What are the possible harmful effects of synthetic ingredients in cosmetics? Here are some, each with an example synthetic ingredient:

• allergenic: synthetic fragrances are the leading cause of allergic reactions to cosmetics
• dries skin and clogs pores: mineral oil is often used to cut the cost of creams
• toxic: parabens such as propylparaben, used as a cheap preservative
• irritant: propylene glycol is used as a cheap water retentive agent but a known skin irritant
• carcinogenic: sodium laureth sulfate can combine with other chemicals creating carcinogens

Why do large and brand name cosmetics manufacturers use potentially harmful synthetic ingredients rather than natural ones? Here are the three main reasons:

1. shelf life: Preservatives are needed to prevent creams and lotions from going ‘bad’, that is, from spoiling with mold and bacteria. Without preservatives, creams and lotions spoil within as little as a few weeks. Not good if you’re going to put the product in a store where it might sit for many months! There are many good natural preservatives available that extend the shelf life up to 2 years and sometimes even longer. But that is not good enough for large distribution centers and store chains. They demand a shelf life of at least 3 years which is standard in this industry. The easiest (and least costly) way is to use synthetic preservatives.
2. cost: No matter how you look at it, when it comes to lowering cost, synthetic ingredients win hands down over natural ingredients every time! To compete and to maximize profits, all costs in the manufacturing and marketing process must be kept to a minimum. This is especially so for large brand name manufacturers that have very high overhead, employee, packaging and marketing expenses. So what you get in that expensive jar of eye cream costs less than the jar it’s in, less than the box the jar comes in, less than the advertising cost to promote it — you get the picture!
3. consumer appeal: Powerful synthetic fragrances (listed on labels as ‘fragrance’ or ‘parfum’) are added to make products smell better or smell like perfume. They contain as many as 200 different ingredients to make up the strong artificial scent of strawberries, apples etc. They also have the added benefit of costing less than fragrances from natural sources and (very important here!) masking the chemical smells of other synthetic ingredients in the cream. Scents from natural sources are subtle (less noticeable) and can be very costly.

Synthetic colors are used for their variety of shades and brightness (as well as being less costly). Bright pink, strawberry flavored body creams are more appealing to many consumers than a pale yellow natural cream with only a hint of strawberry from natural sources.

What are the most common synthetic, harmful ingredients found in skin and body care products? Here is a list of some of the most harmful and what they are there for: (look for them on labels)

• parabens: methyl, propyl, butyl and ethyl parabens are used as chemical preservatives. In addition to being toxic, these chemicals have recently been shown to have estrogenic effects — of growing concern in relation to women’s risk of breast cancer.
• sulfates: SLS, or sodium laureth sulfate is used as an emulsifier which helps to create the foam in cleaners like shampoo. It is corrosive, an irritant and can cause hair loss and rashes.
• dimethicone: this is a silicone emollient (used to soften dry skin). However, they coat the skin, trapping anything beneath it, and do not allow the skin to breathe, leading to skin irritation.
• Triethanolamine (TEA): With Diethanolamine (DEA) also in the group, they are used as preservatives. They react with nitrites (found in many preservatives) to form nitrosamines.  These are carcinogenic and can be readily absorbed through the skin.
• PEG compounds: propylene glycol, polyethylene glycol and ethylene glycol are used to retain moisture in the skin. They are petroleum derivatives that can cause allergies.
• fragrance, parfum: these are standard generic terms in the cosmetics industry that stand for a mixture of chemicals (hundreds!), a concoction of ingredients to create just the right scent for a cream, lotion, air freshener, shampoo etc. These are mostly petroleum based and cause allergic reactions, skin irritations and are deadly to pet birds.
• mineral oil: a hydrocarbon obtained from petroleum, this ingredient is a cheap substitute for the quality oils found in truly natural products. It is, however, allergenic, photo toxic, dries skin and clogs pores.

Just to let you know, we found all of the above listed in many products that claim to be ‘natural’. We found them in health food stores as well as drug stores and department stores. They include leading brands of hair products, skin and body care creams and lotions.

Many off-the-shelf products in stores have misleading labels, with words like ‘aromatherapy’ and ‘natural’ freely used. Then, when you check the ingredients, at least one or more harmful synthetic ingredients are listed alongside natural ones (if there are any natural ingredients at all). And just because the manufacturer adds a drop or two of essential oils into the mix does not make it natural or an aromatherapy product!