01/26/2026
I saw a post on Facebook yesterday that contained misinformation about body lotion, and it made me think that there's probably ALOT of people who don't know about the dangerous chemicals in personal care products. This particular post stated that it didn't matter if you used an expensive product or a dollar store product, scented or unscented, but it does matter. As a holistic health professional that has worked in the beauty and wellness industry for over 30 years, I felt the need to share why it matters.
In the US, the cosmetics and skin care industry is highly unregulated. There are many industrial chemicals that are banned from cosmetics in the European Union that are allowed in our skin care products, despite being known, or suspected, health hazards. These chemicals include carcinogens, hormone disrupters, allergens, and plasticizers.
The skin is our largest organ, and anything that is applied to it has the chance of being absorbed through the skin's barrier into the bloodstream., allowing toxins to accumulate in the body. In addition, the topical application of these chemicals can degrade your skin's natural barrier; cause dryness, redness, and flaking; and induce free radical damage, majorly accelerating the aging process.
One of the worst toxins in skin care? Synthetic fragrance. If you see the word "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredient list, that "ingredient" could include any number of over 3000 possible chemicals that manufacturers don't have to disclose to you. Many of these fragrance chemicals are derived from petroleum and are one of the biggest triggers for allergic reactions. Some of them are known carcinogens, endocrine disruptors, respiratory toxins, and neurotoxins.
Fragrance is a common hiding place for another toxic skin care ingredient; Phthalates. These are chemical compounds used to make plastics more durable. So what on earth are they doing in your personal care products? The main phthalates used in cosmetics are DPB (dibutylphthalate), DMP (dimethylphthalate), and DEP (diethylphthalate). DEP is used in fragrances as a solvent and fixative, helping products 'stick" to our skin. DMP is used in hair sprays to allow them to form a flexible film on the hair. DPB is used in nail polish to make it less brittle and reduce cracking. Studies have shown phthalates to be hormone disruptors that cause reproductive toxicity and developmental issues in children.
Parabans are preservatives used in many skin care products and cosmetics. They have been in the news for years because of their link to serious health issues. Most notably, certain types of parabens have been shown to increase the risk of breast cancer. These endocrine disruptors have also been linked to infertility.
Like parabens, Sulfates have been in the news for quite some time. Particularly sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and sodium laureth sulfate (SLES). These are surfactants that are used to increase the amount of foam or lather in a product. It is commonly found in facial cleansers, soaps, and, believe it or not, toothpaste. SLS is a known skin irritant. It can strip the healthy oils from your skin and lead to sensitivity. If it's in your toothpaste, long term use may lead to mouth ulcers. SLES is said to be less irritating, but it is often contaminated with know human carcinogens ethylene oxide and 1, 4 dioxane, making it an even worse ingredient.
This next ingredient boggles my mind every day that people are so ok with it. It's petrolatum, AKA petroleum jelly. It is derived from petroleum; the same non-renewable crude oil that gasoline comes from. Most petroleum jelly is not properly refined, which leads to contamination with toxic chemicals known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). PAHs are listed as probable carcinogens, which means they may increase your cancer risk.
This post is getting really long, so I'm going to leave it up to you to look up formaldehyde-releasing preservatives, PFAS, DEA, BHT and BHA, synthetic dyes, and polyethylene glycol compounds.
I hope this PSA was informative and helps you understand labels a little better so you can clean up your skin care routine.
