The Items in Your Beauty Routine That May Be Doing More Harm Than Good
The average American spends almost $800 on personal care items each year, and the number just keeps growing! (1) Shampoos, deodorants, and face creams are all a daily part of our routines that we can’t seem to live without.
Unfortunately, evidence supports the fact that most personal care products are causing major issues internally, leading to hormone disruption, weight gain, fatigue, brain fog, and so much more.
Could they be doing more harm than good? How can you best avoid these toxins while maintaining healthy personal care routines?
Today I’m going to show you what is really in your beauty products and how you can switch to healthier, non-toxic routines that still work!
Toxins in Deodorant
We all want to have a deodorant that works, but, as you may be aware, many deodorants are actually filling your body with chemicals. I will outline two examples below, and you can also check out my blog on non-toxic deodorant here.
Aluminum in Deodorant
This is one of the most common ingredients listed on the back of your antiperspirant packaging, and it is also one of the most toxic chemicals in beauty products. These compounds reduce the amount of sweat your body creates in this region and also inhibit body odor.
The aluminum found in deodorant is sometimes referred to as a metalloestrogen, which means it’s a heavy metal that mimics real estrogen. Research studies have shown that aluminum can be measured in breast cancer biopsy tissue, though the concentration varies throughout the breast with the highest levels found in the outer regions. (2)
Because of the way it mimics estrogen, it also leads to a great deal of hormone disruption.
Fragrances in Deodorant
Unfortunately, aluminum is not the only toxic ingredient that you need to avoid in your deodorants. These products often contain artificial fragrances made from phthalates. These chemicals are designed to help the fragrance last for longer periods of time, but they also act as a form of synthetic estrogen. Their chemical structure can mimic your hormones and stimulate the production of excess estrogen. It upsets the delicate balance on your endocrine system. (3)
Other Issues
Learning how to choose a safe deodorant means learning to read your labels extremely carefully. You need to avoid products that contain:
Generic perfume ingredients
Phthalates
Parabens and other preservatives
Aluminum
Sodium laureth sulfate (SLS)
Better Deodorant Alternatives
Zinc-based deodorants: Instead of antiperspirants and deodorants made with aluminum, you should investigate chemical-free beauty products that are made with zinc. Compared to some of the other metal ions, research has proven that zinc is a relatively harmless ingredient. Only exposure to extremely high doses can cause damage the body in the form of acute intoxication and an interference with the uptake of copper.
Most people are more likely to be zinc deficient than to be exposed to an overdose of zinc. (4)
Essential Oils: Artificial fragrances and generic perfume can be swapped for natural scents derived from essential oils.
Adjustment period: There may be an adjustment period where your body actually smells worse as you transition to these toxin-free beauty products. This is because your body is ridding itself of the toxins that have built up over years of use. You can choose to wait out the potential odor or do a detox with a clay mask mixed with apple cider vinegar.
Toxins in Shampoo
Hair care is another major category where harmful ingredients can lurk on the ingredient label. Shampoo contains many of the same concerns as antiperspirants when it comes to artificial fragrances, phthalates, and parabens.
Phthalates in Shampoo
Phthalates are a particularly dangerous category of chemicals that are used to improve the flexibility of plastics. They are also well-known endocrine disruptors that have been linked to breast cancer, developmental issues, decreased fertility, obesity, and asthma. (5)
Sodium Laureth Sulfate in Shampoo
If you study a bottle of shampoo, you may see that it states it has been derived from coconuts. Many products containing sodium laureth sulfate (SLS) can claim this label, but it is actually fairly misleading. The ingredient itself does indeed hail from the coconut, but the solvent used to derive SLS is toxic.
Better Shampoo Alternatives
If you have any concerns about the products you are considering, you should visit the Environmental Working Group website for more information. (6)
Beautycounter: You can also easily purchase safe products through Beautycounter. (Personally, I love to use Beautycounter’s shampoos.)
While not all of their products are organic or natural, they do dedicate themselves to selecting safer ingredients. Particularly when it comes to items that are typically fragranced like shampoos, Beautycounter uses all-natural ingredients such as essential oils.
Essential Oils: You can even mix up a bottle of your own essential oils that are good for your hair. Many of the most common essential oils include peppermint or tea tree oil for absorbing oil or lavender for growth. Mixed together with a little bit of water in a spray bottle, you can keep your hair fresh and clean in between washings.
Face Cleansers
Men and women alike often have face cleansers that they are already attached to using. Many people hesitate to make the switch to a more natural option. There are many on the market that may give your skin an extra boost and help you to contribute to a healthier environment all in one fell swoop.
Microbeads in Face Washes
One of the primary issues with face washes that are designed to exfoliate is their use of little plastic beads. These microbeads are terrible for the environment and often end up in the wrong places.
Better Face Wash Alternatives
Better exfoliants: Instead of using microbeads-based washes, you can purchase face cleansers that have a fine grit created to exfoliate your face without harming the environment.
Essential oils: In addition to purchasing one of these special cleansers (above), you can also introduce essential oils into your beauty routine. You can use frankincense essential oil for wrinkles and anti-aging. On the other hand, acne-prone skin may benefit from regular use of tea tree oil. (7)
Toxins in Sunscreen
Sunscreen is another area where many people are tricked into believing that chemicals work best to beat back the effects of the sun. (Read my previous article focused on non-toxic sunscreen here.)
