There are a long list of ingredients that you should try to avoid that are used in beauty and personal care items, but you especially want to be careful with your skin, because you only have one face, which everyone sees, and it’s your face forever! This list attempts to be comprehensive but obviously can’t cover everything. In general I recommend you take caution when you see these general categories in the ingredients list:
- Alcohol (Exceptions are “good” fatty alcohols the most common being: Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol)
- Parabens (usually end with “-paraben”)
- Citrus peel oils (basically if you see the name of a fruit take caution)
- Essential oils
- Fragrance (Perfume, Parfum etc.)
- Fermented ingredients (contain yeast which causes fungal acne)
- Natural plant extracts
- Natural oils
- Mineral oil
- PEGs
- Preservatives
- SLS or SLES
- Silicones (often end with “-icone”, “-silane”, “-siloxane”)
- Sulfates (usually end with “sulfate”)
This list will be continuously updated as my knowledge of sensitizing skin ingredients or irritants expands.
You should use your own discretion if you think your skin can handle these ingredients or not, and it might be hard to avoid *ALL* of these, but especially if you have sensitive skin you should be aware that these ingredients can irritate your skin and exercise healthy caution when buying skincare with them, especially if they are higher up in the ingredients list.
Not ALL these ingredients are necessarily EVIL and many serve their own purpose in products’ formulations, but they all ARE potential skin irritants so #wordtothewise.
Sources include but are not limited to:
Ingredients List:
Acetic acid (Vinegar)
Acetylated Lanolin Alcohol
Acrylates (silicone)
Acrylamide
Alcohol
Alcohol Denat. (Denatured Alcohol)
Almond Oil (Almond Sweet Oil, Sweet Almond Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil) (for oily skin types)
Almond Sweet Oil (Almond Oil, Sweet Almond Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil) (for oily skin types)
Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone (synthetic fragrance)
Aluminum sulfate
Ammomium chloride (Alkaline salt)
Amodimethicone (silicone)
Apricot Oil (for oily skin types)
Apricot Kernel Oil (for oily skin types)
Argan Oil (Argania Spinosa, Argania Spinosa Oil, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil)
Argania Spinosa (Argan Oil)
Argania Spinosa Oil (Argan Oil)
Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil (Argan Oil)
Avobenzone (sunscreen ingredient)
Balm Mint Extract
Benzisothiazolinone (BIT)
Benzophenone
Benzyl Alcohol
Bergamot Fruit Oil (Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil)
BHT
bis-PEG-18 methyl ether dimethyl silane
Bitter Orange Peel Oil
Butoxyethanol
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter (Shea Butter) (for oily skin)
BHA (Butylated hydroxyanisole)
BHT (Butylated hydroxytoluene)
BIT (benzisothiazolinone)
Bronopol
Butylene Glycol
Butylparaben
Carbomer
Cedrus Atlantica Bark Extract
Cedrus Atlantica Bark Oil (Cedarwood Oil)
Cedarwood Oil
Cetyl Acetate
Chlorphenesin
Cinnamon
Citral
Citric Acid
Citronellol
Citrus Aurantifolia Peel Oil (Lime Peel Oil)
Citrus Aurantium Amara Peel Oil (Bitter Orange Peel Oil)
Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil (Bergamot Fruit Oil)
Citrus Grandis Peel Oil (Grapefruit Peel Oil)
