If you are struggling with irritated skin, breakouts, redness, and dryness, you may want to check the ingredients in your skincare as they may be the culprit.

When it comes to cosmetic products in the US there is little regulation by the FDA. The resources delegated to cosmetic FDA regulation are extremely small. This means that the regulations are very loose and actually haven’t been updated since 1938. Products do not need to be FDA approved to be sold. There are only repercussions for companies if they are caught outside of the regulations after products have been sold.

Although some ingredients may be safe enough to apply on your skin without causing immediate harm, our skin absorbs the ingredients we apply to it into our bodies. This means they can cause long-term irritation and even compromise our health. How your skin reacts to certain ingredients depends on your skin type and skin conditions. Skincare is not one-size-fits-all.

Being a licensed esthetician, I have discovered many ingredients that can be both harmful and even toxic to our skin and our overall health. Of course, there are those who take it to the next level and choose to avoid any ingredients that are not completely natural. In this case, I am only discussing the top 5 ingredients that everyone should consider avoiding, despite their skin types and conditions. 

Sulfates

There is some controversy on whether sulfates are harmful or not. Sulfates break down our skin’s natural barrier known as the acid mantle, by stripping our skin of its natural oils. This means that sulfates are used as cleansing agents. They are normally used in cleansers and are rinsed away pretty immediately. In scientific studies, sulfates have only been known to cause irritation when left on the skin for long periods of time. However, more natural formulations that some brands use are sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and sodium laureth sulfate (SLES), which have been shown to cause this reaction when left on the skin as well.

Personally, I avoid products with SLS, SLES and even their more natural alternatives like sodium cocoyl isethionate or cocamidopropyl hydroxysultaine, especially if they are high up on the ingredient list. The higher they are on the ingredient list means the higher the concentration is of that ingredient in the product. If you have sensitive skin, these ingredients have been found to cause irritation such as redness and itching: it is best to avoid them altogether.

Parabens

Parabens such as propylparabens, methylparabens and butylparabens (any ingredients ending in ‘paraben’) are used in skincare products as preservatives to increase the shelf life. Parabens are endocrine disruptors; meaning they interfere with our body's hormonal systems, specifically by mimicking estrogen and disrupting our hormonal balance. They have been linked to breast cancer in women as well as skin abnormalities including skin cancer.

Again, there is some controversy over this ingredient; some say in small amounts it is not harmful. However, if you are using a lot of beauty products that contain parabens, they do begin to accumulate on the skin. It has been determined that the average woman comes into contact with about 50mg of parabens per day when all of her cosmetic products are taken into account.

Alcoholin

When it comes to alcohol in skincare, there are both good and bad types.

The alcohols you want to avoid in your skincare include…

• SD alcohol

• Denatured alcohol

• Isopropyl alcohol.

These alcohols are extremely damaging and stripping your skin's microbiome or protective skin barrier. This not only causes sensitivity but is actually pro-aging, meaning it will speed up the aging process within your skin. If these ingredients are closer to the top of an ingredient list and within the first 6 ingredients, avoid that product.

The good types of alcohol are fatty alcohols, they include….

• Cetyl

• Stearyl

• Cetearyl alcohol.

They are actually beneficial to your skin; they act as a stabilizer for other ingredients and provide a nice texture to products. 

Fragrance - Good or Bad?

Believe me, I know how tempting yummy smelling skincare products are. However, synthetic fragrances are made up of many harmful chemicals that aren’t only irritating to our skin (especially sensitive skin) but also some of which are known endocrine disruptors, as well as common allergens. Companies are not required by law to list the ingredients of the fragrance that they use, so when you see fragrance as an ingredient listed on a product you should assume the ingredients are not desirable. Instead, go for fragrance-free formulations or products that are fragranced by natural essential oils. 

Dyes

The side effects of dyes or artificial colorants is something I am sure all of us have heard about when it comes to our food. They are known to be linked to tumor growth, hyperactivity and most commonly allergic reactions. These artificial colors are also added to skincare products. They are used to simply make our products prettier or more appealing to the consumer. Unfortunately, adding dyes does not only change the product's color. These dyes are also irritating, especially for sensitive skin and the eye area.

Artificial colorants have also been known to increase breakouts. They mess with your skin's oil production and leave it out of balance, triggering acne for those of use with acne-prone skin. These dyes are easy to identify in products because they are listed as the color they are and a number; for example yellow5. Artificial colorants are completely unnecessary and are only widely used because they are cheap. Avoid products with any artificial dyes. Skincare can be dolled up by natural substances like beet powder, spices, coffee and more as a safe and natural alternative. 

You can assume that if harmful ingredients like these are in skincare products that they can also be found in makeup, hair, body and nail products, along with many other ingredients such as formaldehyde and lead, with dangerous side effects. I encourage you to be aware of the ingredients in the products you are using on a daily basis. Don’t fall for the marketing claims that you see on packaging, and don’t hesitate to flip your products over, read the ingredient labels and do some quick research for yourself. At Pomp, we pride ourselves on only recommending products with safe and effective ingredients!