5 Ingredients To Avoid In Your Body Care Routine
The skin is a living organ and its health depends on how we tend to it. Home to a complex network of flora, known as the SKIN'S MICROBIOME, the entire surface of the skin requires care and attention well beyond just the face. We should take note of what comes into contact with this delicate organ via the products we use in our daily routines to ensure they're not interfering with the skin's PH BALANCE or stripping it of natural oils. Plus, the skin is highly porous and absorbent, so anything we do use topically can enter the bloodstream and potentially cause irritation, aggravation or SKIN SENSITISATION. Below, five ingredients to avoid in your body care products.
HARSH SURFACTANTS
Surfactants are ingredients in body care products that help them to get that high-lather foam texture. While these can feel good on the skin the moment, harsh surfactants – like sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and sodium laureth sulfate (SLES) – can impair the skin's BARRIER FUNCTION, which is vital in maintaining skin health. These harsh surfactants are often found in shave gels and lotions, but they can leave the skin much dryer and prone to post-shave irritation. That's why we made our SHAVE CREAM with gentle 97% naturally derived ingredients that actually give back to the skin.
FORMALDEHYDE
Yes, it's just as bad as the name makes it sound! A known carcinogen when the fumes are inhaled, nail polish and nail polish remover are often culprits of formaldehyde – and these products do release vapours that can potentially be inhaled. It's also present in some personal care and body care products because it's used as a preservative to extend the shelf life of a product and prevent the growth of bacteria and mould. As a common allergen, formaldehyde can trigger contact dermatitis.
PARABENS
Acting as preservatives, parabens are a class of compounds called esters that can potentially disrupt hormones and have negative impacts on reproductive health. Parabens are easy to locate on INCI (or ingredient) lists, because they always end in 'paraben'. Common ones include: methylparaben, ethylparaben, propylparaben and butylparaben.
PETRO-CHEMICALS
Often used in moisturisers due to their ability to increase moisture retention and create an OCCLUSIVE layer over the top of the skin, petro-chemicals can contain or generate 1,4-dioxane, a known carcinogen and toxin. Mineral oil, paraffin wax and petrolatum are examples of what petro-chemicals might be listed as on skin and body care products. Derived from fossil fuels, petro-chemicals also have a negative impact on the environment.
SYNTHETIC DYES
Artificial colorants derived from petroleum or coal tar, synthetic dyes are used in skin and body care products to give them a vibrant hue (think: a blue shave gel or pink body cream). Aside from not being biodegradable and coming from non-renewable fossil fuels, synthetic dyes can irritate the skin especially for people with ECZEMA or rosacea.