When you shop for soap, shampoo, facial care, bath products and other personal care products, what’s on your mind as you look through the shelves? Probably what smells nice, will make your hair shinier (fuller, prettier, glowing!), what might knock off a few years, etc. Right?

Please add a cheat sheet – or a good memory – to those requirements. Protecting your health is an important beauty aid. You’ll look much better healthy vs. ill.

There are, unfortunately, all kinds of chemical additives that can cause cancer as well as kidney and brain abnormalities, eye damage and more. They also can be responsible for more minor issues like headaches, nausea, allergic reactions and dizziness showing up in your life. Isn’t it just safer and good health insurance to avoid them? I wish companies did this for us, but … they don’t. So it’s up to you to be the protector of your health.

Here are some of the biggest offenders; jot them down or print this list and carry it with you:

Propylene glycol

This is the active ingredient in antifreeze. So, you say, you have no plan to go out and drink some antifreeze? Great, but you may be putting it in your mouth without realizing it. It’s in many toothpastes as well as makeup and deodorant. What makes me shake my head and wonder how we got so off track is that those who work with this are required to wear protective gloves, clothes and goggles. And yet the FDA deems this okay to put in our mouths!

Sodium lauryl sulfate and sodium laureth sulfate

These are commonly found in products we expect to be foamy or sudsy, like shampoos, soaps, detergents and, again, toothpaste. But it also is in things like mouthwash, mascara and skin lotion. Why is it so commonly used? It’s cheap.

Triclosan

We somehow were taught to be in love with antibacterials. While we believe we’re happily protecting our health and that of our loved ones, this item is registered by the EPA as a pesticide. In other words, it’s highly toxic to any living organism. Not just the typical “pests,” but we lovely humans, too. This sort of chemical is showing up like multiplying bunnies in a huge variety of products. All you can do is be determined to read those labels. Non-informed is a risk to your long term health, bank account and quality of life.

Fragrance

This is a tough one; it’s all over the place. Fragrance doesn’t mean some nice, pretty, natural, good-smelling stuff added to your product. It is a word used to cover thousands of different ingredients, most of which are toxic or cancer-causing. Exposure to these has been shown to affect the central nervous system. No, you don’t need this for your laundry or whatever to smell “nice.” Clean smells nice, and there are natural products that will do what you want, still smell either pure or fragrant and not damage your health.

Phthalates and parabens

Banned by the European Union 9 years ago, these are commonly used as a preservative. Yeah, it’ll keep that product preserved. You? Not so much. Instead, you’ll be at greater risk of cancer, particularly breast cancer.

DEA (diethanolamine), MEA (monoethanolamine) and TEA (triethanolamine)

These three have a strong link to kidney and liver cancer plus they disrupt your hormones. Having hormonal issues? Wonder why?

Sadly, this is just a short, starter list of some of the worrisome ingredients. What to know more? The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics has it. You can find them at: Safe Cosmetics.