The skin is a permeable barrier as it is our largest organ. That is why it is especially important to use products that strengthen – and do not harm – this delicate barrier.
The skin is very absorbent, which you notice when you apply lotion. Ideally, we should not put anything on the skin that we cannot eat.
The same applies to hair care and oral care products. It is simply better for you, nature, and animals to use natural products.
In this article, we go through which chemicals we think you should watch out for in your bathroom cabinet. If you already have some of them in your products, it might be a good idea to do a purge and replace them with better alternatives.
All hair and skincare products sold on Glimja.se are completely free from harmful preservatives, synthetic additives, animal residues, and other substances that are not good for us or the earth in the long run.
Our products instead contain natural ingredients such as organic oils, fats and waxes, vitamins, plants and herbs, essential oils, etc. They have nurturing and healing properties that lay the foundation for long-term health and sustainability.
17 harmful substances in common body care
For simplicity, we have created a list of the most harmful substances found in skin and hair care. So you can check if the products you use daily contain ingredients we should all avoid.
It is worth knowing that some of these substances are also found in so-called "natural/organic body care." Therefore, there are many organic brands we have chosen not to sell.
None of the items on the list below are sold in any of our products.
1. Anything that starts and ends with: TEA, DEA, and MEA
DEA and MEA are hormone-disrupting chemicals known as Cocamide DEA or Lauramide DEA, and they produce carcinogenic nitrates and nitrosamines. They are used as solvents and cleaners.
TEA can undergo nitrosation when it comes into contact with other chemicals, becoming a carcinogenic nitrosamine. TEA stands for triethanolamine and is used as a thickening agent. It is allergenic and irritating and can release small amounts of formaldehyde, which is carcinogenic.
2. Phenoxyglycerin and Phenoxyethanol
Phenoxyethanol is a synthetic preservative, which together with ethylglycerin is used to produce Phenoxyglycerin. Both are synthetic chemicals.
Phenoxyethanol is produced through a reaction between phenol and ethylene oxide, which is a toxic substance. Phenol is made from the petrochemical benzene, which is carcinogenic, but also from propene.
Unfortunately, this has become a popular preservative in organic skincare as a substitute for parabens.
3. BHA & BHT
BHA and BHT are known allergy-causing substances used to prevent products from going rancid. In animal tests with these substances, changes appeared in the immune system and blood profile, as well as in the thyroid and liver.
Both substances accumulate in human tissue and reach the fetus. They can easily be replaced by the natural antioxidant Tocopherol (vitamin E). There is no reason to use them anymore, yet they still are.
4. Propylene glycol
Propylene glycol is used as a bactericidal and fungicidal agent. It enhances the preservative effect when used together with parabens. The substance is suspected to disrupt the brain, liver, and kidneys. It also irritates the skin.
Propylene glycol is an active substance also found in car engines as a coolant, in airplane cooling systems, rubber cleaning, polyurethane pillows, in paint, glue, enamel, varnishes, and many products as a solvent.
5. Surfactants: Sodium Laureth Sulfate / Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS/SLES)
SLS is an ingredient that causes foaming in many products. SLS can react with other ingredients such as DEA, MEA, and TEA to form nitrosamines, which are carcinogenic.
SLS alters the skin structure and allows other chemicals to penetrate deeper into your skin, thus letting more chemicals reach the bloodstream. It also removes the skin’s natural oils (used in industrial degreasing).
There are nearly 16,000 studies in the PubMed scientific library all demonstrating the toxicity of this chemical. Other names for this chemical are sodium lauryl sulfate, sodium laureth sulfate, sodium dodecyl sulfate, sulfuric acid, sodium salt sulfuric acid, A12-00356, Akyposal SDS, Aquarex, sodium lauryl sulfate.
6. Synthetic preservatives
The substances listed below are especially known to cause allergic reactions and skin irritation or release the carcinogenic substance formaldehyde: Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone, 2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol, diazolidinyl urea, DMDM hydantoin, imidazolidinyl urea, quaternium 15.
These are also dangerous preservatives: p-Phenylenediamine (toxic hair dye ingredient), Xylene, Toluene (solvent in, among other things, nail polish), Methyldibromo Glutaronitrile, Laurylpyridinium Chloride, Dichlorobenzyl Alcohol, Diazolidinyl Urea, Bromochlorophene, Chlorphenesin, Chlorothymol.
More harmful chemicals to avoid: Benzophenone 1, Benzophenone 3, Ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate in sunscreens (read more about this here)
7. Silicones: Cyclic siloxanes
Cyclic siloxanes are silicones often found in makeup, skin, and hair care products. They are a group of silicones that act as emollients, making the skin or hair feel smooth.
Common cyclic siloxanes are cyclotetrasiloxane (D4), cyclopentasiloxane (D5), and cyclohexasiloxane (D6). They are collectively called cyclomethicone. Watch out for any words containing "cone" or "siloxane".
