WHAT'S IN YOUR SKINCARE?
“You should never put anything on your skin that you wouldn’t eat.”We don’t eat chemicals and we don’t eat mineral oils, parabens, PEGs, artificial preservatives, colours or fragrances... and we certainly won’t feed them to you through your skin.
When it comes to health, it’s not just about what we put in our bodies that matters. It’s about what we put on our bodies, too. Did you know that women around the world spend billions of dollars on beauty products that may be harmful to their health? There are more than 80,000 chemicals on the market today that don’t have any safety data, and many contain harmful ingredients that are known toxins linked to very serious health problems.
None of those harmful ingredients are in any of the products we make.
You can trust that all the items we sell at Kaia Earth™ have met rigorous standards for health, safety, and effectiveness.
Choosing personal care products made with organic ingredients and without harmful chemicals safeguards you and your family and supports a healthier planet.
TOP 10 INGREDIENTS TO AVOID
10 Top Ingredients to Avoid in Personal Care Products.
Formaldehyde
Found in: shampoo, body wash, foundation, mouthwash, and toothpaste.
Formaldehyde is a known carcinogen that is also linked to asthma, neurotoxicity, and developmental toxicity. Used as a preservative in cosmetics.
Phthalates (DBP, DEHP, DEP and others)
Found in: synthetic fragrance, nail polish, hairspray, and plastic materials.
Phthalates are class of plasticizing chemicals used to make products more pliable or to make fragrances stick to skin. Phthalates disrupt the endocrine system and may cause birth defects
Fragrance
Found in: moisturizers, deodorant, lotion, face cream, shampoo, conditioner and all types of cosmetics.
Fragrance is an engineered scent or flavoring agent that may contain any combination of 3,000-plus stock chemical ingredients, including hormone disruptors and allergens. Law doesn’t require companies to list on product labels any of the chemicals in their fragrance mixture. Recent research from Environmental Working Group and the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics found an average of 14 chemicals in 17 name brand fragrance products, none of them listed on the label. Fragrances can contain hormone disruptors and are among the top 5 allergens in the world. Our advice? Buy fragrance-free wherever possible.
Petroleum distillates and Mineral Oils
Found in: mascara, hair dyes, self-tanners, and face moisturizers
Petroleum and mineral oil are "occlusive" agents—meaning they seal off the skin from air, water, or anything else getting in (or out). Wherever they're applied, they form an invisible film on the surface that blocks the pores and the skin's natural respiration. They are produced in oil refineries at the same time as automobile fuel, heating oil, and chemical feedstocks. As Women's Health reported: "There is strong evidence that mineral oil hydrocarbons are the greatest contaminant of the human body, amounting to approximately 1 g per person." In addition, mineral oil stays does not metabolize, they stay in your body... forever
Retinyl palmitate, retinyl acetate, retinoic acid, and retinol
Found in: moisturizer, lip products, sunscreen, anti-aging products.
Retinyl is a nutrient that may damage DNA and speed the growth of skin tumors when used topically during the day. Retinol products (often found in anti-aging products) have the opposite intended effect; it created changes in the skin that could lead to damage, aging, and cancer.
BHA and BHT synthetic antioxidants
Found in: exfoliates, perfume, lipsticks, moisturizers, diaper creams, and other cosmetics.
The National Toxicology Program classifies butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) as “reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen.” It can cause skin depigmentation. In animal studies, BHA produces liver damage and causes stomach cancers such as papilloma’s and carcinomas and interferes with normal reproductive system development and thyroid hormone levels. The European Union considers it unsafe in fragrance.
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate and Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLS and SLES)
Found in: shampoo, body wash, foundation, face wash, mouthwash, and toothpaste.
SLS and SLES are surfactants that can cause skin irritation or trigger allergies. It is also widely believed to be a major contributor to acne (especially cystic acne) around the mouth and chin.
Parabens
Found in: makeup, moisturizer, shaving gel, shampoo, personal lubricant and spray tan products.
The FDA acknowledges several studies linking parabens, which mimic estrogen, to breast cancer, skin cancer, and decreased sperm count, but has not ruled that it is harmful. According to the European Commission’s Scientific Committee on Consumer Products, longer chain parabens like propyl and butyl paraben and their branched counterparts, isopropyl, and isobutylparabens, may disrupt the endocrine system and cause reproductive and developmental disorders. Look for ingredients with the suffix “-paraben” as well—paraben-free products will be labeled as such.
Polyethylene glycol (PEG compounds)
Found in: scrubs, body wash, makeup, toothpaste
Those tiny plastic beads in face or lip scrubs and exfoliating washes are made from polyethylene (used because they’re gentler on the skin than natural exfoliators like walnut shells). These synthetic chemicals are frequently contaminated with 1,4-dioxane, which the U.S. government considers a probable human carcinogen and which readily penetrates the skin. Polyethylene has been noted as a skin irritant and should never be used on broken skin. Polyethylene beads in scrubs and body washes also are not filtered by our sewage systems, meaning they can collect pollutants and travel into waterways, where fish and marine animals consume them.
PEGs are widely used in cosmetics as thickeners, solvents, softeners, and moisture-carriers.
Methylisothiazolinone and Methylchloroisothiazolinone
Found in: shampoo, conditioner, and body wash.
Preservatives that are among the most common irritants, sensitizers, and causes of contact skin allergies.
Others ingredients to avoid...
Oxybenzone
Found in: sunscreen
Oxybenzone is one of the highest-risk chemicals found in sunscreen. It acts like estrogen in the body, alters sperm production in animals and is associated with endometriosis in women. Studies on cells and laboratory animals indicate that oxybenzone and its metabolites may disrupt the hormone system. Opt for sunscreens with zinc oxide or titanium oxide or avobenzene instead.
Dibutyl phthalate, toluene, and formaldehyde
Found in: nail polish and other nail products
These chemicals, known as the “toxic trio,” have been linked to birth defects, endocrine disruption, headaches, and respiratory problems—especially concerning for nail salon workers and those who frequently get manis or pedis. It’s advised that pregnant women avoid nail products altogether.
Hydroquinone
Found in: skin lighteners
The FDA warns that this skin-bleaching chemical can cause a skin disease called ochronosis, with “disfiguring and irreversible” blue-black lesions on the exposed skin. Illegally imported skin lighteners can contain mercury, which can poison adults and children and is especially toxic during pregnancy.
Be wary of imported skin lighteners, don’t buy products without ingredients clearly labeled, and always avoid products with “mercury” or “mercury chloride.”
"People need to become aware of the health hazards that arise from global trade and outsourcing to countries with few health regulations. We need to recognize the price people are paying with their lives so that we can have access to cheap products, and give more attention to the goods we purchase and the conditions in which they are produced."
This information contained on this site is general in nature and for informational purposes. It is not meant to substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professional. None of the statements on this site are recoemmendation as to how to treat any particular disease or health-related condition. If you suspect you have a disease or health-related condition of any kind, you should contact your health care professional inmmediately. Please read all product packaging carefully and consult with a heltcare professional before starting any diet, exercise, supplementation or medication program.
Cosmetic products have not been evaluated by Food and Drug Administration and are not intented to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease.