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The 38 Toxic Chemicals Hiding in Your Makeup Bag
#1, Formaldehyde?!?!
For all the talk about how mainstream cleaning products, detergents, and store-bought candles can wreak havoc on our respiratory systems and throw our hormones out of balance, there’s very little attention being paid to the products we put on our bodies day in and day out — especially when our skin absorbs 60% of what we apply to it. Even more concerning is the fact that many of these dirty ingredients bioaccumulate faster than our bodies can eliminate them.
While the “clean beauty” trend is here to stay and an overall positive shift for the cosmetics industry, many of the brands behind it either blatantly greenwash or fail to consistently exclude problematic ingredients across the board. So instead of being misled by bold claims and slick branding, I went down a bit of a rabbit hole to sort out the truth for myself.
Here’s an exhaustive list of the ingredients I’m avoiding as I gradually swap out my favorite products for safer alternatives.
#1. Formaldehyde
This first one is a known carcinogen commonly found in nail polish, straightening products, and eyelash glue. But since formaldehyde is used as a preservative, it can also be found in personal care products like liquid baby soaps and shampoo.
