Every day you wash your face. Put on lotion. Maybe some mascara. At the end of the day, you wipe everything off. Maybe wash your hair. Brush your teeth. But have you ever taken a moment to consider what is in all those products you are using? Or why the $50 facial cleanser you bought doesn’t work the way you expected? Or even why your face still feels greasy after the moisturizer you bought promised an “oil-free feel”? The answer may have something to do with the ingredients.
In today’s world, it’s easy to rush into a drugstore and grab a makeup remover or lip gloss without thinking twice. Or you see a beauty influencer raving about a new product and add it to your cart. But how much do you actually know about what’s in these products? Understanding skincare ingredients can help you make more informed choices about the products you use. Here are five common ingredient groups worth learning about.
- Silicones
What are silicones? Silicones are a synthetic polymer derived from silica combining properties of plastic and rubber. They are known for their occlusive properties which means that they form a barrier-like coating on the skin that’s resistant to both water and air.
Why are they used in skincare? Silicones make the texture of the serum or moisturizer thick and blendable.
Why might they be bad for you? Silicones are hydrophobic which translates to “scared of water.” This means that they repel water and don’t wash away easily. This may trap oil, dirt, sweat, and dead skin cells which may cause breakouts. Silicones are also bioaccumulative which means once they are rinsed down the drain they can’t break down for hundreds of years and lead to a build up of sludge pollution in oceans and waterways.
How do you identify them? When looking at a list of ingredients look for ingredients with the suffixes -cone, -conol, -siloxane, silane.
- Essential Oils
What are essential oils? Essential oils are the essences of a plant’s flowers, bark, stem, leaves, roots, or fruit that create wafting fragrances. They are complex mixtures often containing up to 60 different compounds.
Why are they used in skincare? Essential oils are commonly responsible for the smell of a product. Some components of essential oils are known to be beneficial for the skin if they have potent antioxidants and antibacterial ingredients that may protect against visible skin problems related to fungi, yeast, and other topical troublemakers.
Why might they be bad for you? Some oils contain properties that are studied for potential skin-related uses. Certain essential oils can irritate sensitive skin or trigger allergic reactions, depending on the ingredient, concentration, and individual. The safety of a finished product depends on factors such as its formulation and intended use.
How do you identify them? When looking at a list of ingredients look for clary sage oil, eucalyptus oil, geranium oil, ginger oil, jasmine oil, lemongrass oil, neroli oil, oregano oil, patchouli oil, rosemary oil, sage oil, sandalwood oil, ylang ylang oil.
- Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS)
What is sodium lauryl sulfate? Sodium lauryl sulfate is a plant derived (coconut or palm oil) surfactant that lowers surface tension between water and oils.
Why is it used in skincare? SLS is responsible for the lather of a product and the “squeaky clean feeling” you get after using a product that contains it.
Why may it be bad for you? The “squeaky clean” feeling may be a result of the stripping of the protective barriers of skin and hair which can disrupt their natural oil and PH balance. It also may dry them out which can open pores that are “searching” for hydration and invites other toxins to easily enter the surface of the skin. Additionally, SLS is a known pollutant. The WHO has warned about it entering the environment in its raw form because it can accumulate in the bodies of fish and end up in tap water.
How can you identify it? SLS is commonly found in personal and household products (shampoo, body wash, facial cleansers, hand soaps, shaving cream, and toothpaste) that lather. Before using these products, make sure to look for sodium lauryl sulfate in the ingredient list.
- Drying alcohols
What are drying alcohols? Drying alcohols are organic compounds that belong to the hydroxyl group whose structures determine the type they are.
Why are they used in skincare? To start off, not all alcohols are bad! Fatty alcohols are actually the good ones and are responsible for making products like moisturizers thick and heavy in texture to attract moisture to the skin. They can also help remedy skin concerns like uneven texture, dullness, fine lines, and wrinkles. Here is a list of them so you can identify them:
- Cetyl alcohol: Thickens products
- Stearyl alcohol: Traps moisture in the skin
- Cetearyl alcohol: An emulsifier
- Propylene alcohol: A humectant to draw moisture to the skin
- Lauryl alcohol: Used as a surfactant
- Myristyl alcohol: An emollient and a stabilizer that prevents moisture loss
Why might they be bad for you? On the other hand, drying alcohols can do the opposite. They produce a weightless and clean feeling but they can also erode and irritate the skin’s protective surface, possibly making it prone to infections, future breakouts, fine lines, and wrinkles. If this dries skin out, then it may increase oil due to the sebaceous glands of the skin working overtime in order to make up for the dryness.
How can you identify them? When looking at a list of ingredients look for SD alcohol, Isopropyl alcohol, Denatured alcohol, Ethanol/Ethyl alcohol, Methanol/Methyl alcohol, Propanol/Propyl alcohol, C alcohol, Methylated spirit, Denatured rectified spirit.
- Parabens
What are parabens? Parabens are a group of chemicals that are used in skincare. They are found in a large variety of leave-on and rinse-off products (shampoos, conditioners, moisturizers, face and skin cleaners, sunscreens, deodorants, shaving gels, toothpastes, and makeup).
Why are they used in skincare? Parabens prevent mold and bacteria and increase the shelf life of the product.
Why might they be bad for you? Studies have found that parabens are common endocrine disrupters and can act like the hormone estrogen in the body and can disrupt the normal function of hormone systems affecting male and female reproductive system functioning. They are also bad for the environment, commonly found killing coral. When combined with chlorinated tap water, a number of chlorinated paraben byproducts can form.
How can you identify them? When looking at a list of ingredients look for ingredients with the prefixes methyl-, ethyl-, propyl-, isopropyl-, butyl- and isobutylparaben.
Sources:
https://www.healthline.com/health/beauty-skin-care/silicones#decoding-your-ingredient-list
https://www.lung.org/blog/essential-oils-harmful-or-helpful
https://irenshizen.com/blogs/j-beauty/drying-alcohols-skincare-dehydrating-ethanol