The European Chemicals Agency ECHA has now classified D4 and D5 as persistent; they can accumulate in human tissues and remain in nature. They are suspected to affect the liver and respiratory organs. D4 is now banned in cosmetic products. On January 31, 2020, D5 was also limited to 0.1% in cosmetic products; D6 remains allowed.
8. The surfactants: Trideceth, Laureth, Ceteareth, Glycereth, and Steareth
Surfactants are listed on product labels, among other things, as ingredients ending in -eth. Anything starting with, for example, Trideceth- or Laureth- (with any number or word combination) is toxic both to aquatic organisms and the body.
Cleansing agents are the foaming emulsifiers called surfactants found in regular and some organic shampoos, shower gels, and hand soaps.
They are made to dissolve fat and dirt and keep it in a liquid form until washed away. All surfactants dissolve fat and can therefore also remove the skin’s natural fat substance, sebum, which leads to dry skin and dry scalp.
The cleansing agents can also penetrate cell membranes and thereby irritate the skin.
Some surfactants irritate more than others, for example, sodium lauryl sulfate and sodium laureth sulfate remove the natural protective fat layer and make the skin dry and more vulnerable.
Even Cocamidopropyl Betaine and Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate, which are used in some organic hair care, are less good in our opinion, so we have chosen not to sell products containing them.
In hair care at Glimja.se, instead "gentle" surfactants are used, like in 100% Pure’s shampoos. If you don’t want any surfactants at all in your hair, you should choose shampoo bars from Nea of Sweden, Grön Lycka, Malin i Ratan, Vermont soap, or Akamuti.
9. Parabens: Butyl-, Methyl-, Ethyl-, Propyl-, Benzyl-
Propylparaben, Methylparaben, and all other parabens used as preservatives should be avoided. More than a dozen scientific studies have shown that parabens have an estrogen-like effect.
The body can react to the false hormone or be prevented from reacting when a real hormone is produced.
It has also been scientifically shown that parabens found in, for example, deodorants and creams are absorbed through the skin and accumulate in tissue.
Overall, this does not say that parabens cause cancer. Nor does it say that parabens do not cause cancer.
The scientific community believes that substances like consumer products should be studied more closely, and that takes time. Dr. Philippa D. Darby, a laboratory technician from England, used chromatography and mass spectrometry to see if 20 samples of breast cancer tissue contained parabens.
Researchers say they found six different types of parabens in the tissue and all samples contained parabens. They say the average concentration of all types of parabens in the samples was roughly equal to the amount that caused breast cancer cells to grow in test tubes in previous studies.
Darby says a wide range of substances can mimic estrogen, including certain pesticides, cosmetics, and cleaning agents, and it is possible that aluminum salts and other inorganic estrogen-related substances called “metalloestrogens” may further disrupt normal hormonal signaling in the breast.
Darby also says that people's breasts today are exposed to a variety of environmental estrogenic insults.
According to Darby, aluminum from deodorants is particularly concerning because it is applied to an area near the breast and remains on the skin. Deodorants are often used after shaving, which makes it easier for aluminum salts to enter the bloodstream.
Studies have also shown that aluminum salts can penetrate human skin under the arms. However, Darby says much more research is needed before they can begin to determine the combined effects of all these chemicals.
The Environmental and Health Information Center has classified Butylparaben, Propylparaben, and Isotylparaben as “high environmental hazard.” They can also be called: Parahydroxybenzoic acid, Benzylparahydroxybenzoic acid, Methylparahydroxybenzoic acid, Ethylparahydroxybenzoic acid, Propylparahydroxybenzoic acid, or Butylparahydroxybenzoic acid.
10. Aluminum
Aluminum Sesquichlorohydrate, Aluminum Chloride, Aluminum Chlorohydrex PG, and Aluminum Chlorohydrate are all harmful substances used in deodorants.
They are synthetic aluminum salts that clog pores and can damage sweat glands and cause inflammatory reactions. Note that natural aluminum salts like alum or potassium alum are not harmful.
The body's detoxification system expels toxins and waste through sweat glands, which means that aluminum chloride contributes to reduced detoxification and cleansing in the body's lymphatic system. The body absorbs substances especially easily in the armpit area, particularly after shaving, which can easily damage the skin.
11. Emulsifiers: Mineral oils, Polysorbate 20, and all numbers
Emulsifiers are the oily or fatty parts of the emulsion. They prevent drying out and protect the skin by lubricating and softening it.
Most common skincare products use synthetically produced emulsifiers such as mineral oils (paraffin wax and petroleum jelly). Mainly because they are cheap and stable.
Mineral oil forms a layer over the skin and prevents it from breathing, blocks the excretion of waste products, and can thus irritate the skin.
