At present, ingredients that are known or have potential carcinogens are often put in beauty and personal care products. Some regulators believe it’s okay to use ingredients with the potential to harm health because the amount used is very small or because there is not enough data to assess long-term toxicity.
So here’s a list of at least 13 ingredients to avoid in makeup and skincare products:
1. Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS)
Found in: shampoo, body wash, foundation, face wash, mouthwash, and toothpaste
SLS has been shown to cause or contribute to skin irritation, canker sores, disruption of the skin’s natural barrier function and oil balance, and eye damage.
It is also widely believed to be a major contributor to acne (especially cystic acne) around the mouth and chin because it is comedogenic (clogs pores). Opt for a natural shampoo, body wash, and toothpaste.
2. Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA)
Found in: exfoliants, perfume
The National Toxicology Program classifies BHA as “reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen.” In animal studies, BHA has been shown to exhibit neurotoxic effects and interferes with normal reproductive system development and thyroid hormone levels.
The European Union considers it unsafe in fragrance. Opt for a BHA- and phthalate-free perfume.
3. Triclosan and triclocarban
Found in: toothpaste, deodorant, antibacterial soap
Triclosan was all the rage as antibacterial products became ubiquitous in the 1990s. Even the FDA agrees that the use of triclosan brings no health benefit to humans.
And in 2013, it ruled that manufacturers will have to demonstrate that there are no long-term detrimental effects when using it in products. The chemical was banned by the FDA in 2016 from certain soaps.
Still showing up in many remaining consumer products, triclosan (in liquid products) and triclocarban (in bar soaps) have been linked to hormonal disruptions, bacterial resistance, impaired muscle function, impaired immune function, and increased allergies.
Instead, use natural antibacterial and antiseptic agents like tea tree oil.
4. Parabens
Found in: makeup, moisturizer, shaving gel, shampoo, personal lubricant, and spray tanning products
Parabens are a group of preservatives and antimicrobial chemicals that prevent the growth of nasty things like bad bacteria and mold in your beauty products.
There are several studies linking parabens, which are endocrine disruptors that mimic estrogen, to the promotion of breast cancer, skin cancer, and decreased sperm count, but the FDA has not ruled that it is harmful. The most recent concern has been lifetime exposure to parabens, as cosmetic products are used daily over long periods of time.
The European Commission banned several types of parabens for use in personal care products: isopropyl-, isobutyl-, phenyl-, benzyl-, and pentyl parabens. All five are still approved for use in the United States.
5. Polyethylene/PEGs
Found in: scrubs, body wash, makeup, toothpaste
Those tiny plastic beads in face or lip scrubs and exfoliating washes are made from polyethylene (used because they’re gentler on the skin than natural exfoliators like walnut shells). These synthetic chemicals are frequently contaminated with 1,4-dioxane, which the U.S. government considers a probable human carcinogen and which readily penetrates the skin.
Polyethylene has been noted as a skin irritant and should never be used on broken skin. These polyethylene beads in scrubs and body washes are also not filtered by our sewage systems, meaning they can collect pollutants and travel into waterways, where they’re consumed by fish and marine animals.
6. Retinyl palmitate and retinyl acetate
Found in: moisturizers, lip products, sunscreen
Retinol products (often designated “anti-aging”) have the opposite intended effect and become ineffective in sunlight, making it extra important to only use them at night and avoid any sunscreens containing retinyl-derived ingredients.
7. Petroleum distillatesorRefined Petroleum
Found in: mascara, moisturizing agent often found in lip balms and face creams
Petroleum-extracted ingredients used in cosmetics may cause contact dermatitis and are often contaminated with cancer-causing impurities. They are produced in oil refineries at the same time as automobile fuel, heating oil, and chemical feed.
