Today’s article is written by Sabrina Taylor. Sabrina is a DIY loving, beauty and skin care blogger for BES Skincare. She shares home remedies, tips, tricks and reviews skin care products like this Elite Serum each week. Stay connected with her on Facebook and Twitter.
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I travel a lot, which means I spend a lot of nights in different hotels. While constantly hotel-hopping can be frustrating, I’ve always found simple joy in those tiny, travel sized lotions and shampoos. There’s just something about a pint-sized product that brings a smile to my face.
That being said, it wasn’t until a few months ago that I actually took a look at the ingredients list. I’ve been greening my skin care and beauty routine for some time now, but I’d been neglecting to look at my use of hotel amenities as part of my routine.
You’d have to be living under a rock to have not heard about the perils of parabens and dangers of toxic ingredients, but many of us still fail to read our ingredients lists. The time has come, my friends. Take a good hard look at your products because some of the ingredients out there could be causing some serious damage to your body’s biggest organ. Here are 5 worth worrying about and avoiding.
Benzoyl Peroxide
A common ingredient in acne treatments, benzoyl peroxide has several negative side effects. It has been found to behave like a mutagen, causing DNA damage and ultimately cause tumors.
Some of its less horrific yet still negative effects include eye, skin and respiratory irritation. Refrain from inhaling benzoyl peroxide because it can be toxic whens sniffed.
Dioxin
This particular ingredient is often not listed, which makes it extra dangerous. Typically found in products containing triclosan, emulsifiers, polyethylene glycol and ethoxylated cleansers. Prolonged use of these antibacterial ingredients can cause cancer, reduced immune functionality and increase your risk of nervous system disorders.
If this weren’t all bad enough, use by pregnant women can cause birth defects and worse, miscarriages.
Parabens
This has been a big news item for a while now, but people still use products containing parabens. Parabens are a common preservative used to extend the shelf life of your favorite products. They have been found to cause breast cancer tumors, imbalance female hormones and cause sterility in men.
Sunscreen Chemicals
We like to slather on sunscreen to protect our skin from harmful UV rays, but some of their common ingredients are actually quite harmful. Avobenzone, benzophenone, ethoxycinnamate and PABA are all known to generate free radicals which damage DNA, lead to cancer and are common in sunscreens.
Phthalates
Also difficult to find on ingredients lists, this ingredient can induce liver and kidney damage. Phthalates can cause premature breast development in both males and females, birth defects as well as lower male sperm count. Thankfully these ingredients are slowly being weaned out of products made in North America and the EU.
Safely navigating the world of beauty and skin care products may be difficult, but with a little education you can breathe easily knowing you are taking the best possible care of your skin and body. Make reading ingredients list an important part of your health routine today!
