Harmful Skincare Ingredients to Avoid

The world of beauty has come up with tons of beauty products and there’s no denying that it’s very easy to get lost in a pile of skincare products. Most consumers tend to fall for fancy packaging or a prestigious signature brand but the real deal lies in your skincare’s ingredients list. True enough, it’s important to know which skincare ingredients to avoid in order to save your skin from unwanted damage. In this article, we list some of the most common skincare ingredients to avoid that have harmful side effects.

Alcohol

Alcohol is very common to many skincare products, most specifically toners. However, it is an ingredient that you should avoid for alcohol is a notorious drying agent. Dr. Farid Mostamand, founder of Ageless Derma, mentions “It causes the body to lose water, not keep it. It can cause red areas on the face, similar to rosacea, as it dilates blood vessels.” It’s quite vital that people with hypersensitive and dry skin avoid alcohol in their skincare ingredients at all cost.

Artificial Fragrances

Synthetic fragrance is loaded with harsh components intended to mask the product’s unwanted chemical smell. Apart from synthetic fragrance being an irritatnt on its own, it also implies that the skincare product features a great number of harsh chemicals that give off an unpleasant smell.

Mineral Oil

It is an artificial emollient derived from petrochemicals. Mineral oil traps water under the skin by forming a layer of oil on top of it. Since it does not provide natural moisture, it tends to badly clog the pores and later on cause blackheads and pimples.

Parabens

It’s not easy to avoid parabens because it’s an ingredient found in most beauty and hygiene products. However, it’s still safe to go for all-natural, paraben-free skincare products because these are artificial preservatives. Some studies have also linked parabens to breast tumors due to their estrogen-like properties.