What hidden nasties are in your skincare and beauty products?

Even typing the title of this post sounds oxymoronic. How can there be ingredients in our skincare, products intended to fix and make our skin better, that are actually full of toxic ingredients? While we can guarantee that none of Cedar + Stones products have any nasties in them, for your other beauty and make up products we have compiled a simple list of 3 ingredients to watch out for:

• Parabens: while parabens are added into beauty products to prevent the growth of bacteria and mould, cumulative exposure to them has been linked to a wide range of health problems. As reported by the non-profit Campaign for Safe Cosmetics (CSC) “Of greatest concern is that parabens are known to disrupt hormone function, an effect that is linked to increased risk of breast cancer and reproductive toxicity”. With many organic companies finding alternatives to parabens, buying organic and natural is typically safest. Alternatively look out and avoid ingredients such as methylparaben, ethylparaben, propylparaben, butylparaben and isobutylparaben
• Fragrance: the vagueness of “fragrance” is what becomes alarming. The term was created to protect a company’s “secret formula”, but as consumers this then becomes a game of Russian roulette as to what concoction of chemicals and ingredients are actually being used. With fragrances being among the most common cause of sensitizing and other negative skin reactions for all skin types, not just those with sensitive skin.
• Toluene: this is a chemical derived from petroleum or coal tar sources, so it is no surprise that you don’t want it anywhere near your beauty routine. While it is typically found in nail polish, nail treatments and hair colouring products we thought this chemical is too nasty not to include. Toluene is potent enough to dissolve paint, thus it not being surprising that it has been linked to causing nausea and irritating your skin.

This is in no way a comprehensive list of the bad things that may be hiding in your skin care products, but we think awareness of how some brands may hide toxic ingredients is the key to protecting yourself and your family. To ensure you and your family are safe it is best to stick with trusted natural and organic skincare and body products.