It’s always said that Skincare first and makeup next. But, what if even those skincare products have toxic chemical ingredients that end up damaging our skin and body? What if the skincare products that are supposed to repair our skin ends up damaging it even more?

Some time ago, I did not care about the ingredients in my skincare products. All I looked for is the brand image and the aesthetic appeal of the product. But the more I looked into some of the skincare products I was using, the more I realized how much of the toxic ingredients I’m taking into my skin. Some might say that it’s fine because it’s only on the outside and you are not consuming it internally but I beg to differ. Whatever you are putting on your skin will be absorbed inside. So you must be very careful. As much as you care for the stuff you eat you must also care about the things you put on your skin. Inside and out, you have to care about yourself.

And also, it’s always better to use one good beauty product than a bunch of ’em with toxic skincare ingredients. Don’t you think? Maybe years back when we were using just a product or two might not be an issue but now, each of us is using a stack of these beauty products so the intake of these ingredients into our skin has grown drastically. Ergo, we need to be all the more careful.

So, these are the 17 toxic ingredients we most commonly see in our skincare and beauty products. Let’s see.

Toxic Skincare Ingredients

1. Parabens (methyl parabens, propyl parabens, butyl parabens, and ethyl parabens)
2. Parfum
3. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate and Sodium Laureth Sulfate
4. Toluene
5. Phthalates
6.  Polyethylene Glycol (PEG)
7. Formaldehyde
8. Oxybenzone
9. Diethanolamine
10. Triclosan
11. Synthetic Fragrances
12. Siloxanes
13. Mineral oil
14. Nanoparticles
15. Hydroquinone
16. Lead (Usually found is eyeliners)
17. Retinyl palmitate and Retinol (also known as, Vitamin A)

I’m not going into the details of why these are toxic for your skin, why you should avoid these, and blah, blah, blah. There’s already tons of information regarding each of these ingredients on the Internet. I’m only giving you a brief idea about how we are all indulging in a toxic beauty regime up until now. But eventually, people are gaining awareness these days regarding this issue and things are slowly changing for the better. Just keep these in mind and be aware of what you are putting on your skin.

Let it be a face cream, eyeliner, face scrub, or a mere facewash for that matter, you must always steer clear of these 17 toxic skincare ingredients.

So, this is your checklist to have every time you go shopping for skincare products. Don’t let yourself be dragged into the vicious circle of beauty that’s prevailing these days and take good care of yourself. It’s high time we amend our standards of beauty and refrain from using anything and everything just cause it’s labeled as a beauty product. Be thoroughly aware of your skincare products cause YOU matter.

And while you are at it, you must also know why you must choose cruelty-free cosmetics. I hope this is helpful to you and I’ll see you soon again.

Adios!!

Lots of LOVE,

Nikki.

(Penname: Sarvani)

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