18 Ingredients To Avoid In Skincare Products You Use Daily

PFAS

Per-and-polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a super diverse group of chemicals, and you’ve probably been hearing all about their health and environmental impacts.

To summarize: PFAS are synthetic, widespread, and persistent human-made compounds that pollute every ecosystem on earth and are linked to various human health issues.

Here’s a screenshot from the Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) interactive PFAS map, showing how many sites contaminated with PFAS exist in the New York, USA area alone.

PFAS have been routinely discovered in aquifers that supply drinking water within the US, but they’re found all over the world – and can even be found in human tissue samples.

In fact, it’s been known since the 1950’s that PFAS accumulate within the human body; as of late, their suspected carcinogenic properties have led to a startling uptick in research surrounding these compounds.

One major issue that affects everyone who buys skincare products is the regulations, or lack thereof, surrounding the labeling of PFAS. Not only are PFAS nearly always unlabeled, the regulations that do exist are usually incredibly vague – making it hard to know if products contain them.

PFAS are the main reason I started researching sustainable skincare brands in the first place, and thankfully plenty of PFAS-free options exist.

Common PFAS labels:

• Anything containing “fluoro”
• Usually not required to be labeled

Sulfates

Sulfates are added to skincare formulas as detergents or scrubbing agents, and are the ingredients that make things like shampoos and conditioners, body washes, and other soapy products foam up.

Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), also known as sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) is a common example you’ll spot on the label of many bottles in your bathroom, a sulfate similar to sodium laureth sulfate (SLES).

While not as directly harmful to your health as PFAS, sulfates commonly cause skin irritation and allergies even in small amounts, although these problems usually don’t stick around if you discontinue their use.

The bigger issue with sulfates is that they’re industrially produced at a large scale from things like palm kernel oil or coconut oil. Growing oil palms directly contributes to horrific levels of environmental destruction, but I’ll save that for further down this list, where we go over palm oil in more detail.

The other major issue with sulfates is the potential for them to be contaminated with or purposefully combined with byproducts like 1,4-dioxane, a suspected human carcinogen.

Common sulfate labels:

• SLS, SLES, SDS, ALS
• Sodium lauryl sulfate, sodium laureth sulfate, ammonium lauryl sulfate
• Anything ending in -sulfate

PEGs & PPGs

Polyethylene glycols (PEGs) and polypropylene glycols (PPGs) are petrochemical compounds used as thickening agents and creamy bases in skincare products like face moisturizers, lotions, and sunscreens.

Here’s an example of how pristine natural environments actually appear nowadays, as more oil and gas pipelines sprout up each year – used to transport fossil fuels before being refined into things like PEGs and PPGs:

These compounds are considered “safe” and “biologically inert” by most regulatory bodies, but most comprehensive PEG studies are funded by cosmetic groups, like this study which found no specific human health issues with PEGs after extensive animal testing – funded by the Foundation of Korea Cosmetics Industry Institute in 2014.

A bit of a conflict of interest, perhaps.

Similar to sulfates, PEGs and PPGs are often contaminated with impurities like ethylene oxide and 1,4-dioxane, and recommendations (like from the study above) are to simply filter them out before adding PEGs to their products.

The actual labeling of PPGs and PEGs in skincare is almost impossible to grasp for the average non-chemist, due to how many different variations there are.

You’ll often see numbers and letters attached to the end, for example PEG-25M or PEG-9 stearate, meaningless words for most people; which usually just means that the molecular weight has been changed or an additional chemical was added.

Still confused? Me too. Just avoid all of the things listed below.

Common PEGs & PPGs labels:

• PEG, PEG-4, PEG-25M, PEG-9 stearate, etc
• PPG-17, PPG-14 butyl ether, etc
• Polyethylene glycol or polypropylene glycol
• Anything starting with PEG- or PPG-

Phthalates

Phthalates are substances added to skincare products to do things like stabilize synthetic fragrances, and they’re also heavily used in the production of plastics where flexibility is often a must (hint: your toothbrush bristles).

These chemicals are also petroleum-derived, and are actually found in just about everything you can buy if you aren’t careful, even though phthalates are widely recognized as harmful for the human endocrine system and functioning of multiple organs.

