Do you know what's lurking in your beauty products?

Do you know what’s lurking in your beauty products?

Can you pronounce all of the ingredients? Do you know for sure that they don’t contain harmful chemicals, which can be hormone disrupting, carcinogenic, neurotoxins or worse?

I always assumed that there would be legislation in place to protect consumers from harmful chemicals in personal products but often this isn’t the case.

Here are a few of the most common and worst offenders to avoid:

1. Parabens

Parabens help preserve shelf-life of products and are in most beauty products.  They can mimic estrogen in the body disrupting our delicate hormonal balance.

They’ve been linked to breast cancer, and can lead to reproductive and fertility issues.

2. Phthalates

Phthalates group of chemicals used to soften and increase the flexibility of plastics in cosmetics which helps products stick to our skin.  They are especially dangerous for children as they can be serious endocrine disruptors and even cause birth defects.

3. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) and/or Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES)

SLS and SLES are known to cause skin irritation and trigger different allergies.

4. BHT

These are synthetic antioxidants that are used to extend shelf life and are likely carcinogens and hormone disruptors that may cause liver damage.

5. Lead

Lead is a heavy metal and is a neurotoxin. It can cause serious behavioral and learning problems. It’s already been removed from things like paint and petrol, but not the things we’re putting on skin.

6. Formaldehyde

A known carcinogen that is also linked to asthma, neurotoxicity, and developmental toxicity.

Take a stand against these huge health and beauty companies who don’t really care about your health!