what’s on your skin
Commercial beauty products are anything but beautiful. Here’s a deep-dive into what you should be avoiding, and why, by eco-insider, Imelda Burke, founder of Content Beauty & Wellbeing
When trying to decide if you want to use a product all the information you need is on the label, but not always where you might think. The product description which most of us refer to first, should really only be viewed as advertising copy. The information you need to take notice of is the International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients (INCI) list, otherwise known as the ingredients list. Here you will find the ingredients listed from the highest percentage to the lowest, the type of ingredient (natural, derived from nature or synthetic) and any known allergens and often whether it is organic, wild-crafted, biodynamic, or more.
All these ingredients are approved for use in products but for those, such as myself, who like their skin ‘food’ to be derived from nature where possible (just like the food they eat – whole, organic) reading the ingredients list is the only way you’ll really know how much of your product is natural. To get you started, the list below features the ingredients I avoid and the alternatives I favour instead. It is by no means exhaustive, but it will provide a strong starting point to get you thinking about what’s in your skincare – and considering if it should really have a place on your skin.
What I Avoid
THE BASE INGREDIENTS
Mineral Oil and Petrolatum – favoured by the skincare industry for its price (very cheap), inertness and long shelf life. While it causes few reactions, it is derived from the crude oil industry and is therefore a non-renewable source. This cheap as chips oil often makes up a large percentage of even the most luxurious skincare products (including a certain cult ‘herbal’ balm cleanser that costs £85/200ml – crazy!). It also crops up in nappy cream, lip balms and ‘everything’ balms. Look for these terms on the label: paraffinum liquidum, petrolatum, petroleum, paraffin oil and mineral oil.
The alternatives: If your moisturiser is based on mineral oil swap to one that is based on plant-derived oils. Natural products will use anything from sweet almond oil and jojoba to the more exotic oils such as buriti and tamanu, all of which have nutrients to feed protect and benefit the skin. If it’s a body balm or moisturiser you want to swap out look for products made from natural butters such as shea, cacao, coconut, mango seed or cupuaçu. Petroleum jelly-type products are mostly used to create a waterproof barrier and to stop chafing. Instead look for beeswax-based balms – nature’s waterproofing alternative.
THE FOAMING AGENTS
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) and Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES) – used as detergents and emulsifiers, they can upset the protective layer of oils on the surface of the skin and make it more permeable. While SLS is approved for use under the COSMOS certification standard, SLES is not approved under any certification, as it is made using ethoxylation, a process which can produce small amounts of 1, 4 dioxane – a known carcinogenic compound.
Ethanolamines – also used as foaming agents and emulsifiers, the most common being cocamide DEA. In studies it has been shown to cause the formation of nitrosamines, which are known carcinogens. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) lists cocamide DEA as a possible carcinogen for humans. Look for these other terms on the label: Triethanolamine, diethanolamine, DEA, TEA, cocamide DEA, cocamide MEA, DEA-cetyl phosphate, DEA oleth-3 phosphate, lauramide DEA, linoleamide MEA, myristamide DEA, oleamide DEA, stearamide MEA, TEA-lauryl sulfate.
The alternatives: we have been conditioned to expect foam with our body wash and shampoo, but actually neither needs to be filled with bubbles to do the job. Your natural shampoo and body wash will most likely have a gentler alternative to SLS and SLES and be derived from nature rather than an extract derived straight from a plant. But some traditional ingredients are finding their way back into products. The first examples of washes are thought to have been made from herbs mixed with soapberries, so-named because they contain a naturally occurring low-sudsing detergent called saponin. These natural saponins are now being used in natural body washes and shampoos.
THE PRESERVATIVES
Methylisothiazolinone (MI) and Methylchloroisothiazolinone (MCI) – two synthetic preservatives found in skincare. As skin sensitisers they have gained lots of media attention since 2013 when UK doctors considered them the trigger for one of the worst skin allergy outbreaks they had ever seen.
Parabens – Synthetic preservatives that are widely used within products (and deemed ‘safe’ but which have been shown to have a mildly oestrogenic effect on the body (which can disrupt our natural physiological functions), and have the potential to cause topical skin reactions in some. I take a cautionary approach and avoid. Look for these terms on the label: methylparaben, ethylparaben, propylparaben, butylparaben and heptylparaben or ‘anything’ paraben.
Formaldehyde – not knowingly added to your skincare products (and you won’t find it listed on the label) but it’s important to note that some synthetic preservatives have been found under certain conditions (when combined with certain other ingredients) to release small amounts of formaldehyde into the end product. Longer storage times and higher temperatures have both been found to increase the likelihood of it being released. Ingredients that may release formaldehyde, if the right (or wrong!) conditions prevail include: quaternium-15, DMDM hydantoin, imidazolidinyl urea, diazolidinyl urea, polyoxymethylene urea, sodium hydroxymethylglycinate, 2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol and glyoxal.
