DETROIT – When you’re buying a new food item at the grocery store, most of us take a look at the ingredients label.
So why wouldn’t you do the same thing when buying a cosmetic that you’re going to put on your face? Probably because we can’t understand any of the ingredients on the label.
Aestheticians say people should be reading all of the ingredients in the products they’re purchasing.
According to the FDA, it’s against the law for a cosmetic to contain any ingredient that makes a project harmful when consumers use it according to the label on how they should be using it.
So those directions for use and the warnings need to be read as well.
Some cosmetics are perfectly safe when used the right way, but unsafe when used wrong.
The FDA continues to review studies on several ingredients, but we should know about them as well to make our own decisions.
One of those things are parabens.
Parabens are used to prevent bacteria and mold from growing inside your shampoos, lotions and other products.
Many major brands of deodorants do not currently contain parabens, although some may.
Safety experts say parabens have been associated with an increased risk of breast cancer and decreased sperm count.
Another ingredient is triclosan.
It’s found in toothpastes, soaps and deodorants as another ingredient that prevents bacteria and mold. But in some animal studies, it shows the exposure could disrupt thyroid and reproductive hormones.
The FDA says its agency doesn’t know the significance of those findings to human health, but it remains to study the safety of triclosan.
Safety experts say the word “fragrance” when listed as an ingredient, could be a problem for many. The chemicals inside can make disrupt the natural PH levels of your skin. That could lead to skin stress, dehydration, or your lipid barrier could be impaired.
Coal tar is another ingredient that has a caveat with the FDA.
Coal tar can be found in hair dyes, but they often have warnings on the packaging.
That means the FDA can’t take safety action against those products.
It can affect your respiratory system, irritate your skin and cause nausea.
The good news is, many hair coloring products are moving away from coal-tar.
Sodium lauryl sulfate is found in more than 90% of personal care and cleaning products. It’s main purpose is to remove dirt and oil, which is great, but some studies say the sulfate can cause skin, lung, and eye irritation.
Experts say the best thing to do is research ingredients that you’re unsure of.
Not just by searching the term into Google, but try adding “FDA” next to the search to see what the law says about those ingredients.
There’s a list of ingredients that are banned, so if you see those on the label, you shouldn’t purchase it no matter what.
Luckily, many products will label sulfate-free or paraben-free, letting you know it’s safe from those ingredients to use. Organic cosmetics are another way to go if you’re willing to pay the extra buck for safety.