A few years ago, I, like many other women, was not aware that some of the product I used on a daily basis had toxic and potentially harmful ingredients in them. Like, what? Was that even legal? Unfortunately, yes, the U.S. has very few laws regulating the cosmetic industry, so that means, brands can put basically whatever they want into their products, legally. Although we’re fighting for better regulation so that someday we won’t have to worry about reading labels, for the time being, it is imperative to be versed in what you are putting in and on your body.
I’ve always believed in the power of food as medicine and believed that what you put in your body has a huge effect on your health. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve done research on which foods are best for your skin. But, something I hadn’t considered until several years ago was how products I was putting on my face and body affected my health.
This was one of the main drivers of starting Caviar & Cashmere Skincare. I wanted to create cleaner products that I, and other women, could use without worrying. I wanted women, such as myself, to look and feel beautiful without potentially harming their health while doing so.
In all of my research while building Caviar & Cashmere Skincare, navigating all of the ingredients was tough. There are many you cannot even pronounce, and ones you would just never know could potentially do more longterm harm than good to your health and well-being.
After months of research, speaking to professionals and experts, there were 8 toxic skincare ingredients that kept coming up. I knew I wanted to keep these 5 ingredients out of my own products, but also wanted to know why. Here, I explain the 5 harmful skincare ingredients I avoid while formulating Caviar & Cashmere Skincare, and the reasoning behind it.
1. Parabens
Parabens are a whole family of chemicals (methylparabens, propylparabens, butylparabens, and ethylparabens) that help preserve shelf-life of products. When going through my own products, parabens were the most common offender. I found them in nearly every product from face wash, night cream, makeup, masks, body wash and shampoo—they were everywhere. Parabens can mimic estrogen in the body disrupting our delicate hormonal balance. They’ve been linked to breast cancer, and since they act as a hormone disruptor they can lead to reproductive and fertility issues.
2. Phthalates
Phthalates group of chemicals used to soften and increase the flexibility of plastics in cosmetics. This helps products stick to our skin.
Phthalates can be extremely dangerous to children, but it’s best to avoid them all together as they can be serious endocrine disruptors and even cause birth defects. Congress has actually banned several types of phthalates already from children’s products.
3. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate & Sodium Laureth Sulfate
SLS and SLES are known to cause skin irritation and trigger different allergies.
4. Fragrance
This one doesn’t sound so scary, but “fragrance” is considered a trade secret which means that companies don’t have disclose what ingredients are inside. Often, the ingredients include tons of chemicals that can cause allergies, hormone disruption and lead to bigger health problems reproductive issues and infertility.
5. Formaldehyde
Yes, the stuff we used in high school biology to preserve dead animals. I was shocked to find out that it was used in cosmetics! It is a known carcinogen that is also linked to asthma, neurotoxicity, and developmental toxicity.
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