How to avoid harmful chemicals in skin care and beauty products
www.npr.org
5 min read
fairly easy
Some ingredients found in personal care products like lotion and shampoo may be harmful to your health. Here's how to avoid these chemicals and choose healthier alternatives.
How to avoid harmful chemicals in skin care and beauty products toggle caption Beck Harlan/NPR Do you know what's in the lotions, creams and gels you use on your hair and skin every day? Research has shown that some of the ingredients found in personal care products may be harmful to your health. Phthalates and parabens, which can be found in everything from makeup to shampoo, are known hormone disruptors that have been linked to poor reproductive health. Chemical hair straightening and smoothing treatments often contain formaldehyde, a known carcinogen, and can cause lung and eye irritation. And 1,4 dioxane, a contaminant that can show up in trace amounts in some cosmetics, has been identified as a potential carcinogen by the Department of Health and Human Services. Sponsor Message It's tricky to connect the dots between exposure and outcome with these chemicals, says Emily Barrett, an epidemiologist at the Rutgers School of Public Health. They may not cause "an obvious outcome you can detect right away, like a rash," she says. "Instead, it might mean 20 years from now, you're at a greater risk of breast cancer or fertility problems." Still, over time, these exposures can add up, says Barrett and other scientists who study these chemicals. So consider limiting your use of potentially unsafe personal care products — and swapping them out for healthier alternatives. Researchers and experts share safety tips to make your skin care and beauty regimen leaner and cleaner. 📋 Audit your medicine cabinet, shower shelf and makeup bag. You may be wondering: if these cosmetic ingredients are so concerning, why hasn't the Food and Drug Administration banned them? The agency can ban or restrict chemicals in cosmetics, but the banned/restricted list is a short one, with only 11 ingredients, including chloroform and mercury compounds. But the process of adding chemicals is long and bureaucratic, says Linda Katz, the former director of the office of cosmetics and…