Other synthetic emulsifiers include silicones (methicone and dimethicone). Like mineral oils, silicones can affect the skin’s ability to expel waste products and thus irritate the skin. Silicones are also not biodegradable.
Paraffin oils are extracted from by-products of crude oil distillation. They are easy to handle and cheap, so unfortunately they are used extensively. They often go by the names Mineral Oil, Paraffinum Liquidum, Vaseline, Paraffin, White mineral oil, Medical white oil, Oleum petrolen, Oleum vaselini, Paraffinum, Vaseline Oil, E 905, Paraffin Oil, Liquid paraffin.
Polysorbate 20 and others with different numbers are harmful emulsifiers. Polysorbates are synthetic and produced on a large scale in industry, and residues of ethylene oxide may remain in the chemical.
Polysorbates are also often used in organic soap; we have chosen not to sell it for safety reasons.
12. Anything containing the words: PPG and PEG (polyethylene glycol)
PPG and PEG are so-called ethoxylated ingredients produced through heavy chemical processes requiring very strict safety measures. PEG is synthetically produced from propylene.
These very dangerous substances are considered practical and cheap as, for example, emulsifiers, binders, and softeners. They can be found in makeup, skincare, shampoo, conditioner, baby wipes, and more.
They can make the skin more permeable and allow harmful substances to enter. They are considered hormone-disrupting and carcinogenic. Carcinogenic because during breakdown they can release small amounts of formaldehyde. In ingredient lists, they are listed as PEG-8, Peg-100 Stearate, etc.
13. Phthalates
Phthalates are softening chemicals widely used in plastics. Phthalates is a collective name for a large group of chemical substances based on phthalic acid.
Phthalates are used in fragranced beauty products such as conventional perfume, creams, soap, and shampoo to make the scent last longer.
Phthalates can be found in perfumes, vinyl/PVC floors, older toys, beach balls, gym balls, exercise mats, and more. Unfortunately, they are still often found in shaving creams, makeup, and skin creams despite many being banned by the EU.
Therefore, it is always best to buy natural body care and replace plastic at home in the kitchen. They can be listed as dibutyl and diethylhexyl.
14. PFAS
In cosmetics, PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are most often found in waterproof makeup. PFAS is a large group of substances developed to resist dirt, grease, and water. The best-known PFAS substances are PFOS and PFOA.
When they enter nature, they do not break down but remain and can accumulate in plants and animals. They persist for a long time in our bodies and in our environment.
We ingest these substances when we drink water and through foods like fish, eggs, and fruit. Releases into nature occur during the manufacturing of products (such as kitchen utensils with Teflon).
These substances are transferred via the placenta and breast milk to fetuses and breastfed infants. Studies show that PFAS substances can affect the immune system, birth weight, blood cholesterol levels, and liver enzymes.
200 PFAS substances are banned within the EU, but many other PFAS substances are still allowed.
PFAS ingredients can be called; PTFE, Polytef, Polytefum, any words containing “perfluoro” or “polyfluoro,” C9-15 Fluoroalcohol phosphate, Ammonium C6-16 Perfluoroalkylethyl Phosphate, Polyperfluoroethoxymethoxy Difluoroethyl Peg Phosphat, Polyperfluoromethylisopropyl ether, Perfluorooctyl triethoxysilane.
15. Triclosan and fluoride
Triclosan is used as an antibacterial agent in, among other things, toothpastes and dish soaps. It is very harmful to nature and questioned for human health – as it appears to have carcinogenic effects.
Fortunately, this substance has significantly decreased in beauty products in recent years. We do not recommend fluoride in toothpaste, but that is a topic of its own.
16. Dioxin
Dioxin has been identified as one of the 216 chemicals linked to breast cancer in animal studies on rats (Cancer’s 2007, article on carcinogens).
The danger of dioxins was first pointed out as early as 1965 and later confirmed (1978), yet they are still used in today’s hair and skin products.
Since the FDA recognized the dangers around 1985, it has been emphasized that manufacturers should avoid these toxins or reduce them to doses below 10 ppm.
In 2005, a study by the USFDA (Federal Drug Administration, USA) showed that all seven tested tampon brands from well-known, conventional brands contained measurable levels of dioxin. So organic tampons should be an obvious choice.
Humans mostly ingest dioxins and PCBs through food, including fatty fish. Feel free to read more about this at the National Food Agency.
17. Nanoparticles
Nanoparticles are particles or substances that are nanosized (extremely small). They are therefore very reactive and can easily interact with our cells and be transported through the blood into our brains.
In cosmetics, nanoparticles can be found in sunscreens. Nanoparticles can be present in many things like packaging, food, and textiles. These particles also have a negative environmental impact.
At Glimja, we have zero tolerance for nanoparticles. This applies not only to cosmetics but also to other categories such as food, toys, household items, and more.
