With our busy daily lives, nobody has time to sit down and read all the ingredients on the back of a shampoo bottle. But just what are we putting on or in our bodies on a daily basis? Save yourself the hard work and check out these ingredients to avoid in your beauty routine.

Natural Skin

1. Irritants

Anything we apply on our skin could be a disaster if we’re not careful. Generally, artificial ingredients such as sodium lauryl sulfate (a foaming agent) can cause our hair and skin to dry out by removing natural oils. You’ll find this in many high street shampoos.

The same applies with hair dye – if you have a sensitive scalp, look out for dyes that contain paraphenylenediamine (PPD). This is also used in inks and can cause contact dermatitis.

2. Animal Products

We shouldn’t need to harm animals to look or feel beautiful. Look out for ingredients such as marine collagen, beeswax, lanolin, keratin, and squalene. Many of these are used in moisturizers and shampoos, so always look for vegan alternatives where you can.

3. Non-Ethically-Produced Beauty Products

In some cases, beauty products don’t directly contain animal ingredients, but instead can harm animal or forest environments. Palm oil is a great example of this – you may find it in some shampoos and lipsticks, as well as a huge number of food products from ice cream to noodles.

There’s also evidence to suggest that some sunscreens could be contributing to the destruction of coral reefs. Avoid products that contain oxybenzone, as these could contribute to coral bleaching. Instead, look for sunblock that contains titanium dioxide or zinc oxide.

Don’t panic if you’ve bought these products before – they’re everywhere! Just keep your eyes open for alternatives and always read the label.