Could beauty and cleansing products be toxic to your health? Would you continue to buy a certain anti-wrinkle cream if it could destroy your immune system? You shouldn’t have to compromise your health and safety for the sake of beauty.

One in three cosmetics in the US contains a carcinogen, an agent directly linked to cancer. Below, we’ve outlined some of the most harmful ingredients found in your bathroom medicine cabinet – AKA – your anti-aging arsenal.

• Formaldehyde: Used in cosmetics as a preservative, this ingredient is a known carcinogen, and is often found in creams and hair treatments. Formaldehyde can also trigger allergies and weaken the immune system.

• Parabens: These chemicals serve as an antifungal agent found in shampoos, conditioners, styling products, soaps and body washes, lotions, shaving creams, deodorant, makeup and even toothpaste! It’s absorbed through the skin, mimics estrogen, and is linked to breast cancer. Parabens are also extremely harmful to the environment.

• PEG Compounds: Often passing as Polyethylene Glycol, it’s what makes your hair conditioner thick and your moisturizer extra creamy. This chemical is especially harmful to the nervous system, as it can interfere with human development. It also leaves skin more vulnerable to bacteria and other chemicals in the environment.

• Sulfates: Disguised as Sodium Laureth Sulfate, SLS, or SLES, these chemicals are used in foaming cosmetics like shampoos and body wash. It can irritate your skin and eyes, and it’s a known degreaser, meaning it strips natural oils from hair and skin, which by the way, can lead to dry patches and wrinkles!

• Phthalates (Artificial Fragrance): Found in nail polish and perfumes, phthalate exposure is linked to early puberty in girls, a risk factor for later-life breast cancer. Even more frightening, Mind Body Green reports that phthalates are also linked to bioaccumulation, which means they become trapped in the body FOREVER.

• BHA and DEA: Both induce allergic reactions in the skin and, like other substances on this list, are known carcinogens. DEA-related ingredients are used in foaming products, such as facial cleansers and shampoos. According to this article, DEA is also used in oil refineries to remove hydrogen sulfide from process gas emissions – not exactly what you want in your shower!

• Triclosan: This chemical is found in antiperspirants/deodorants and cleansers and in hand sanitizers as a preservative and an anti-bacterial agent. The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) registers it as a pesticide, giving it high scores as a risk to both human health and the environment! If that’s not your cue to stay away, we don’t know what is.

So as you toss these chemicals out of your life (or at least remove them from your bathroom cabinet), give us a call and schedule a complimentary appointment with an expert at L’Arte Della Bellezza. Let’s clean your beauty routine!

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References:

• http://www.justenergy.com/blog/the-dirty-dozen-12-harmful-chemicals-to-rid-your-house-of-today/
• http://pinsandprocrastination.com/ingredients-avoid-buying-cosmetics/
• http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-9084/8-deadly-chemicals-in-your-beauty-products.html
• http://www.breastcancerfund.org/clear-science/environmental-breast-cancer-links/cosmetics/