We are now becoming increasingly aware that supermarkets are full of junk, most people will mainly think of food and sugary drinks. But Have you ever thought about all the creams you put on your body? From cosmetics to body care products and from cleaning to detergents that you come into contact with? Chemical products that can cause health problems without you noticing and may not be harmful to your overall health in the short term, but can cause unpleasant and 'unexplained' symptoms in the long term.
That's why we've put together a list of products you should avoid and a brief explanation why.
SLS (Sodium Lauryl Sulfate) and Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES)
What is it? This ingredient makes your shampoos foam generously. SLS is an aggressive cleaner, which is even used to degrease engines.
What does it do? It easily enters your body and can reach your organs and eyes via the bloodstream . Direct contact with the skin also often causes irritation to the eyes and skin and can cause dry skin, allergies and hair loss in the long term (plus lungs if you inhale this substance).
Parabens
What is it? They are preservatives that kill bacteria and fungi and ensure that products have a longer shelf life. You will find parabens in almost all care products (including shampoo, shower gel, lotions and creams).
What does it do? They are hormone disruptors , which mimic estrogen in your body. Just like SLS, parabens are also absorbed into your body and remain active there. It is even so bad that this substance is found during autopsy in tumors.
The list is long, because there are various parabens... such as: ethylparaben, methylparaben, butylparaben, propylparaben, and isobutylparaben .
Mineral oils (petroleum jelly and paraffin)
What is it? Mineral oil is extracted from crude oil (petroleum), it is used as a collective name for all substances that come from crude oil. Paraffin and petroleum are usually the most common in cosmetic products. Pure petrolatum is the Vaseline that we are all familiar with. Baby products, lip balm, face cream and body lotion, among other things, often contain mineral oils.
What does it do? Not only are they major hormone disruptors , there are also strong suspicions that the mineral oils in the products are carcinogenic and that they can accumulate in the organs and form tumors in the lymph nodes, liver and spleen.
Mineral oils can also be recognized by the following ingredients on the ingredient list of products: petrolatum, petroleum, paraffinum (liquidum), vaseline or simply mineral oil .
Alcohol
What is it? In many care products, various types of alcohol are used to kill bacteria, but it is also used to dissolve substances to make the product easier to spread on the skin.
What does it do? Synthetic alcohol can cause irritation, it can cause inflammation and even worsen acne and it dries out the skin. Natural types of alcohol can often cause the skin to dry out a bit, but will not cause any further disruptions.
Silicones or siloxanes
What is it? It is very common in hair care products, where the silicones make the hair shine and frizz-free. This may make it seem as if the products nourish your hair and are therefore good as care.
What does it do? Actually, the opposite happens and you seal the hair, which prevents the good hair products from getting through. Most silicones are difficult to wash out of the hair , which causes them to build up in the hair. As a result, it can no longer breathe and the nutrients no longer penetrate. The result is that the hair becomes lifeless, it slowly dries out and becomes brittle.
Water-soluble silicones in shampoos, on the other hand, are better to use because they are easier to wash out of the hair.
The average woman applies approximately 515 synthetic chemicals to her skin every day, while for men this number amounts to approximately 85 synthetic chemicals per day.
Phthalates
What is it? Plasticizers to keep plastic flexible.
What does it do? Phthalates then end up back in the body and not only disrupt your hormones, your overall health also suffers . In addition, it ensures the stabilization of the scent in perfume and the color in cosmetics. From perfumes to hair gel/polish and from nail polish to shampoos, phthalates are in countless cosmetic products.
Phthalates are rarely mentioned on the ingredients list and are more likely to be found under the word perfume and are also referred to as di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), di-isononyl phthalate (DINP), diethyl phthalate (DEP) and dibutyl phthalate (DBP) .
Polyethylene glycol (PEGs)
What is it? Synthetic chemicals that are often used in cosmetics to clean, or as an emulsifier or moisturizer. It often contains heavy metals that you definitely do not want on your skin, such as: lead, iron, cobalt, nickel, cadmium and arsenic.
