I have received a lot of questions about what ingredients are okay to use in cosmetics. This is my list of what to avoid:

1. Preservatives: Ingredients like parabens have been around for years; however, this doesn’t mean they are safe. There are studies that link parabens to breast cancer, among other health issues. I highly recommend staying away from these as much as possible.

2. Mercury: Even at low levels, mercury can damage brain function, so why, in these so-called enlightened times, are they still used in cosmetics? The EWG found mercury in popular mascara, listed as the mercury preservative “thimerosal.” Watch out for mercury in eye drops, as well.

3. Lead: I’ve  written at length about the hazards of lead poisoning and how it can harm a child’s developing brain. It’s hard to believe, but this neurotoxin is in black hair dyes for men. It won’t just stay close to your follicles, either; studies have found lead residues on door knobs and cabinets.

4. Fragrance: Fragrances fall into a colossal loophole in federal law that doesn’t require companies to list on product labels any of the potentially hundreds of chemicals in a single product’s fragrance mixture, says the EWG. Because fragrances can contain neurotoxins and are among the top five allergens ever, the EWG recommends we go the fragrance-free route.

5. Hydroquinone skin lightener: Because hydroquionine can cause a skin disease called ochronosis-which creates disfiguring and irreversible blue-black lesions-even the FDA warns us to avoid this skin-bleaching chemical, which certainly tells you something.

6. Nanoparticles: As yet untested, these tiny little inventions are found in cosmetics in forms ranging from tiny wire cages (called “buckeyballs”) to minuscule bits of metals used as sunscreens. The kicker? Companies don’t have to declare them on ingredients lists.

7. Pthalates: These plasticizer chemicals are downright cruel to male sex organs, causing sperm damage, feminization of baby boys, or infertility. If you have a bun in your oven, avoid dibutyl phthalate in nail polish. These vile toxins can also hide under “fragrance” on your product’s label, which is another case for choosing fragrance-free items.

8. Petroleum by-products: Used to make emollients for face cream, petroleum byproducts-made by the same factories that make gas for your car-also contain cancer-containing impurities. Ingredients include carcinogens in baby shampoo called 1,4-dioxane and coal tar in scalp-treatment shampoos.

Please note that Christoher Drummond Beauty does not use any of the following ingredients in any of our products. See our full line at www.christopherdrummond.com

Photo Credit © Aleksandr Sokolov | Dreamstime.com

Tags: dimethicone in cosmetics, hydroquinone, lead in lipstick, mercury in cosmetics, nanoparticles, non toxic cosmetics, parabens, petroleum in cosmetics, pthalates, safe cosmetics, safe makeup, thimerosal