Ingredients to Avoid
in your body care products
Widely used in makeup, moisturizers, etc.
May interfere with hormone
function. Associated with breast cancer.
Found in moisturizer, makeup,
etc. May cause cancer and interfere with
hormone function. Harmful to fish and other
wildlife.
Used in hair dyes, and colours and identified as “C.I.”
followed by five digits in other products.
Suspected carcinogen and can be contaminated with heavy metals
toxic to the brain.
Widely used in moisturizer, makeup, hair products, etc.
May interfere with hormone function and damage the liver.
Harmful to fish and other wildlife.
Used in creamy and foaming products such as moisturizer,
shampoo. Can react to form cancer-causing nitrosamines.
Harmful to fish and other wildlife.
Found in most nail products. Toxic to reproduction and may interfere
with hormone function.
Harmful to fish and other wildlife.
Widely used in hair products, moisturizers, etc.
Formaldehyde causes cancer.
Widely used even in some products marketed as “unscented” (often
the last ingredient). Mixture of chemicals that can trigger allergies and asthma.
Some linked to cancer and neurotoxicity. Some harmful to fish and other wildlife.
In products that foam such as shampoo, cleansers, bubble bath. SLES can be
contaminated with 1,4-dioxane, which may cause cancer. SLS may damage liver.
Harmful to fish and other wildlife.
TRICLOSAN: In “anti-bacterial” products such as toothpaste, soaps, hand
sanitizers. May interfere with hormone function and contribute to antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Harmful to fish and other wildlife.
PETROLATUM: In hair products, lip balm/lipstick, skin care products. Petroleum
product that can be contaminated with cancer-causing impurities.
PARABENS: "ethyl," "butyl," "methyl" and "propyl"
BHA and BHT:
Coal Tar Dyes:
(Look for P-PHENYLENEDIAMINE)
CYCLOMETHICONE and siloxanes:
DEA (diethanolamine), MEA and TEA:
DIBUTYL PHTHALATE:
FORMALDEHYDE-releasing preservatives: DMDM HYDANTOIN, DIAZOLIDINYL, UREA, IMIDAZOLIDINYL UREA,
METHENAMINE, or QUARTERNIUM-15
PARFUM:
SODIUM LAURETH SULFATE (SLES) and SODIUM LAURYL SULFATE (SLS):
TRICLOSAN:
PETROLATUM:
Source: Sustainable shopper's guide: 12 ingredients to avoid in your cosmetics http://www.davidsuzuki.org