If you’ve ever seen warning labels advising anyone pregnant or breastfeeding not to use certain products, phthalates may be the reason why – as evidence of changes to fetal hormones and preterm births from phthalate exposure increases.

Similar to PFAS, phthalates are unfortunately not always required to be listed on ingredient labels, making it difficult to know if you’re being exposed to them. You can honestly just assume they’re included in most skincare products.

Common phthalates labels:

• Fragrance, perfume, parfum, eau de toilette
• DMP, DEP, DBP, DEHP, DNOP
• Anything ending in -phthalate

Synthetic fragrances

Added to products like dental floss, deodorants, and lotion, synthetic fragrances can be an issue for a few different reasons.

Often simply listed under things like “fragrance” or other innocent sounding names, these synthetic compound blends are made up of many different chemicals – including most listed in this guide.

These blends are protected by law in countries like the US, which is apparently due to the need to safeguard “trade secret” blends – meaning, you’ll never be allowed to know what’s inside.

Yep, that’s literally how the FDA explains why these mixtures of over 3000 different chemicals don’t need to be disclosed on labels. Here’s a section taken from the FDA’s website:

So even if you do your research, chances are you wouldn’t be allowed to know what’s inside the fragrance blends anyway, by law.

And that really only leaves you one option, which is to avoid any of the common labels below and only buy products from brands with transparent fragrance labeling.

Usually, more ethical brands use plant based sources for their scents, like essential oils, a huge step up from random secret blends of synthetic fragrances that can trigger symptoms of allergies, headaches, and other diseases.

Common synthetic fragrance labels:

• Fragrance, perfume, parfum, eau de toilette

Parabens

Parabens are another petrochemical class of preservatives, added to formulas for lotions, creams, and all other kinds of products to prevent bacterial or fungal growth.

There’s a long list of parabens to avoid, but in general these chemicals fall under the classification of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and share many of the issues that similar compounds have.

It’s not uncommon for people to develop asthma from paraben exposure, alongside other allergic reactions like dermatitis; and as EDCs, parabens could put your hormonal and reproductive systems at risk over a long period of time.

Similar to other cosmetic ingredients, parabens can be found in human tissue and urine samples taken from patients from all over the world.

Common paraben labels:

• Methylparaben
• Propylparaben
• Butylparaben
• Ethylparaben
• Anything ending in -paraben

Siloxanes

Siloxanes are mass produced silicone-based compounds added to products like body lotion and conditioner for smoothing, shining, and detangling purposes.

The scientific community is divided when considering the toxicity of siloxane exposure in small amounts, but the main issue with these compounds is how they interact with the environment.

As microplastics, siloxanes degrade poorly once they’re released into the environment and can even transform into different, lesser-studied compounds.

That isn’t to say that siloxanes are safe for humans – even if they’re well tolerated, there’s evidence that siloxanes cause permanent damage to the human skin barrier, and considerable concern that direct contact with siloxane compounds or impurities can lead to other negative health effects.

Common siloxanes labels:

• Dimethicone, dimethiconol
• Anything ending in -cone, -conol, -siloxane

Synthetic colors & tints

Synthetic colors and dyes can be made from an incredibly varied list of chemical compounds. Some, like iron oxide (Fe₂O₃) and titanium dioxide (TiO₂), are added to products like sunscreen and toothpaste as whitening pigments.

These minerals – even if used in tiny amounts – are sourced from mining operations that irreversibly destroy ecosystems and leave our planet scarred and disfigured.

Other non-mineral dyes like Yellow-10 and Blue-1 are, you guessed it, petrochemicals. You’ve probably seen these dyes labeled on junk food packaging, but they’re often added to skincare products too.

If you’re familiar with these ingredients, you may have heard rumors of a relationship between synthetic dyes and childhood behavioral disorders like ADHD, even in those who showed no prior symptoms.

There are some promising non-synthetic dyes in the works, but for now most conventional skincare brands are content to use dyes similar or identical to the ones found in food products.

Common synthetic colors & tints labels:

• Iron oxide, titanium dioxide, etc
• Yellow 10, Blue 1, etc

Mineral oil

Mineral oil is a colorless, liquid byproduct of crude oil refinement, and has a pretty innocent, harmless sounding name.

