, chances are your other organs aren’t doing their best job either.

If you spot these 6 ingredients in your products, it’s time to put them back on the shelf. Fully stocked on Soapbox? No worries then! All of our products steer clear of these 6 no-good ingredients.

Soapbox uses safe, naturally derived ingredients in every hair and skincare product. Check out our collection today.