8. Fragrance
Found in: moisturizers, deodorant, lotion, face cream, shampoo, conditioner
Federal law doesn’t require companies to list on product labels any of the chemicals in their fragrance mixtures. Fragrance is a term that can disguise up to 3,000 synthetic or natural chemicals used to make a beauty product smell better. Fragrances are considered a trade secret and, therefore, do not have to be disclosed. Recent research from the Environmental Working Group and the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics found an average of 14 chemicals in 17 name-brand fragrance products, none of which were l
On a related note, phthalates, which help fragrances last longer, are a group of chemicals used to keep materials and products (nail polishes, hair sprays, plastics) pliable. You’ll find them on an ingredient list abbreviated as DEP, BBzP, DBP, and DEHP.
The problem: Phthalates are usually correlated with fragrance. Phthalates have been linked to reproductive and hormonal harm in children and men. Some studies have linked phthalate exposure to obesity, type 2 diabetes, reduced sperm count, breast cancers, infertility, reproductive malformation, and cardiovascular events.
Fragrances can contain hormone disruptors and are among the top 5 allergens in the world. Our advice? Buy fragrance-free or a product containing beneficial essential oils wherever possible.
9. Oxybenzone
Found in: sunscreen
Oxybenzone is one of the highest-risk chemicals found in sunscreen. It acts like estrogen in the body, alters sperm production in animals, and is associated with endometriosis in women.
Studies on cells and laboratory animals indicate that oxybenzone and its metabolites may disrupt the hormone system. It also has high rates of skin allergy.
Opt for safe, physical sunscreens with zinc oxide or titanium oxide instead. These are chemical-free, mineral-based ingredients.
10. Dibutyl phthalate, toluene, and formaldehyde
Found in: nail polish and other nail products, perfume, makeup remover
These chemicals, known as the “toxic trio,” have been linked to birth defects, endocrine disruption, headaches, and respiratory problems—especially worrisome for nail salon workers and those who frequently get manis or pedis.
The most well-known preservative, formaldehyde is commonly found in Keratin smoothing treatments that rely on the chemical to lock the hair’s broken disulfide bonds into a straighter position.
The problem: Formaldehyde is recognized globally as a human carcinogen.
11. Hydroquinone
Found in: skin lighteners
The FDA warns that this skin-bleaching chemical, when used chronically, can cause a skin disease called ochronosis, with “disfiguring and irreversible” blue-black lesions on exposed skin. Illegally imported skin lighteners can contain mercury, which may poison adults and children and is especially toxic during pregnancy.
Be wary of imported skin lighteners, don’t buy products without ingredients clearly labeled, and always avoid products with “mercury,” “calomel,” “mercurio,” or “mercurio chloride.”
The problem: Hydroquinone was approved by the FDA in 1982, but several years later, it was temporarily pulled from the market due to safety concerns (it turns out the products in question had mercury in them, so the adverse effects weren’t because of the skin-lightening ingredient). However hydroquinone itself has been linked to certain cancers, decreased immune response, abnormal function of the adrenal gland, and a skin condition known as ochronosis. It’s because of the perceived risk that the European Union alongside Japan and Australia have banned the ingredient.
12. Talc
A common ingredient in face powders and eye shadows, talc is a mineral made from magnesium, silicon, hydrogen, and oxygen.
The problem: Talc that hasn’t been purified can be contaminated with asbestos, a known human carcinogen.
13. Silica
Also known as silicon dioxide, silica is used as an absorbent, anticaking, and abrasive agent in everything from oral care products to foundations. Silica is naturally occurring, but the kind approved for use in cosmetics is amorphous silica, not crystalline silica (also known as quartz dust).
The problem: The science concerning silica is confusing, to say the least. Only one kind of silica is approved for use in cosmetic formulations: amorphous silica. So why is crystalline silica, a known human carcinogen, popping up in particles of respirable size in laboratory tests of various bath products and cosmetics? Some studies suggest that amorphous silica can be contaminated with the crystalline kind, which would help explain why it’s still detectable in beauty products. There are environmental concerns as well, particularly with the slippery silica by-product found in every beloved face primer: silicone. Refined silicones are not biodegradable.
