Deciphering your cosmetics: toxic or not?

Cosmetic labels are full of technical terms and sometimes misleading promises. Between endless ingredient lists and marketing slogans ("patented," "scientifically proven," "natural," etc.), it's hard to know what you're actually putting on your skin. Here's a guide to better understand ingredients, distinguish the beneficial ones from the harmful ones, and choose your products with full awareness.

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False friends to watch out for

The term "natural"

Highly marketable but poorly regulated, it does not guarantee a healthy composition. In some products, only 1 to 2% of the ingredients are truly natural: this is greenwashing .

Esterified and hydrogenated vegetable oils

• Resulting from chemical transformations (esterification, high-temperature heating).

• Devoid of nutrients, vitamins and antioxidants.

• They serve only as cheap filler .
  👉 On the labels: “hydrogenated”.

Palm oil

• It does not present a direct danger to the skin, but provides no benefit.

• Major problem: its ecological impact (deforestation, loss of biodiversity, social consequences).
  👉 On the labels: names ending in -capryl , or beginning with lauryl-, cetear-, stear-, palm-, myrist-, dodec- .

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The questionable ingredients

Mineral oils

• From petrochemicals (paraffinum liquidum, petrolatum, etc.).

• They create an occlusive film: they clog pores, they are comedogenic.

• Polluting, non-biodegradable and potentially irritating.

Silicones and synthetic polymers

• Derivatives of quartz, obtained through heavy chemical transformations.

• They give a velvety feel but provide no nutritional value to the skin.

• They create a skin-based dependency.

• Highly polluting production and strong environmental impact.
  👉 Look out for: dimethicone, cyclopentasiloxane, -thicone, -siloxane, PEG, PPG, acrylic, polymer…

Synthetic preservatives

• Examples: parabens, phenoxyethanol, triclosan, methylisothiazolinone, formaldehyde.

• They protect against bacteria and fungi, but are suspected of being allergens and endocrine disruptors .
  👉 Look out for: -paraben, MIT, Kathon CG, DMDM ​​hydantoin, diazolidinyl urea…

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Ingredients beneficial for the skin

Pure vegetable oils

• Derived from the cold pressing of oil-bearing seeds/fruits.

• Rich in vitamins (A, D, E, K) and unsaturated fatty acids.

• They nourish, hydrate and protect the skin.
  👉 Preferred: organic, unrefined, 100% pure.

Essential oils

• Concentrated plant extracts obtained by distillation.

• Powerful active ingredients should always be used diluted in a vegetable oil.

Vegetable butters (shea, cocoa…)

• Obtained from seeds rich in fatty acids.

• Nourishing, restorative, rich in antioxidants.

• They improve elasticity and delay skin aging.

Natural ingredients derived from green chemistry

• Processed without pollution, environmentally friendly.

• Examples: vegetable glycerin, sugar polymers, wood cellulose.

• They naturally stabilize and preserve creams.

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Good to know: how to read the INCI?

• Botanical name in Latin → plant used.

• Part of the plant in English (leaf, seed, flower…).

• Form : oil, water (hydrosol), essential oil, extract.

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In summary

Natural and responsible cosmetics are based on simple formulas, without superfluous ingredients, where each component has a real use for the skin.
Choosing your healthcare with full knowledge means:

• to protect one's health,

• preserve the environment,

• Consume less but better .

🚫 Ingredients to avoid or limit