When I started to really google the ingredients in my skin care products I quickly became frustrated. I realized that for YEARS I have been trying to care for my skin and all the while I have slathered products filled with artificial fragrance and chemicals.
In the long run what I was doing was not helping me achieve overall health and wellness. Possibly the most frustrating thing was to purchase something that seemed “green” or “clean” only to realize I had been tricked into thinking it was made with good ingredients, yet it was indeed not. Going down the path of all natural living can really be overwhelming but I want to tell you about three common ingredients found in skincare that you want to avoid!
1. Artificial Fragrance
- Really this is a HUGE thing that you want to be looking for and getting rid of in your home. Did you know that “chemicals found in man-made fragrances include phthalates, which are endocrine disruptors, and benzene derivatives, aldehydes, and toluene, which are known carcinogens. Some fragrance compounds are neurotoxicants and others are linked with reproductive birth defects.” (Source 1)
- The big problem is, there's no way to know exactly what’s in artificial or synthetic fragrances. On the ingredient list, you will only see the word “Fragrance” or “Parfum” meaning it could contain any number of chemicals from a list of more than 5000 used by the beauty industry. This is so alarming!
2. PARABENS
- Parabens are a group of chemicals widely used as artificial preservatives in cosmetic and personal care products. “Since some products contain ingredients that can biodegrade, these chemicals are added to prevent and reduce the growth of harmful bacteria and mold, increasing the shelf life of the product. The concern with these chemicals is that scientific studies suggest that parabens can disrupt hormones in the body and harm fertility and reproductive organs, affect birth outcomes, and increase the risk of cancer. They can also cause skin irritation.” (Source 2)
- To check if a product contains parabens you want to look for words that begin with: isobutyl-, butyl-, isopropyl- and propylparaben & avoid them whenever possible.
10. SODIUM LAURYL SULFATE (SLS) & SODIUM LAURETH SULFATE (SLES)
- Here is the low down on SLS & SLES - “SLS and SDS are also effective detergents and found mainly in household cleaning products. SLS is not proven to be carcinogenic but if you are someone that is mindful of the ingredients in your household cleaning products and personal care products, this might be an ingredient to keep an eye out for. SLS does not have the same potential to be contaminated with possible carcinogen 1–4 dioxane as SLES does. However, there is evidence from the same study that SLS can irritate the skin with long-term exposure and is toxic to rats in high doses and concentrations. The concentration of SLS can range from 0.01% to 50% in cosmetic products and 1% to 30% in cleaning products.” (Source 3)
- When reading labels be sure to look for “sulfate free” and avoid anything that has sodium lauryl sulfate as one of the ingredients!
The team at Rooted For Good is proud to offer you products that are free from artificial fragrances, parabens & sodium lauryl sulfates!
