The harmful ingredients in cosmetics

The harmful ingredients in cosmetics

Shampoo, conditioner, moisturizing creams and shaving gel: all products we would not be able to do without today. To guide us in purchasing the trust in the brand, the convenience in the price or the good old habit, but do we really know the products we use almost every day? And if among the ingredients that compose them there were some harmful both for our health and for our beauty? Parabens, surfactants and formaldehyde are just some of the substances that, if contained in used products, make them unhealthy for the skin and hair. Discover with Doctissimo which are these substances and how to understand if the products of your beauty case contain them.

Formaldehyde

Formaldehyde is a very powerful preservative and bactericide often found in foundations, nail polishes, shampoos and smoothing hair treatments. Following studies and research, however, the Italian Association for Cancer Research (AIRC) has included it in the list of substances that are certainly carcinogenic to humans.Precisely for this reason the European Union has strongly limited its use, but nevertheless we must keep our eyes open. There are substances, in fact, able to release formaldehyde, so it is also good to check their presence in the list of ingredients contained in the product. The substances to be avoided because they can release formaldehyde have names that are difficult but must be remembered as sodium hydroxymethyl glycinate ,benzylhemiformal , imidazolidinyl urea anddiazolidinyl urea .

The parabens

Which among the ingredients is referred to asmethylparaben , ethylparaben , propylparaben ,isobutylparaben , butylparaben or benzylparabenit matters little. If you read any of these substances among the ingredients of the product, it means that there are parabens inside it, that is, preservatives whose harmfulness and carcinogenicity has not yet been scientifically proven, but on which there are doubts so strong as to push the European Union to think of limiting the quantity in the packs. The presence of parabens does not only involve products intended for the beauty of women, but also innocent products for the hygiene of newborns or shaving gels and toothpaste. Of the six most used we have listed at the beginning, there are two less dangerous at low concentrations: methylparaben and ethylparaben. The advice, however, is always to avoid these substances by carefully reading the ingredients of the product, especially if this does not provide for rinsing and remains in contact with the skin.

Surfactants

Even if the accusations of carcinogenicity against them are declined, it is better to avoid or reduce surfactants, substances contained mainly in detergents for the body and for the hair. Surfactants are useful to industries for their ability to promote the mixture of different substances and to generate the foam that you like, especially when you are immersed in a nice warm bath. The most used in the products aresodium laureth sulfate (SLES) and sodium lauryl sulfateand (SLS), preferably to be avoided because they are too aggressive for both the skin and the scalp.

Silicones

Silicones are particularly common in face creams, make-up and hair products thanks to their ability to make the product water-resistant and long-lasting. If you open your beauty case among the ingredients of the products, how many would we find the dimethicone? Unless you are passionate about herbal products almost in everyone. Silicones, of which dimethicone is one of the most widely used, have the power to immediately smooth the skin, to make the hair easily distracted and luminous from the first use, but the problem is that they only take care of the aesthetic part. In reality, they not only do not nourish, but create a very thin film that prevents the passage of nutrients at a later time. If we removed this sheath of false beauty, under it would come out a proven skin and hair more brittle than if we had not used cosmetic products. In short, instead of helping us to solve the aesthetic problems, the products containing silicones do nothing but disguise them, but not always the eye that does not see hair that does not hurt, at least not in this case.

Paying attention to the ingredients contained in the products, this would help us to be more beautiful and healthier.