Avobenzone, oxybenzone and homosalate: Chemical sunscreens.
Green warriors believe these may disrupt hormone balance and create free radicals.
Parabens: Chemical preservatives used to extend the shelf life.
Green warriors think they’re toxic and consider them a contaminant, skin allergen and hormone disruptor.
Sodium lauryl sulfate: A foaming agent.
Strips away natural oils and may irritate skin or be extremely drying.
Phthalates: Plasticizer chemicals used to hold colour and scent. Make rigid plastic soft. Often found in fragrances—though they usually aren't disclosed.
Suspected carcinogens; capable of mimicking hormones. Possible link to birth defects.
Propylene glycol: Humectant and penetration enhancer. Used to lock in moisture.
Green warriors consider this a skin irritant. Also linked to kidney, brain and liver damage.
Any ingredient with “eth” in its name, or PEG: This means the ingredient in question has been ethoxylated, a process that makes a harsh component milder.
Green warriors believe 1,4-Dioxane, a by-product of this process never listed among ingredients, is a likely carcinogen.
Petrochemicals such as silicone and mineral oil: Used to hold in moisture.
Derived from non-renewable crude oil. Green groups say they suffocate the skin, hindering normal respiration and creating problems such as dehydration or blocked pores, which you’re probably to trying alleviate.
FD&C or D&C, followed by a number: Artificial colour mostly derived from coal tar.
Green warriors consider these to be carcinogenic.
Parfum, fragrance or perfume: Artificial fragrance used to give any product a pleasant smell.
Green warriors consider them irritants and allergens, which can cause headaches, dizziness and rashes.
Read: GREEN BEAUTY GUIDE
An education in green beauty | The trade-offs | Ingredient watch list | Best eco-beauty products
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Rhiannon writes:
I take offense to the oft repeated phrases, "green warriors think" or "green warriors believe" peppered through the article. The negative effects and by-products of these chemical compounds are not just something "green warriors believe in", they are proven by science.
A lot of this same information can be easily found online on Material Safety Data Sheets and . Understanding these chemicals and knowing their effects is not a religion, or a doctrine or just something people "believe", it is science and fact.
Please conduct more responsible journalism in the future, please.
—posted March 10, 2010 at 2:10 a.m.
Sonia White writes:
One of the key issues in organic beauty is the labeling laws which allow many brands to claim green credentials while stiffing their products with harmful chemicals. While the law is clamping down on some practices, some brands are continiung their "greenwashing" by using meaningless words like organix on their products to fool consumers. That is why it is crucial to buy only certified organic products as these have been vetted by a recognized entity as containing only certified ingredients. These issue led me to set up Amarya a few years ago, which is the UK's first certified organic beauty store. Check out our website at www.Amarya.co.uk.
—posted March 23, 2010 at 7:09 a.m.
Susan writes:
I am OK with the "green" practice but I think a light and refreshing scent in products is very pleasant and shouldn't be irritating to most people! I have used some products that claimed to be fragrance free but had a strong medicinal smell that actually made me nauseous.
I fail to understand why people are so against pleasant smells.
—posted April 8, 2010 at 12:36 a.m.
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