Citrus Limon Peel Oil (Lemon Peel Oil)
Citrus Nobilis Peel Oil (Mandarin Orange Peel Oil)
Citrus Paradisi Peel Oil (Pink Grapefruit Peel Oil)
Clove Oil
Coal Tar
Cocoa Butter (especially for oily skin types)
Coco-Betaine (Cocamidopropyl Betaine)
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cocamide DEA (Diethanolamine)
Cocamide MEA (Monoethanolamine)
Coconut Oil (Cocos Nucifera Oil)
Cocos Nucifera Oil (Coconut Oil)
Corylus Avellana Seed Oil (Hazelnut Oil, Hazel Seed Oil) (for oily skin)
Conditioning Polymers
Copolymers
Cornmint
Crosspolymers
Cymbopogon Schoenanthus Oil (Lemongrass Oil)
Cyclomethicone (silicone)
Cyclopentasiloxane (silicone)
Diazolidinyl Urea
DBP (Dibutyl phthalate)
DEA (Diethanolamine)
DEP (Diethyl phthalate)
Dimethicone (silicone)
Dimethicone PEG-8 Polyacrylate
Dimethiconol (silicone)
Dimethicone Copolymer
Dimethicone Copolyol
Dimethyl- dimethyl hydantoin (DMDM hydantoin)
Dimethyl Ether
DMP (Dimethyl Phthalate)
Disodium EDTA (it’s really hard to avoid this ingredient entirely; try aiming for products that have this at or towards the bottom of the list, not the top)
DMDM hydantoin (dimethyl- dimethyl hydantoin)
EDTA (ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid)
Essential Oils
ETA (Ethanolamine)
Ethanol
Ethanolamine (ETA)
Ethyl Alcohol
Ethylhexylglycerin
Ethylhexyl Palmitate
Ethylparaben
Eucalyptus Essential Oil (Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil)
Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil (Eucalyptus Essential Oil)
Fermented Ingredients (cause fungal acne because of high yeast content)
Formaldehyde
Frankincense Extract
Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate (Pitera) (causes fungal acne)
Geraniol (fragrance ingredient)
Geranium Oil
Glyceryl Polyacrylate
Grapefruit Peel Oil (Citrus Grandis Peel Oil)
Guarana
Hamamelis virginiana (Witch Hazel) Water
Hazelnut Oil (Hazel Seed Oil, Corylus Avellana Seed Oil) (for oily skin)
Hazel Seed Oil (Hazelnut Oil, Corylus Avellana Seed Oil) (for oily skin)
Homosalate (sunscreen ingredient)
Hydrogen peroxide
Hydroquinone (sunscreen ingredient, moisturizer ingredient)
Hydroxybenzoic Acid (paraben)
Imidazolidinyl Urea
Isopropyl Alcohol (Rubbing Alcohol is ~70% Isopropyl Alcohol)
Isopropyl Isostearate
Isopropyl Lanolate
Isopropyl Linoleate
Isopropyl Myristate
Isopropyl Palmitate
Ivy Extract
Jasmine Oil (Jasminum Officinale Oil)
Jasminum Officinale Oil (Jasmine Oil)
Jojoba Oil (Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil) (For oily skin types)
Juniper Berry
Lady’s Mantle Extract
Lanolin
Lavandula Officinalis
Lavender Extract
Lavender Oil (Lavandula Angustifolia Oil)
Lemon
Lemon Fruit Extract (Citrus Limon Fruit Extract)
Lemon Peel Oil (Citrus Limon Peel Oil)
Lemongrass Extract
Lemongrass Oil (Cymbopogon Schoenanthus Oil)
Lime Oil (Citrus Aurantifolia Oil)
Lime Peel Oil (Citrus Aurantifolia Peel Oil)
Limonene (fragrance ingredient)
Linalool (fragrance ingredient)
Lye
Macadamia Oil (Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil) (for oily skin types)
Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil (Macadamia Oil) (for oily skin types)
Mandarin Orange Extract
Mandarin Orange Peel Oil (Citrus Nobilis Peel Oil)
Marula Oil (for oily skin)
Melissa officinalis (Balm mint extract)
Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Oil
Mentha Viridis (Spearmint) Leaf Oil
Menthol
Methanol
