I DID IT. I opened the can of worms that is “clean beauty,” also known as safe beauty. Today’s post has been a long time coming because it covers a topic that I’ve been researching and learning about for the past two months. Currently, I am testing out some clean beauty products, and while I’m excited to give y’all the full scoop on them, it’s important to first talk about the toxic beauty ingredients to avoid. The concept of clean beauty products and what makes something clean can be pretty confusing, too. So, here’s a look at what I have learned so far and the clean beauty products I’m trying.

Clean Beauty Products are mindfully created and produced without any proven or suspected toxic ingredients, and with ingredients that are ethically sourced and made with the health of our bodies and the environment in mind. (Source: Art of Organics).

The average American woman uses 12 personal care products a day, resulting in exposure to as many as 126 unique chemicals from personal care products alone. (Source: Campaign for Safe Cosmetics)

The sad truth is there are a lot of beauty products that contain toxic chemicals that have been linked to cancer, thyroid problems, impaired fertility, hormonal imbalances, skin issues, organ damage and more. In addition, there are so many toxic ingredients allowed in the US that are banned in European countries.

To be honest, I chose to ignore these facts for a while because I didn’t want to believe that toxic beauty products could really be so readily available, and I didn’t want to accept that I have been using a lot of toxic products. But earlier this year, I found more information about clean beauty and I finally felt ready to make a change.

What we put on our bodies is just as important as what we put in it.

Shifting to clean beauty products can feel very overwhelming, and there is a lot of misinformation out there. It takes time and dedication to dissect it all and figure out what beauty products are truly clean. That’s why I want to share everything I discover about clean beauty products with you all. So, let’s start with the what we should be avoiding!

Toxic Beauty Ingredients to Avoid

Now, you’re probably wondering why these ingredients made the list so this week I’m sharing a run down of the first seven toxic ingredients listed about. I’ll share second half of this list next week! Note: Some of these ingredients are in food too, but I’m just focusing on beauty products.

Sodium Laryel Sulfate & Sodium Laureth Sulfate

Why it’s toxic: Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) and Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES) are known to irritant to skin, eyes and lungs and SLS has been linked to organ system toxicity. There are even reports connecting these ingredients to cancer.

Where it’s used: SLS and SLES is added to beauty products to make them foam. These ingredients are most commonly found in shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, mouthwashes, body wash and soap.

Parabens

Why it’s toxic: Parabens are chemicals that can disrupt your endocrine system because they mimic estrogen. Parabens can damage skin cells and wreak havoc on your reproductive hormones.

Where it’s used: shampoo, conditioner, lotion, body wash and facial cleansers and scrubs.

Often labeled as: methylparaben, propylparaben, ethelparaben, butelparaben, but avoid any ingredients that end with paraben.

Phthalates

Why it’s toxic: Phthalates can disrupt your endocrine system and hormones. Phthalates are linked to lowered sperm count in men, and are very risky for pregnant women and children. Studies show this ingredient can cause liver tumors in animals too!

Where it’s used: polish and hair products. Often products that list fragrance in their ingredients contain phthalates as well.

Formaldehyde and Formaldehyde Releasing Preservatives (FRP)

Why it’s toxic: Formaldehyde is linked to skin irritations, cancer and liver damage.

Where it’s used: nail polish, hair products and body wash. It’s even found in baby shampoo!

Fragrance

Why it’s toxic: Fragrance is linked to allergies, respiratory issues and skin irritations.

Where it’s used: You can find artificial fragrance in any and all types of personal care, beauty and baby products.

Also labeled as: perfume, parfum and aroma

Note: The term ‘fragrance’ can include as many as 25 ingredients because the FDA does not require companies to fully disclose this ingredient. The most common toxic chemical likely included in the bunch is phthalates. We basically don’t know what we’re using when fragrance is listed on the ingredients. Even when products list natural fragrance, it’s often not disclosed what exactly that means.

Mineral Oil

Why it’s toxic: Mineral oil is a carcinogen that can target organs including eyes, skin, and respiratory system though inhalation, or skin and eye contact

Where it’s used: eye shadow, moisturizer, lip gloss, lipstick, conditioner, hair color and bleaching, facial treatment, styling gel/lotion, blush and concealer

So, I know this post may be a little overwhelming, but it really just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to clean beauty and what toxic beauty ingredients to avoid! In the meantime, if you are looking for more useful information about what to do and which brands to trust check out these resources:

• Campaign for Safe Cosmetics
• Environmental Working Group

A Clean Beauty Spectrum

The more I learn about and research clean beauty products, the more I realize there is a spectrum of what is “clean” and what isn’t. Some beauty products are labeled as clean even though they contain one of the ingredients I just mentioned. The standard for what constitutes “clean beauty” varies, and I think it’s a personal decision for all of us to make. You may decide that certain ingredients don’t worry you as much as others.

I’ll share more about my approach to transitioning to clean and “cleaner” beauty products soon. You may have seen that I shared and teased some products on Instagram. I’m still testing them out and working on reviews to share with you all, but I wanted to go ahead and share the clean beauty products I am currently trying. Overall, I’ve been liking all of the ones listed below. I also picked up most of them at Target, so they are all pretty affordable too!

Clean Beauty Products I’m Currently Using

So there you have it! I hope this post helps if any of you have been overwhelmed or confused about all the clean beauty options out there and what the labels really mean. As I mentioned, I will be sharing a lot more about the clean beauty products I am trying out and more information about clean beauty as I discover it.

Cheers!

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