TOP 15 Cosmetic Chemicals to Avoid

These are the top 15 cosmetic chemicals to avoid for your health and for the environment. I would suggest taking time to look at the products you are currently using (shampoo, conditioner, soap, hand-soap, styling products, make-up, baby products, etc), reading the labels carefully and replacing any products that contain the following "mean 15" with cleaner products that pass the test.

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1. BHA and BHT:
   Endocrine system-disrupting preservatives also linked to cancer.
2. DEA/MEA/TEA: (diethanolamine): 
   Can create carcinogenic nitrosamines when mixed with preservatives.
3. Formaldehyde-releasing preservatives:
   (DMDM hydantoin, diazolidinyl urea, imidazolidinyl urea, methenamine, quaternium-15 and Bronopol, a.k.a.2-bromo-2-nitropro- pane-1,3-diol
4. Oxybenzone (BP-3/ benzophenone) and octinoxate (octyl methoxycinnamate):
   Two sunscreen chemicals that may disrupt our hormone system and that can trigger allergic reactions.
5. Palm oil: 
   (or anything with “palm” or “palmate” in its name, like sodium palmate): Avoid unless it’s fair trade/organic
6. Parabens:
   Estrogenic preservatives also tied to damage to male reproductive system.
7. Parfum/fragrance:
   Laced with phthalates and other hormone disruptors and sensitizers. Note: some natural Euro brands with “parfums” are made with natural essential oils (it should say so on the label)
8. PEGs:
   (polyethylene glycol compounds, and anything with “-eth” in its name). These are often contaminated with carcinogenic 1,4-dioxane.
9. Petrolatum/paraffin/mineral oil/petroleum distillates: Green your bodycare by avoiding these petrochemicals
10. PPD:
    In all permanent hair dyes. Can also be called p-Aminoaniline; 1,4-benzenediamine;
    p-benzenediamine CI 76060; p-Diaminobenzene; 1,4-phenylenedia- mine; 1,4-diaminobenzene                                    In all permanent hair dyes. Linked to some cancers.
11. Phthalates: 
    Hormone-disrupting family of chemicals hidden behind the word “fragrance,” but you can look for the phrase “phthalate free.”
12. Retinyl palmitate:
    Keep this one out of the sun as it seems to speed up carcinogenic effect of UV rays in mice.
13. Siloxanes:
    Pass on cyclo- or “-methicone.” Cyclotetrasiloxane (D4) and cyclopentasiloxane (D5) are
    eco toxic siloxanes (silicone based polymers). Cyclomethicone is a mix of D4, D5 and D6 siloxanes.
14. Sodium laureth sulphate:
    Foaming agent in soaps and shampoos often contaminated with carcinogenic 1,4-dioxane.
15. Triclosan/triclocarban:
    Suspected thyroid disruptor and may contribute to antibacterial resistance.