What does it do? It removes the protective fats from the skin, disrupts the moisture balance and aging of the skin . Often there is a number after the PEGs on the ingredient list, another one to skip...
Aluminum (aluminum chlorohyrate)
What is it? If women who are diagnosed with breast cancer are told not to use deodorant with aluminum, then you already know enough... It narrows the pores, which means that the sweat glands can no longer function optimally. Natural minerals can also contain aluminum.
What does it do? The use of sunscreen, deodorant, etc. ensures that aluminum is absorbed directly through your skin and this has a disruptive effect on your body.
Triclosan
What is it? A pesticide that is often used in antibacterial agents. You often find it in soap, toothpaste and deodorant. Triclosan just doesn't take into account the good bacteria on the skin
What does it do? This ingredient also provides a hormonal imbalance and is associated with allergies.
Diethanolamine (DEA), Triethanolamine (TEA) and Monoethanolamine (MEA)
What is it? A thickening agent - provides a lot of foam - which is added to care products. It is found in products such as shampoo, shower gel, hairspray, soap and sunscreen. Examples are Stearamide DEA, Lecithinamide DEA, Lanolinamide DEA and Lauramide DEA. It is not without reason that the regulations in the EU include restrictions on the use of these substances in cosmetics.
What does it do? It can cause allergic reactions , eye irritation and leads to dry hair and skin.
Next time you go to the supermarket or need new cosmetic products, keep this list handy and check if these ingredients are included in the products. Learning to read labels is a must if you want to be sure that you do not get any chemical junk on and in your body . It will be a (long) search through the supermarket at first, but fortunately, several supermarkets are now anticipating a market with 100% natural products. Once you know which products are safe to use, visits to the supermarket will also take less time.
Discover the beautiful collection of natural soap bars which have been specially formulated by Pieter Loridon of Cafe Couture, specially created to pamper and care for your skin. Our carefully composed soap bars are infused with the power of Mother Nature and contain only the purest ingredients . Handmade with love, they offer a luxurious and sustainable way to care for your skin .
Which ingredients should you avoid?
- SLS (Sodium Lauryl Sulfate) and SLES (Sodium Laureth Sulfate).
- Parabens , such as: ethylparaben, methylparaben, butylparaben, propylparaben, and isobutylparaben.
- Mineral oils , such as: Vaseline, paraffin, petrolatum, petroleum, paraffinum (liquidum), Vaseline or simply mineral oil.
- (Synthetic) alcohol .
- Silicones or siloxanes , such as: cyclopentasiloxane, dimethicone and simethicone. You can recognize silicones on the ingredients list by the words ending in '-cone', 'conol', '-xane' and '-col'.
- Phthalates , such as: perfume, di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), di-isononyl phthalate (DINP), diethyl phthalate (DEP) and dibutyl phthalate (DBP).
- Polyethylene glycol (PEGs and often a number follows the PEG on the ingredients list).
- Aluminum , such as: aluminum chlorohydrate, alum, alum or potassium alum.
- Triclosan .
- Diethanolamine (DEA), Triethanolamine (TEA) and Monoethanolamine (MEA) .
Useful to know: the ingredients on the ingredients list are ordered by weight. The ingredient that is listed first is the most in the product. As is the product that is listed last, this is probably hardly in it.
To conclude, we would also like to explain the difference between chemical and natural cleaning agents. The chemical synthetic cleaning agents are made from petroleum (also read: mineral oils), Natural cleaning products, on the other hand, contain vegetable-based soap .
Once vegetable soap comes into contact with nature it slowly loses its effect, the further total decomposition occurs within a few days without leaving any toxic residues. Also vegetable soap has no aggressive reaction on the skin or other consequences that are harmful to health.
Unfortunately, the term 'natural' is not protected and can be misused/used by anyone. You can pay attention to whether the products contain a quality mark, then make sure that this quality mark is reliable and meets all requirements.
Leave a comment
This site is protected by hCaptcha and the hCaptcha Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.