What are beauty betrayers?
The term 'beauty betrayer' was coined in Jolene Hart's wonderful Eat Pretty, a book dedicated towards guiding you to eat better for a more beautiful, healthy you. But it applies to what you put not only on the inside if your body, but outside too. The products that you use to beautify and pamper may be the very things that are making your skin dry, dull and irritable. So for the purposes of this post, beauty betrayers are those hidden ingredients that pretend they are there for you- when in reality they are working against you! And it's time to put an end to that.
Ingredients to avoid in your cosmetics
We've written before about the chemical nasties lurking in your soaps and creams, and we'll never tire of suggesting better ways to pamper yourself. Here are the things you definitely do need to ditch:
- Phthalates- see this post for more info on why you really don't need these nasties in your cosmetics.
- Parabens- more nasty chemicals that just aren't needed. Parabens can cause skin irritation, reproductive health issues and have been linked to cancer too. Avoid!
- Microbeads- sound harmless enough, especially when you're told they will exfoliate your skin and leave it soft and fresh. But microbeads are actually plastic particles that are added to face washes and showergels and while they might not do YOU much damage, the same can't be said for the world you live in. Those microbeads don't go anywhere when they're washed down the drain and they absorb other toxic substances too. Look out for polyethylene on your labels.
- Triclosan- often found in soaps, this stuff can dry your skin and accelerate the ageing process while it's at it. Why would you put that on your skin?
- Sodium Laureth Sulfate- this chemical gives you a foamy face wash. It's no good for your skin though, and will leave it feeling irritated instead.
- PEG compounds- nasties often found in creams and emolients.
- Synthetic fragrances- the number one reason why you may be allergic to your cosmetics! Avoid at all costs.
- sustainable
- organic
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- healthy natural
- non-tocxic
- pure botanical
- safe