Beauty Products & Sustainability

Think about your daily routine. Do you wake up and brush your teeth? Wash your face and hair? Then moisturize? Shave or put on make up? Although it may take as little as 20 minutes to complete these morning rituals, thousands of chemicals can be entering your body through these processes. According to the Environmental Working Group’s Cosmetic Web Page, out of a “survey of 2300 people, on average, respondents use nine products daily,” containing “126 unique ingredients.” As long as the FDA approval stamp is on the bottle, we often pay no attention to the ingredients listed. For future reference, here is a list of the “Dirty Dozen, 12 Ingredients to Avoid in Cosmetics:”

  1. BHA, BHT: These ingredients are commonly found in lipsticks and moisturizers, and they are possible carcinogens
  2. Coal Tar Dyes: Coal Tar Dyes will show up as Phenylenediamine, or CI followed by a number. They are often found in hair dyes and lipstick. They are known carcinogens and are linked to brain damage
  3. DEA (diethanolamine): This chemical, found in shampoos and soaps, makes cosmetics creamy and sudsy. They are also carcinogens.
  4. DBP (Dibutylphthalate): DBP is commonly used in nail polish and is linked to hormonal disruptions, birth defects, and liver failure.
  5. Formaldehyde-releasing preservatives: Ingredients such as DMDM hydantion, diazolidinyl urea, imidazolidinyl urea, methenamine, quaternium-15, and sodium hydroxymethylglycinate are formaldehyde-releasing preservatives that are used to increase the shelf life of cosmetics. They are also carcinogens.
  6. Parabens: 75-90% of cosmetics contain Parabens despite their connection to hormonal disruptions, breast cancer, increased skin aging, and DNA damage.
  7. Parfum aka Fragrance: Even though it’s only listed as fragrance or parfum on the ingredients list, these can contain up to 3,000 different ingredients within themselves. They can also be linked to asthma, allergies, and cancer.
  8. PEG compounds: PEG compounds are found in cream based cosmetics and can cause skin irritation.
  9. Petrolatum: Petroleum jelly is used in hair products to add shine and is also found in lip balms, lipsticks, and moisturizers. It causes skin irritation and allergies.
  10. Siloxanes: Stay away from ingredients ending in –siloxan or methicone. They are found in hair products and deodorants and can impair fertility and cause hormonal disruptions.
  11. SLS (Sodium laureth sulfate): SLS is a carcinogenic foaming agent found in cleansers, bubble bath, and shampoo.
  12. Triclosan: This chemical is found in antibacterial cosmetics such as deodorant, cleansers, and hand sanitizers. It can cause skin irritation, antibiotic resistance, and hormonal disruptions.

If this freaks you out as much as it freaks me out, but you’re afraid you are too lazy to study the ingredients in the store, checkout the apps below that provide easy access to information on the side effects of certain chemicals.

  1. Fooducate: This app allows you to scan the bar code or search the name of the product and find out everything you need to know about the ingredients.
  2. Think Dirty (my personal favorite): Think Dirty is an app that rates the toxicity of your cosmetics and personal care products.
  3. GoodGuide: GoodGuide, similarly to the first two apps, provides information on the ingredients found in household cleaning products.

-Caroline Kelly, Sustainability Intern 

Caroline Kelly is a sophomore studying Communications with an Arts Management minor.
Caroline Kelly is a sophomore studying Communications with an Arts Management minor.

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