Methylisothiazolinone (MIT) is becoming increasingly popular as a preservative to replace parabens. Even some products claiming to be certified organic use this preservative, as certain percentages of non-organic material is allowed by the USDA.

In lab studies, the bacteria-killing agent was shown to restrict the growth of immature rat nerve cells. Studies on live animals are still needed to confir...

Synthetic fragrances are commonly used in personal care products and are complex formulations containing as many as 200 ingredients. They are used because they are more affordable than pure natural essential oils.

Most adverse reactions to cosmetics and toiletries are caused by fragrance chemicals, which are known irritants and allergens. Many of us have encountered synthetic fragrances that cause ...

Synthetic color or FD&C colors are mostly derived from coal tar. Many have been banned from food by the FDA for various reasons: carcinogenicity, allergy inducing, general toxicity, etc. A number caused illnesses in children. They have been shown in clinical studies to cause various types of cancer.

A few of these colors have now been banned from cosmetic use. For instance, the FDA has already bann...

Ethoxylation is a chemical process in which ethylene oxide is added to fatty acids to make them more soluble in water. An example of this process is the ethoxylation of sodium dodecyl sulfate to form sodium laureth sulfate (SLES) , often used in shampoos and toothpastes as a foaming agent. The problem with Ethoxylation is its use of a petrochemical called Ethylene Oxide, which generates 1,4-Dioxan...

Phthalates is an ingredient found in many beauty and personal care products, most notably as a carrier for fragrance ingredients. Under current FDA labelling regulations, this ingredient can often be labelled just as "Fragrance", although it is major component in the composition of the product. In other products, it is listed, but as an acronym which makes it harder to identify.

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Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) is commonly used in cosmetics as cleansing agents, emulsifiers, skin conditioners, surfactants.

According to a report in the International Journal of Toxicology by the cosmetic industry's own Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) committee, impurities found in various PEG compounds include ethylene oxide; 1,4-dioxane; polycyclic aromatic compounds; and heavy metals such as lead...

Parabens are a group of synthetic preservatives commonly used in cosmetics. They are commonly found at the bottom of the ingredient listing, if one is available.

Common parabens are methylparaben, propylparaben and butylparaben.

Parabens and other synthetic preservatives are known to cause irritations to sensitive skin. Parabens were also found to cause heart tissue problems over an extended time pe...