Common Skincare Ingredients To Avoid
Ingredient | Cosmetic Use | Microplastic? |
Acrylates Copolymer | Film-former, thickener, binder | Yes |
Acrylates Crosspolymer | Thickener, stabilizer, texture enhancer | Yes |
Benzalkonium Chloride | Preservative, disinfectant | No |
Butoxyethanol | Solvent | No |
Butylene | Solvent, emollient | No |
Carbomer | Thickener, stabilizer | Yes |
Ceteareth Glycol | Emulsifier, surfactant | Yes |
Ceteareth-20 | Emulsifier, surfactant | Yes |
Cyclopentasiloxane | Silicone, emollient, conditioner | No |
Dimethicone | Emollient, skin protectant, hair conditioner | Yes |
Hydroquinone | Skin-lightening agent | No |
Isododecane | Solvent, texture enhancer | No |
Latex | Film-former, binder | No |
Methacrylate Copolymer | Film-former, binder, texture enhancer | Yes |
Methacrylate Crosspolymer | Thickener, texturizer | Yes |
Methyl Methacrylate Copolymer | Film-former, binder | Yes |
Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer | Texturizer, thickener | Yes |
Methylisothiazolinone | Preservative | No |
Nylon | Microbeads, texturizers / texture enhancer | Yes |
Phenoxyethanol | Preservative | No |
Polyacrylamide | Thickener, film-former, stabilizer | Yes |
Polyacrylate | Thickener, binder, film-former | Yes |
Polybutene | Binder, film-former | Yes |
Polypropylene | Microbeads, binder | Yes |
Polyurethane | Film-former, texture enhancer | Yes |
Polyvinyl (e.g., PVA) | Film-former, binder | Yes |
Propylene Copolymer / Polypropylene | Film-former, texture | Yes |
PVP (Polyvinylpyrrolidone) | Hair fixative, film-former, binder | Yes |
Quaternium-15 | Preservative | No |
Sodium Acrylates Copolymer | Thickener, stabilizer | Yes |
Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES) | Surfactant, foaming agent | No |
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) | Surfactant, foaming agent | No |
Styrene Copolymer | Film-former, texture enhancer | Yes |
Talc | Absorbent, texturizer | No |
Vinyl | Film-former, binder | Yes |
Vinyl Acetate Copolymer | Film-former, adhesive | Yes |
VP/VA Copolymer | Film-former, hair fixative, texture enhancer | Yes |
Harmful Ingredient Guide
Category | Description | Ingredient Examples |
Acetates | Skincare and nail products. Potential carcinogenic, affects on reproductive health. | retinyl acetate, vinyl acetate |
Acrylamide & Polyacrylamide | Used to produce polyacrylamides. Carcinogenic, can contaminate water. | acrylamide, acrylamide/ammonium acrylate copolymer |
Acrylates | Plasticizers/thickeners. Contributes to microplastic pollution. | sodium acrylate copolymer, acrylates copolymer, acrylates/C10-30 alkyl acrylate crosspolymer |
Alkylphenols | Found in shampoos, soaps. Surfactants, solubilizers. Reproductive health affects. | nonoxynol, nonylphenol ethoxylate, octylphenol ethoxylate, octylphenol, nonoxynol-9 |
Benzalkonium Chlorides | Disinfectants. Can irritate skin, toxic to aquatic life. | benzalkonium chloride, benzethonium chloride, cetylpyridinium chloride |
Carbomers | Thickeners. May contain benzene traces. Contributes to microplastic pollution. | carbomer, carbopol, acrylates copolymer, polyacrylic acid |
Chemical UV Filters | Sunscreen active ingredients. Protects from UV. Endocrine disruptors and harms aquatic life. | oxybenzone, avobenzone, octocrylene, octinoxate, homosalate, tinosorb S, tinosorb M |
Coal Tar | Contains PAHs, carcinogenic. Harmful to health and environment. | coal tar, phenol, p-phenylenediamine, benzene, resorcinol |
EDTA | Binds metals, stability enhancer. Environmental concerns, petroleum derived. Possible carcinogen. | EDTA salts, calcium disodium EDTA, diammonium EDTA, tetrasodium EDTA, HEDTA |
Formaldehyde | Preservatives that release carcinogenic gases. Toxic to aquatic life. | quaternium-15, imidazolidinyl urea, diazolidinyl urea, DMDM hydantoin |
Mineral Oils & Paraffins | Petroleum-derived, may contain PAHs (Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons). Pollutes aquatic ecosystems. | mineral oil, petrolatum, paraffin, microcrystalline wax, ozokerite |
Parabens | Preservatives with environmental risks. Endocrine disruptors, potential cancer links. | methylparaben, ethylparaben, propylparaben, butylparaben |
PEGs | Petroleum-based, liquid plastic. Potential carcinogen. | PEG-6, PEG-8, PEG-12, PEG-20, PEG-400, PEG-1000 |
Petroleum Ingredients | Fossil fuel derived. | mineral oil, petrolatum, paraffin, PEG, PPG, SLS, SLES |
Phthalates | Endocrine disruptors. Exposure has been linked to infertility. | DBP, DEP, DMP, BBP, DEHP |
Silicones | Plastic film-former. Non-biodegradable, disrupts aquatic ecosystems. Endocrine disruptors. | dimethicone, cyclopentasiloxane, dimethylsilanediol, cyclomethicone, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) |
Synthetic Fragrance | Petroleum-derived. Skin irritants. Can trigger migraines, asthma. Disrupts skin microbiome, endocrine disruptor. | fragrance, parfum, aroma, fragrance compound, fragrance oil |