Oxybenzone in Sunscreen
Leading name brands contain a harmful ingredient known as oxybenzone, another synthetic estrogen that can lead to hormone disruption. (8)
When your hormones are disrupted, you may experience a wide array of other symptoms (9):
Fatigue
Brain fog
Weight gain or rapid weight loss
Constipation
Hair loss
Pale skin
Vitamin A in Sunscreen
Another common ingredient found in sunscreen is vitamin A. While this should be an important part of a regular diet, studies have shown that tumors and lesions can easily develop with topical application of vitamin A. It may not be listed on your bottle as vitamin A, so be sure to look for it by other names such as retinol or retinyl palmitate. (10)
Better Sunscreen Alternatives
Non-nano zinc-based sunscreens: Fortunately, you do have some options for spending a day in the sun that won’t lead to those nasty side effects. The safest chemical sunscreen contains non-nano zinc in place of the chemicals you would traditionally find in their formulas.
I recommend one that is ideal for application to the face. This is safe enough to be worn in a light layer underneath your makeup on a daily basis. The lightweight formula isn’t likely to clog pores and cause any type of irritation to the sensitive skin found on the face.
Beautycounter: I also love Beautycounter’s line of sunscreen products. These are mineral-based sunscreens that are great if you are planning to spend the day in the sun (just remember to reapply ever few hours!).
Toxins in Makeup
How many women refuse to leave their house until their makeup is flawless? If this describes you, then you might want to pay close attention to the toxins that are actually in your lipsticks, face creams, mascaras, and more. It is more common than not to find dangerous ingredients in cosmetics, particularly those with bold colors.
Heavy Metals in Lipstick
Picture your favorite tube of classic red lipstick. The color was most likely created using heavy metals. (10) This means that every time you apply a new layer of your favorite lip color, you are actually ingesting small amounts of heavy metals including lead. Heavy metals in lipstick is such a common occurrence that most people don’t even think twice about it anymore.
Better Alternatives for Makeup
Beautycounter: When you buy your makeup, make sure that you research brands you can trust. Companies like Beautycounter do their homework on which ingredients are safe for you to use long-term. They offer high-quality products that perform just like the makeup you are accustomed to purchasing from a high-end beauty store, but they are more conscious about how the end product will affect your overall health and the environment.
As mentioned earlier, their products are not all organic or natural, but they do offer a much safer alternative to the more mainstream products found in drug stores and big box retailers.
Being More Conscious of Your Beauty Products
Dangerous beauty products can be a thing of the past when you educate yourself on which ingredients to avoid. It may seem like a small thing to have trace amounts of these toxic chemicals in skincare products or shampoos, but small amounts add up. Consider the fact that each time you use these products, you may be contributing to:
Disrupted thyroid gland
Brain fog
Fatigue
Obesity
Cancer
Hormone disruption
Think about all the products you use in a single day: shampoo, deodorant, sunscreen, makeup, face wash, body wash, shaving cream, and more. These products all add up to one huge toll on the overall health of your body. Begin the detox process by using some of these DIY alternatives or purchasing healthier options through companies like Beautycounter.
Eliminate toxins in your personal care products for good. Your body will thank you for it.
Shop Beautycounter with Us!
I love the wide array of products with Beautycounter. This online company ships within the US and Canada and ban over 1,500 ingredients in their ‘never list.’ Another thing I love is their activism. The company actively lobbies Congress and helps drafts bills to restrict dangerous ingredients.
Still, I often get the question from our community about them, such as, “This ingredient appears to be a chemical…” or “Isn’t this ingredient bad for you?”
Let me tackle this head-on to avoid your emails!
The ingredients are not all sunshine and honey. These are high-performance products, and they have stabilizers and preservatives and such. But the ingredients used are much safer.
It’s true there are ingredients you can’t pronounce, but there is full disclosure about each ingredient and you can click on each ingredient to learn more in their ingredient glossary. Simply find a product you like at my Beautycounter site, click on the ingredients tab, and learn more as desired.
Want a second opinion? Copy and paste the same ingredient into the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep database. This site can also be used to investigate the products and their ingredients you already own.
I have oily skin and fine hair. I use their Countercontrol face scrub and the Volumizing Mist. I will be a lifelong user of the peony lip gloss. And I use their Volumizing Mascara, Brilliant Brow Gel and Precision Liquid Eyeliner.
There are products for babies, kids, and men too. I especially love the idea of starting teens early in clean beauty. Teens are eager to explore beauty products, and usually buy cheap junk! Buy your teens something clean and get them hooked!
I love Beautycounter’s easy, free return policy. If you don’t like something, use the enclosed return label to send back with free shipping. It’s risk-free shopping.
For more about the company and product recommendations, please watch these videos below.
5 Easy Detox Swaps for Women’s Health
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Bridgit Danner, LAc, FDNP, is trained in functional health coaching and has worked with thousands of women over her career since 2004. She is the founder of Women’s Wellness Collaborative llc and HormoneDetoxShop.com.