Which ingredients should I avoid?

I started getting into buying Healthy Products a few years ago, and I’ve often wished that I had a wallet-sized card to carry around with me. Since I couldn’t find one, I decided to just make my own. This Terrible Twenty list compiles the top 20 ingredients to avoid (sources listed at the bottom of this page).

Download a wallet-sized card of the Terrible Twenty here! (PDF file)

This list is meant as a quick reference of the most common ingredients. Some ingredients that you should avoid might not be listed here (for more info, see references below).

The Terrible Twenty

1. Aluminum (with various words after it, such as Chloride, Chlorohydrate, Hydroxybromide, and Zirconium)

Found in: antiperspirants
Bad because: it’s a neurotoxin and has been linked to Alzheimer’s disease and breast cancer. The data is conflicting but I say, better safe than sorry until we know for sure.

2. BHA (Butylated Hydroxyanisole) and BHT (Butylated Hydroxytoluene),

Found in: lots of stuff as a preservative
Bad because: they’re immune system toxicants, endocrine disruptors, and probable carcinogens. They’re also banned in the EU.

3. Ceteareth (including all number variations)

Found in: lots of stuff
Bad because: it's a reproductive and skin toxin, and alters the skin structure, allowing other chemicals to penetrate the skin.

4. Coal Tar

Found in: anti-itch shampoos and creams, hair dye, mouthwash, toothpaste
Bad because: it’s a known human carcinogen (that means, can cause cancer), as well as irritating to skin and eyes.

5. Diazolidinyl Urea and Imidazolidinyl Urea

Found in: lots of stuff
Bad because: they release Formaldehyde (see below)

6. DMDM Hydantoin

Found in: lots of stuff
Bad because: it releases Formaldehyde (see below)

7. The “Ethanolamines”: DEA (Diethanolamine), ETA (Ethanolamine), MEA (Monoethanolamine), and TEA (Triethanolamine)

Found in: lots of stuff, as emulsifiers, foaming agents, or pH level adjusters
Bad because: they’re possible carcinogens, and animal studies show endocrine disruption and messed-up brain development in babies.

8. Formaldehyde, also called: Cormalin, Formic Aldehyde, Methanal, Methyl Aldehyde, and Oxymethane

Found in: lots of stuff, including nail polish, shampoo, baby lotions, “keratin” hair treatments, hair dye, etc.
Bad because: it is classified as carcinogenic to humans by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).

9. Fragrance, also called: perfume, parfum

Found in: tons of stuff (not just perfume—pretty much anything)
Bad because: there is no way of knowing what’s in the fragrance. Trade secret laws protect companies from having to disclose specific ingredients. Some fragrance ingredients are known neurotoxins, allergens, or skin irritants, but most are just unknown (again, I say better safe than sorry).

10. Hydroquinone

Found in: skin lighteners, anti-aging lotions, nail treatments
Bad because: a few years ago, the FDA proposed a ban on its use in OTC lotions. Has shown severe reactions like eye clouding. Limited evidence of it causing cancer.

11. Parabens (and anything that ends in “paraben”)

Found in: lots of stuff
Bad because: studies show that they mimic the hormone estrogen—sometimes thought to cause breast cancer, and definitely bad for wildlife when poured down the drain. More testing is needed to find out whether they truly have a link to breast cancer.

12. All PEG compounds (Polyethylene Glycol), also similar: Polypropylene Glycol (PPG)

Found in: lots of stuff
Bad because: they can create a byproduct called 1,4-dioxane, which is a known carcinogen in animals and a probable one in humans. Also they’re reproductive and skin toxins and alter the skin structure, allowing other chemicals to penetrate the skin.

13. Phenoxyethanol

Found in: lots of stuff, including many “natural” products because it’s used as an alternative to parabens
Bad because: studies are mixed but it has been shown to have reproductive and developmental toxicity. It’s restricted in Japan and the EU.

14. P-Phenylenediamine (PPD), also called: 1,4-Benzenediamine

Found in: hair dye
Bad because: it’s an immune system and respiratory toxicant, and it’s been shown to cause cancer in animal studies.

15. Phthalates, also called: DBP, DEHP, DEP, and DMP, dibutyl/diethyl ester, and 1,2-benzenedicarboxylate

Found in: nail stuff, hairspray, lotion
Bad because: they’re known hormone disruptors (which means they can cause birth defects, acne, and obesity). They can impair fertility, and are suspected carcinogens.

16. Quaternium-15

Found in: lots of stuff
Bad because: it releases Formaldehyde (see above)

17. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate and Sodium Laureth Sulfate

Found in: lots of stuff that foams (body wash, shampoo, toothpaste, etc)
Bad because: not only do many people have allergic reactions to them, they are also possible endocrine disruptors. Worst is that they can create a byproduct called 1,4-dioxane, which is a known carcinogen in animals and a probable one in humans.

18. Talc

Found in: talcum powder
Bad because: the results are mixed but some studies link exposure to different types of cancer. Also, a possible lung irritant (talc particles are similar to asbestos particles).

19. Toluene, also called: toluol, methylbenzene, and phenylmethane

Found in: nail polish
Bad because: women exposed to it on the job had 4 times as many miscarriages as women not exposed to it. Probable developmental, nervous system, and respiratory toxin.

20. Triclosan

Found in: anti-bacterial soaps, acne treatments, lipsticks
Bad because: regular exposure can contribute to resistant strains of bacteria. Also it is a probable endocrine disruptor.

If you cut out these ingredients from your life you’ll be well on your way to choosing Healthy Products.

Feeling overwhelmed? Check out my tips for getting started.

The Terrible Twenty list is based on a combination of these four sources:

The “Dirty Thirty” by Teens Turning Green (available online at http://www.teensturninggreen.org/get-educated/dirty-thirty.html)
Chapter 3: “Dirty Ingredients,” from No More Dirty Looks: the Truth about Your Beauty Products and the Ultimate Guide to Safe and Clean Cosmetics by Siobhan O’Connor & Alexandra Spunt, 2010
“GreenerPenny’s Filthy Fifteen,” from Do One Green Thing: Saving the Earth Through Simple, Everyday Choices by Mindy Pennybacker, 2010
The “EWG Shopper's Guide to Safe Cosmetics,” from the Skin Deep website, a PDF which can be downloaded at www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/