Fragrance
“But I like sweet-smelling things!,” people may protest. Yet why does aroma (also known as scent) cause harm to your skin? Scent is composed of sweet-smelling chemicals found both naturally and synthetically produced, used extensively in beauty products that contain it and has many harmful hidden toxicants which could harm you without you realizing. Without your knowledge aroma may irritate skin conditions, have negative hormonal impacts and potentially cause malignant growth – yet its appeal may lead to less than desirable consequences on both health and the senses; instead try finding natural scents without synthetic components if possible!
Formaldehyde
Formaldehyde, an odorless and noncombustible gas, is widely used as an additive in skincare and beauty care products such as nail cleaner, cosmetics, moisturizers and antiperspirants. Exposure can cause skin rashes, difficulty with breathing, watery eyes and nosebleeds when breathed in; additionally it has been identified by The International Agency for Research on Cancer as human carcinogen. If your work requires long term exposure (nail technician or salon beautician for instance), ventilation or windows can help decrease exposure thereby decreasing risks.
Chemicals like SLS/SLES can be found in body washes, cleansers, shampoos and conditioners to inhibit bacterial growth. According to the International Agency for Research on Carcinogens, it has been linked with cancers like nasopharyngeal and nasal cancer as well as skin allergies affecting immune systems and even cancer cases.
Phenoxyethanol
Phenoxyethanol, commonly found in beauty care products and fragrances as an anti-microbial and stabilizer, can be toxic when swallowed or inhaled through skin absorption, particularly by nursing mothers and babies. Phenoxyethanol may alter cognitive development as well as impact sensory systems – it irritates skin, eyes and causes rankling on skin too! Although many skin health management products (even organic products) use “safe” amounts of phenoxyethanol regularly (albeit with lower frequency), its cumulative effects could become dangerous over time and cause adverse outcomes or worse effects than expected.