The distillation process of crude oil produces unrefined mineral oil, which has a strong link to human carcinogenicity; as chronic exposure to unrefined or mildly refined mineral oil is associated with skin irritations and cancers.

Refined mineral oil added to skincare formulas is thought to be safe for humans, and has been in use for decades in the cosmetic, healthcare, and food industries.

But health issues aren’t really the main concern when it comes to mineral oil, unless you’re making the stuff yourself (please don’t) – the main issue with this ingredient is that it’s a branch of the fossil fuel industry worth nearly $4 billion per year.

Common mineral oil labeling:

• Mineral oil, paraffin oil

Petrolatum

Petrolatum is essentially just a waxy form of mineral oil, which comes from the same source: petroleum.

Which is weird, as I personally only made the connection between the name and crude oil after I started doing extensive research on skincare ingredients.

As a moisturizing agent, petrolatum is commonly added to things like deodorants and healing ointments or jellies like Vaseline. While useful for hydrating and healing skin or acting as a bacterial barrier, its production can cripple natural ecosystems.

Oil spills, some of the most devastating human-caused natural disasters, are funded in part by the sale of ingredients like petrolatum and mineral oil.

These catastrophic environmental disasters affect more than oceanic life, however, as both mental and physical illnesses including elevated rates of prostate cancer can be found in the human workers who clean up oil spills.

Common petrolatum labels:

• Petrolatum, petroleum jelly, paraffin

VOCs

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are a huge category of different organic compounds, many of which are petrochemicals you’ll find in aerosol can propellants used to power shaving cream cans, or directly added to skincare products.

Chronic exposure to VOCs has been linked to health issues like asthma and wheezing, and some specific VOCs like benzene are suspected human carcinogens.

VOCs also contribute to water and air pollution, with a recent example being the devastating Ohio train derailment that released enough vinyl-chloride, a VOC, into local ecosystems to kill nearly 50,000 wild animals.

Common VOCs labels:

• Formaldehyde
• Benzene
• Toluene
• Acetone
• Isopropyl alcohol

Formaldehyde releasers

Formaldehyde is classified as a VOC, which we just covered above, and is either intentionally added to cosmetics or unintentionally released by other added chemicals.

In skincare, formaldehyde releasers are added as preservatives and cosmetic biocides in things like face wash, with the goal of killing off any bacterial growth. Formaldehyde itself is the same stuff used in jars to display dead animal specimens.

These compounds, which go by many different names and may be unlabelled, are a well-documented cause of contact dermatitis and other skin allergies.

And the carcinogenic properties of formaldehyde have been studied for over 40 years at this point, so the concern over these preservative-releasing compounds slowly poisoning cosmetic products is a pretty valid one.

Common formaldehyde releasers labels:

• Formaldehyde and paraformaldehyde
• Bronopol
• Quaternium-15
• Glyoxal
• Methenamine
• DMDM hydantoin
• Sodium hydroxymethylglycinate
• 5-bromo-5-nitro-1,3-dioxane
• Anything ending in -urea

Triclosan

Triclosan is a synthetic antimicrobial compound added to skincare and cosmetics as a preservative biocide.

TCS, another name for Triclosan, is a known endocrine disruptor readily absorbed by the human skin and can be found in human tissue samples quite easily. With estimates of around 75% of the US population being exposed to TCS by personal care routines, it’s slowly being banned in products like soaps.

Future concerns over pandemics like COVID-19 have brought the issue of widespread Triclosan use into focus, as constant use of antibacterial soaps and disinfectants directly leads to more TCS exposure.

Ever heard of antimicrobial resistance?

Triclosan has also been shown to increase the antibiotic resistance of bacteria like E. coli and MRSA, with global deaths associated with antimicrobial resistance numbering in the millions per year.

Common triclosan labels:

• Triclosan, TCS
• Irgasan

UV filters

UV filters fall under two categories: chemical filters or physical filters.

Chemical filters are usually petroleum-based compounds like oxybenzone, while mineral compounds such as zinc oxide (ZnO) act as physical filters.

Found in sunscreens and other sun protection products, the purpose of these filters is to block ultraviolet (UV) radiation from damaging and aging your skin and prevent issues like sunburns or skin cancer.