Methicone (silicone)
Methyl Alcohol (methanol)
Methylchloroisothiazolinone (CMIT)
Methyl hydroxybenzoate (Methylparaben)
Methylisothiazolinone (MIT)
Methyl Lactate
Mineral Oil
Mint
Methlyparaben
Moringa Oil (Moringa Seed Oil, Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil) (for oily skin types)
Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil (Moringa Oil, Moringa Seed Oil) (for oily skin types)
Moringa Seed Oil (Moringa Oil, Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil) (for oily skin types)
Myristyl Myristate
Natural plant extracts
Octinoxate (sunscreen ingredient)
Octocrylene (sunscreen ingredient)
Octyl Palmitate (Ethylhexyl Palmitate)
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil (Olive Oil) (for oily skin)
Olive Oil (Olea Europaea Fruit Oil) (for oily skin)
Orange Blossom Extract
Orange Peel Oil
Orchid
Oregano
Oxybenzone (sunscreen ingredient)
PABA (para-aminobenzoic acid) (sunscreen ingredient)
Palmarosa Oil
Parabens
Paraffin
Paraffin Oil
Parfum (Fragrance)
Patchouli
PEGs (Polyethylene glycols)
PEG-12 dimethicone (silicone)
PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
PEG-32 sodium chloride
Pelargonium Graveolens Oil (Rose Geranium Essential Oil/Geranium Oil)
Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil (Rose Geranium Oil/Geranium Oil)
Pelargonium Graveolens Leaf Oil (Rose Geranium Leaf Oil/Geranium Leaf Oil)
Peppermint Oil
Perfume (Fragrance)
Persea Gratissima Oil (Avocado Oil) (for oily skin)
Petrolatum
Phenethyl Alcohol
Phenoxyethanol (it’s hard to avoid this ingredient entirely, try to make sure this is towards the bottom of the list)
Phenyl trimethicone (silicone)
Phthalates
Pine Oil
Pink Grapefruit Peel Oil (Citrus Paradisi Peel Oil)
Pitera (Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate) (causes fungal acne)
Plant extracts (in general)
Polyacrylamide
Polyethylene
Polyethylene glycols (PEGs)
Polyquaternium-5
Polyquaternium-7
Polyquaternium-15
Polyquaternium-69
Propylparaben
Propylene Glycol
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil (Almond Oil, Almond Sweet Oil, Sweet Almond Oil)
Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil (Apricot Kernel Oil, Apricot Oil) (for oily skin types)
Rosa Damascena Flower Oil (Damask Rose Flower Oil)
Rose Oil
Rosemary Oil (Rosmarinus officinalis Leaf Oil)
Rosewood Oil
Rosmarinus officinalis Leaf Oil (Rosemary Oil)
Sage Oil
Sandalwood Oil
SD alcohol (Specially denatured alcohol)
Sea buckthorn oil (for oily skin)
Shea Butter (Butyrospermum Parkii Butter) (for oily skin)
Silicones
Sodium carbonate
Sodium Chloride (Salt)
Sodium Cocoate
Sodium hydroxide
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (aka SLS)
Sodium Laureth Sulfate or Sodium Lauryl Ether Sulfate (aka SLES)
Sodium palm kernelate
Sodium palmate
Sodium silicate
Spearmint Oil (Mentha Spicata Herb Oil)
Sodium Polyacrylate
Stearic Acid
Sweet Almond Oil (Almond Oil, Almond Sweet Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil) (for oily skin types)
Sulfates
Sulfur
Synthetic polymers
Talc
Tangerine Leaf Oil
TEA (Triethanolamine)
TEA-lauryl sulfate
Thyme Oil
Triclosan
Triclocarban
Triethanolamine (TEA)
Trimethicone (silicone)
Triticum Vulgare Germ Oil (Wheat Germ Oil)
Wheat Germ Oil (Triticum Vulgare Germ Oil)
Witch Hazel
Witch Hazel Extract
Ylang Ylang Oil (Cananga odorata oil)
Zinc sulfate
The Queen of Skincare Addiction’s Diary 