Julie Gabriel - Holistic Beauty from the Inside Out: Your Complete Guide to Natural Health, Nutrition, and Skincare

100 Toxic Ingredients
Found in Beauty Products

This is an updated and revised list of toxic synthetic and natural ingredients currently used in skincare, hair care, makeup, and fragrances. Many of them are banned for use in the United States, Canada, or European Union but may still be found in your cosmetics. Refer to this list anytime you consider buying a beauty product and check your beauty stash for the presence of these nasties. Minimize your exposure to these chemicals, and if possible completely eliminate them from your beauty routine.

5-BROMO-5-NITRO-1,3 DIOXANE:
found in sunblocks and bath
products, this toxic preservative
may be contaminated with carci
nogenic dioxane and nitrosamines.

ALUMINUM CHLORIDE/
OXYCHLORIDE/HYDROCHLORIDE/
STARCH: strong human neurotoxicant;
causes irritation of
eyes, skin, and lungs; endocrine
disruptor; linked to Alzheimers
disease and breast cancer; causes
birth disorders in animals; endocrine
disruptor linked to
breast cancer and Alzheimers
disease; aluminum compounds
are neurotoxic to humans.

AMMONIUM LAURETH SULFATE:
linked to skin irritation, water
contaminant, may be contaminated
with carcinogen
1,4-dioxane.

AMMONIUM PERSULFATE: found
in hair dyes, it is a strong human
skin irritant and immune syste
m suppresant; for these reasons it
is restricted for use in cosmetics.

BENZALKONIUM CHLORIDE: affects
the immune system, and is
a lung and skin toxicant; can
trigger asthma; restricted in
Canada and Japan

BENZOCAINE: this sunblock ingredient
and topical numbing
agent has a proven effect of
whole body toxicity and immune
system damage.

BENZYL ALCOHOL: strong neurotoxicant;
can cause allergic
reaction in lungs; causes itching,
burning, scaling, hives, and
blistering of skin; caused liver
damage, coma, and death in
animals.

BENZYL SALICYLATE: this fragrance
component and UV absorber
is associated with allergies
and contact dermatitis.

BORIC ACID: strong reproductive
toxin; potent endocrine disruptor;
unsafe for use on infant,
injured, or damaged skin;
causes death and birth defects in
animals; banned in Canada and
Japan.

BRONOPOL (2-bromo-2-nitropropane
1,3-diol): one of the
strongest lung and skin toxicants;
endocrine disruptor;
forms carcinogenic nitrosamine;
causes allergic contact
dermatitis environmental contaminant;
poisonous to wildlife.

BUTYLATED HYDROXYANISOLE
(BHA ): this chemical is a
human carcinogen; caused
brain and liver tumors in animals
at low doses; endocrine
disruptor; causes allergic contact
dermatitis and skin depigmentation;
banned in
European Union; persistent
environmental toxin.

BUTYLATED HYDROXYTOLUENE
(BHT ): common preservative in
food and skincare, it is a known
endocrine disruptor, and a skin
and lung toxicant at low doses;
causes death, liver and stomach
cancers, thrombosis, fibrosis,
liver and brain damage in animals;
strong skin and eye
irritant.

BUTYLENE GLYCOL: this solvent
and thickener is a proven skin,
lung, and eye irritant; environmental
toxin.

BUTYLPARABEN: skin and eye
irritant; endocrine disruptor
linked to breast and ovarian
cancer; environmental
contaminant.

CADE (Juniperus Oxycedrus) : extract
or wood tar of this plant is a
human neurotoxicant and
strong skin irritant. It is classified
as expected to be toxic or
harmful. Found in organic
creams.

CALCIUM FLUORIDE: neurotoxic
to humans; leads to bone weakness;
causes birth abnormalities
and depression in animals.

CETEARETH (followed by numbers):
unsafe for use on broken
skin; eye and lung irritant; may
be contaminated with
1,4-dioxane.

CETRIMONIUM CHLORIDE: skin
and eye sensitizer that can include
itching, burning, scaling,
hives, and blistering; caused cell
mutations in animal studies.

CHLOROACETAMIDE: strong
skin, eye, and lung irritant;
toxic if inhaled; causes paralysis,
goiter, and birth defects in animals;
banned in Canada.

CINNAMAL: this fragrance component
is a known immune system toxicant and
skin irritant. It is restricted for
use in leave-on beauty
products.

COAL TAR: proven human carcinogen;
causes lung and urinary
tract cancer; potent skin
irritant; causes multiple cancers
in animals; banned in most
countries including Canada and
European Union; still used in
antidandruff shampoos in the
United States.

COCAMIDE DEA (ethanolamide of
coconut acid): strong human
skin toxicant and suspected carcinogen;
causes irritation of
skin, eyes, and lungs in humans;
causes liver and bladder cancer
in animals.

D&C RED 30 LAKE: colorant
which is a strong nervous system
toxicant; as an aluminum com-pound,
disrupts endocrine system
and linked to breast and
ovarian cancer; persistent wild-life
contaminant.

D&C VIOLET 2: coal tar dye; skin

and eye irritant; long-term use

of coal tar hair dye linked to

bladder cancer.

DIBUTYL PHTHALATE: neurotoxicant,

linked to impaired

fertility and urinary

abnormalities, linked to breast

and ovarian cancers, contaminates

wildlife.

DIETHANOLAMINE (DEA ):

linked to brain abnormalities in

animals; may be contaminated

with carcinogen 1,4-dioxane.

DIMETICONE (dimethicone): petroleum

derivative, environmental

toxicant.

DMDM HYDANTOIN: contains

carcinogenic formaldehyde;

skin, eye, and lung irritant; environmental

toxicant.

ELECAMPANE (inula helenium)

EXTRACT: fragrance component

banned as unsafe in European

Union based on strong evidence

of human neurotoxicity.

ETHYLPARABEN: skin and eye

irritant; endocrine disruptor

linked to breast and ovarian

cancer; environmental

contaminant.

FD&C BLUE 1: derived from coal

tar; linked to allergies and hyperactivity

disorders.

FD&C GREEN 3: linked to sarcomas

and bone marrow hyperplasia

in animals; not studied for

safety in humans; prohibited in

European Union.

FD&C YELLOW 5: causes severe

allergic and intolerance reactions,

especially among asthmatics

and those with an aspirin

intolerance; linked to thyroid

tumors, chromosomal damage,

hives, and hyperactivity in

humans.

FD&C YELLOW 6: human skin

and eye irritant; caused coma,