Both kinds of filters have issues, but chemical filters in particular are suspected to contribute to coral bleaching events we all see plastered in the news now and then.

Reef safe ingredients are a hotly debated topic though, and even mineral filters are sourced from mining operations, which obviously aren’t innocent when it comes to environmental issues.

However, in terms of biodiversity coral reefs are considered the rainforests of the oceans, and protecting them is of vital importance – which is why most sustainable skincare brands don’t include chemical UV filters in their formulas.

Common UV filters labels:

• Oxybenzone
• Octinoxate
• Octocrylene
• Octisalate
• OD-PABA
• Homosalate
• Benzophenone-1
• Benzophenone-8
• 4-methylbenzylidene camphor
• Mineral filters starting with nano-

EDTA

Ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) is a petroleum-derived compound added to skincare formulas in various salt forms, and is known to be cytotoxic and weakly genotoxic, especially when combined with other chemicals.

Added to improve stability and prevent products from going rancid, EDTA is also added to a variety of other things you use or eat everyday.

As a food additive, EDTA has been shown to aggravate colitis and colon cancer in mice, with colitis being the swelling or inflammation of the large intestine.

In the environment, EDTA biodegrades poorly and is considered a persistent pollutant that may increase the spread of heavy metals.

Common EDTA labels:

• Disodium EDTA
• Sodium calcium edetate
• Tetrasodium EDTA

Palm oil

Palm oil production contributes to and causes extensive deforestation worldwide, particularly in sensitive rainforest regions.

Added to cosmetics, food, and just about everything else for its rich moisturizing properties, it’s used in virtually every industry you can name.

As our main source of vegetable oil, these palms are highly efficient crops. But, they tend to grow best in biodiverse regions that really don’t have much agricultural land to spare.

Are you a fan of David Attenborough’s classic documentaries full of amazing animals like orangutans, tigers, elephants, and rhinos?

Unfortunately, their habitats are rapidly being replaced by oil palm plantations grown using monoculture farming techniques, mainly around the equator in areas like Southeast Asia, South America, and Africa.

There are a few different “sustainable” palm oil certifications which claim to help prevent rainforest destruction, but in the end it’s impossible to truly know where your palm oil is coming from.

Palm oil labeling is also pretty confusing – there are so many ways in which palm oil is disguised or processed to avoid clear labeling; making palm oil one of the more hidden products from the rainforest you may be buying on the regular.

Common palm oil labels:

• Palm oil, palm kernel oil
• PKO, PHPKO, FPKO, OPKO
• Many other ingredients containing “palm,” “stear,” “laur,” “glyc”

Hydroquinone

Hydroquinone is added to skin whitening creams, some of the worst skincare products out there, a kind of cosmetic that promotes skin lightening.

Plenty of other skin whiteners exist, but hydroquinone is known to cause oxidative stress and DNA damage, and is also highly toxic to aquatic organisms like fish.

Skin lightening works by reducing the number of melanocyte cells in your skin. These melanocyte cells produce melanin, and the less of that you have the lighter your skin will appear.

These creams and lotions don’t always contain what they claim, as regulations in many countries are poor, and heavy metals like mercury are often found in hydroquinone product formulas, making the practice of unnecessary skin whitening an incredibly risky one too.

Common hydroquinone labels:

• Hydroquinone

Heavy metals & impurities

One issue that’s often swept under the rug or simply just unknown is the contamination of skincare products with impurities and heavy metals.

Not only is it hard to pinpoint which stage of the manufacturing process these impurities come from, but there’s also a clear lack of any labeling.

I mean, why would a cosmetic company tell you their products may be contaminated?

And this extensive, varied list of compounds may cause cumulative effects like a high risk of skin cancer or other chronic health disorders, although makeup ingredients tend to be much worse than skincare in this regard.

The most common sources of toxic impurities in skincare formulas are mainly petrochemicals, of course, as thousands of different compounds are produced directly from crude oil refinement.

However, it’s not just petrochemicals.

There are plenty of other sources of impurities and heavy metals like lead, mercury, cadmium, and arsenic which do end up in cosmetics, and none of these will ever be labeled.

Common heavy metals & impurities labels:

• These will likely never be listed or disclosed