8 BENEFICIAL AND HARMFUL CHEMICALS YOUR SKIN ABSORBS（Part.1）

8-Beneficial-and-Harmful-Chemicals-Your-Skin-Absorbs

Ever wondered which chemicals can actually absorb into your skin and get into your bloodstream? Here are nine which can, and either affect your health positively or negatively. Let’s start with the chemicals to avoid.

Chemicals That Harm Your Skin

1. Formaldehyde and Formaldehyde-Releasing Preservatives

Formaldehyde is a toxic, colorless, strong-smelling gas which is added to personal care products and can also be released from preservatives in them. It has been shown to cause cancer; skin irritation; burning sensations in the eyes, nose and throat; coughing; nausea and wheezing.

Formaldehyde and the preservatives can also be found in:

• Nail polish
• Shampoos and liquid baby soaps
• Nail glue
• Eyelash glue
• Hair gel
• Hair-smoothing products
• Baby shampoo
• Body soap
• Body wash
• Color cosmetics

The use of formaldehyde in cosmetics and toiletries is banned in Japan and Sweden, and it’s restricted in personal care products in the EU. There are concentration restrictions in Canada, but none in the U.S. Funny, huh? Not really.

Look for and avoid formaldehyde, quaternium-15, dimethyl-dimethyl (DMDM) hydantoin, imidazolidinyl urea, diazolidinyl urea, sodium hydroxymethylglycinate, 2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol (bromopol).

2. Ethanolamine Compounds (MEA, DEA, TEA)

Ethanolamines are added to a lot of cosmetics and personal care products, and have been linked to liver tumors. DEA was recently found in 98 shampoos, soaps and other personal care products sold by major US retailers, by the Center for Environmental Health.

Ethanolamines are also found in:

• Hair conditioners and dyes
• Lotions
• Shaving creams
• Paraffin and waxes
• Pharmaceutical ointments
• Sunscreens
• Eyeliners, mascara, eye shadows, blush, foundations and makeup bases

Ethanolamines are prohibited in cosmetics due to concerns about the formation of carcinogenic nitrosamines by the European Commission.

What should you look for and avoid? DEA, TEA and MEA.

3. 1,4-Dioxane

This chemical has been found in as many as 22% of 25,000 cosmetic products, but you won’t have seen it on any labels! It doesn’t get marked on ingredient labels, because it’s a contaminant created when common ingredients are mixed together. It’s found in products that create suds: shampoo, liquid soap, bubble bath; as well as hair relaxers, and has beenlinked to cancer.

Pregnant women, infants and teenagers are the most vulnerable to this chemical, which is banned for use in cosmetics in Canada. To protect yourself from 1,4-dioxane, look for products that have been certified under the USDA National Organic Program and those that contain sodium laureth sulfate, PEG compounds, clauses xynot, ceteareth and oleth.

4. Benzophenone and Related Compounds

Benzophenone is used in products like moisturizers, foundation, baby sunscreens, lip balm, nail polish, shampoo and conditioner. They have sadly been linked to cancer, endocrine disruption, developmental and reproductive toxicity, organ system toxicity.

Benzophenone, benzopenone-2, benzophenone-3, benzophenone-4 and benzophenone-5 are all restricted in cosmetics in the US, and oxybenzone is restricted in cosmetics at up to 10% concentration in the European Union.

To protect your health, look for and avoid all of the above benzophenones, as well as sunscreens that rely on non-nonoized zinc oxide or titanium dioxide

Natural-Chemicals

Natural Chemicals Although you might hear the word chemical and associate it with a poison or synthetic compound, there are plenty of natural chemicals hanging around on our planet that are perfectly beneficial to your health and skin.

The exact definition, a chemical is: “a distinct compound or substance, especial one which has been artificially prepared or purified.” So water, table sugar and citric acid are all natural chemicals!