Burt's Bees, well known for natural products, has a nice little wallet card that lists synthetic ingredients we should "always avoid" in our cosmetic products. It's worth sharing, but I will warn you that these absolutes rule out some fantastic products. So, here goes.
Cleansers: Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, and Sodium Myreth Sulfate (note that they are all sulfates)
Petrochemicals: Petrolatum, Mineral Oil, and Paraffin
Preservatives: Parabens (all of them) and DMDM Hydantoin.
Chemical Sunscreens: Oxybenzone, Avobenzone, and Octinoxate
Moisturizers: Propylene Glycol (also in antifreeze), Butylene Glycol, and Polyisobutene
Look carefully, and you will see at least one of these ingredients in your beauty stash. Given a choice, I will avoid them, but I won't rule out a fantastic product based on their presence. How do you feel?
Photo courtesy of Burt's Bees.
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