That being said, there are some things we generally advise you to avoid in your personal care products, as research has shown them to be questionable at best. They’re commonly referred to as the “dirty dozen.” If you stick to clean and natural products, you likely won’t find these—but if you dabble in more traditional products, keep an eye out for these on the ingredient list: An older survey found that a releaser was found in one-fourth of all beauty products8; there is no more up-to-date version of this study to assess the current cosmetics industry. The E.U. has put restrictions on how much formaldehyde can be found in a product (less than 0.2%); while the FDA does not regulate this, the industry regulatory committee Cosmetic Ingredient Review does put involuntary guidelines to follow similar standards in the U.S.—however, we don’t currently have the data to know how well brands follow this. Clean retailers in the past few years have advocated for more transparency in their brand’s fragrances. For example at clean beauty retailer Credo, the brands must at least disclose where the fragrance is sourced from (be it essential oils or safe synthetic fragrances), and many of their brands go as far as to list every single ingredient in their fragrance. However, another element to keep in mind is sensitivity. Many people are sensitive to fragrances—natural or otherwise—and avoid them in products for personal reasons. This is why many derms will advise you to look for “fragrance-free” products if you have easily irritated skin or conditions like eczema. Additionally, PEGs are often formulated to act as “penetration enhancers,” meaning they allow other actives to reach farther into the epidermis but in doing so break apart your natural lipid barrier. “PEGs dissolve oil and grease. Thus, on the body, they take the protective oils off the skin and hair, making them more vulnerable to other toxins,” notes Lipman. The second is far less insidious, yet worth noting: Because silicone;s job is to create a film over hair and skin, it can be difficult to remove and causes buildup overtime. This is especially true of dimethicone, which is commonly found in hair care. The ingredient coats the strand but does not simply wash off with a shampoo—so with long-term, repeated use, you create a cycle of damage in the hair.
