There are many products on the market today emblazoned with the phrase “natural ingredients;” meant to engage customers with a penchant for unprocessed skincare, but casually misleading consumers into purchasing products with significantly irritating components. Avoiding these few ingredients, always using spot tests when trying out new products, and relying on a more DIY approach to skincare will ensure a far more luminous spring for your skin.
DEA/TEA
Not to be confused with tea leaves or the soothing brew they provide, Diethanolamine and Triethanolamine combine with nitrites in beauty products to form carcinogenic compounds and should always be avoided in skincare products.
Parabens
Parabens are preservatives that prevent bacteria, molds, and yeast from flourishing in skincare products. However, they mimic and interfere with estrogen production and are thus considered carcinogenic. Additionally, they suppress natural flora on our skin and in our gut, allowing bad bacteria to run amok.
Glycerin
Look for products that utilize vegetable glycerin; without the vegetable qualifier, it’s most likely that the product contains petrochemical by-products, rather than a naturally sourced form of glycerin.