The alternatives: Preservation is a worthy cause – it keeps your product free from bacteria and the ingredients stable, which is what we all want when we are applying products to areas such as our eyes and mouth! It is possible to create 100 per cent organic and natural oil-based products without the common preservatives; however, water-based products are a bit different. Bacteria love water, so preservation plays an important role in the formulation of water-based products for both safety and shelf life. Natural products may use alcohol, radish root ferment, vitamin E, rosemary and essential oils (amongst others), as preservatives. The packaging (airless and Miron glass) may also help preserve a product but natural brands may use a select few synthetic preservatives even under natural and organic certification. If your cream product is claiming it is preservative free, it should be teamed with a very short shelf life of around 6 weeks or state that it requires refrigeration.
THE EMULSIFIERS AND HUMECTANTS
Propylene Glycol (PG) and Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) – While PG has been known to cause skin reactions such as hives and eczema, PEGs (which are followed by a number), are used often as penetration enhancers, which cause irritation in some. Looks like this on a label: PEG (followed by a number which denotes its molecular weight), Propylene Glycol, PG/Propandiol.
The alternatives – used as emulsifiers and humectants, wondrous nature has its own versions. Some brands use organic milk emulsifiers, but most common are cetearyl alcohol (a plant derived wax), glyceryl stearate and lecithin. For humectants, look for honey, glycerin, sorbitol, hyaluronic acid and sodium PCA. There are two glycols approved for use under Ecocert certification: propandiol and pentylene glycol (made from corn cob or sugar cane stalk pulp).
THE PLIABLE PLASTICS
Phthalates - are compounds used in the production of plastics to help make them soft and pliable. They were most commonly found in nail polish but were banned from cosmetics in the EU in 2005, with the exception of Diethyl phthalate (DEP) which is widely used in fragrance products to render the alcohol undrinkable. We probably are more likely to come into contact with these via everyday plastic items than our skincare, but it’s good to know that phthalates can act as oestrogens once ingested or absorbed, interfering with normal hormonal function and metabolism. Looks like this on a label: dibutyl phthalate (DBP) and diethyl phthalate (DEP) and Di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) or ‘anything’ phthalate.
The alternatives – there isn’t really such a thing as natural or organic nail polish. Some companies talk about being a ‘percentage natural’ – these tend to mean, in reality, that they are naturally derived with more than a few chemical reactions in between the plant and the nail paint. It is unlikely that any natural ingredient is getting from the field to your nails with the original plant benefits still intact. If you are interested in your products being food-state or even organic, nail polish isn’t going to make it through your ingredients checklist. What you can do, though, is avoid the synthetic ingredients of most concern: toluene, dibutyl phthalate (banned in Europe), formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin and camphor. And to avoid diethyl phthalate in perfume, stick to brands that use organic grain alcohol as the base.
THE SMOOTHING AGENTS
Silicones - Used to hold make-up in place on the skin, and when used in skin, hair and body care products to give that ‘smooth as silk’ feeling. I do understand why some brands opt to use them in make-up (to stop creasing and to improve longevity) but I just personally don’t like the feeling of them on my skin as they are highly occlusive (i.e. they block the pores and do not allow anything to permeate). Plus it’s just cheating the skin and you, with a false sense of smoothness. Looks like this on a label: cyclomethicone, cyclopentasiloxane, cyclohexasiloxane, dimethicone, phenyl trimethicone, trimethylsiloxysilicate and polymethylsilsesquioxane.
The alternatives: When silicones are used in make-up to give staying power the only real alternative you have is to use a mineral setting powder to help natural products to stay put. The thing with natural make-up is that you will just have to get used to touching up – it’s natural that it moves! Without silicones (which also help colours glide on easily) you’ll find your natural foundation or tinted moisturiser goes on better when worked into the skin with your warm fingers.
In hair products where silicones give shine and smoothness look for lightweight but nourishing oils such as jojoba and argan. Another of my favourites is crambe abyssinica oil, which has a unique molecular structure that gives hair a smooth finish without being overly oily – it’s a great natural alternative to silicones.
In skincare silicones are often used in ‘oil-free’ products for combination skin – to give a smooth finish on the skin without being oily. Instead look for linoleic rich oils, which still nourish the skin but are absorbed quickly and don’t leave the skin oily. Try jojoba oil (actually a plant wax, which closely mimics skin’s own sebum, and is therefore wonderful at helping to regulate its production), raspberry seed oil and rosehip seed oil.
Getting to know how your skin works is one of the best things can do, it’s your largest organ and the most social – it reflects how you feel and your internal health. Once you learn what it does and what it needs from you to function optimally, it will help you decide what you want to put on it – and for many that means looking to nature.
Extracted from The Nature of Beauty by Imelda Burke (published by Ebury Press)
