Beauty Product Ingredients to Avoid (or Eliminate!)

It is almost impossible to find beauty products from top brands without chemical ingredients harmful to the skin and/or environment. It is important to always read the ingredients of what you buy. Check out these beauty (and baby) product ingredients to avoid:

• Petrochemicals
  Examples include petroleum jelly, isopropyl alcohol or isopropanol, methyl alcohol or methanol, butyl alcohol or butanol, ethyl alcohol or ethanol (often used in skin astringents and perfumes or colognes).
• Sodium laureth/lauryl sulfates and other sulfate-based detergents
  Examples include sodium lauryl ether sulfate; sodium laureth sulphate; sodium lauryl ether sulphate (most commonly used in shampoos, shower gel, bubble bath)
• Propylene glycol and polyethylene glycol, along with various ingredients formulated with PEGs and PGs
  Examples include ethylene glycol (used in firming lotions) and propylene glycol (found in everything from deodorant, mascara, baby powder, after shave and more).
• Formaldehyde & paraben preservatives 
  Examples include butylparaben, ethylparaben, methylparaben, propylparaben (found in sunscreen, shampoos, shaving gel, toothpaste and more)
• Synthetic dyes
  Examples include anything with F&DC preceding it, usually followed by a color and a number. (F representing food, D&C representing drugs and cosmetics), other color additives, including caramel, lead acetate, manganese violet, and more.
• Artificial fragrances
  Avoid most perfumes/colognes, which legally aren't required to list ingredients to protect their trade mark

The ingredients below are often found in baby products:

• Ceteareth and Oxybenzone: Both are used in many sunscreen formulas. Opt instead for a natural zinc sunscreen
• DEET: This harmful pesticide used in bug repellents should never be applied to a child’s skin.
• Dimethl phthalates (DMP) and other phthalates: All are toxic ingredients shown to affect the liver, kidney, and blood.
• Talc: Derived from minerals that might contain asbestos, a known carcinogen. Try baking powder or cornstarch-based versions instead.
• Mineral oil: A pore clogging petroleum-based oil that traps toxins inside the body. Look for essential oil moisturizers instead. Note: Most well-known baby oils are made up of mineral oil and fragrance.

Source: The Daily Green, Yahoo and YouBeauty.com