What chemicals in cosmetics should I avoid using?

What chemicals in cosmetics should I avoid using?

Nick Lowe (Professor of Dermatology) gives expert video advice on: Are deodorants bad for my skin?; Are organic beauty products safer for my skin? and more...

If the cosmetic or a cosmeceutical, such as our own creams - they should all comply as we do with EEC guidelines of what is the safe and allowed amounts of types of chemical that we're allowed to formulate with. So, if it's a company that follows those guidelines, you should be alright. Make sure that you look for the label that contains all the ingredients, and if you have any questions, don't use it. The other issue is that anybody can become sensitised to one of the ingredients. There's a great myth that preservatives are harmful. In fact, preservatives aren't necessarily harmful. Some of the preservatives, for example, Parabens is an excellent and very safe preservative. And, there's another myth that all botanicals are safe. They're not. Some of the botanicals can be some of the most common sensitisers. The secret is to get a product that's get EEC listed ingredients, EEC approved listed ingredients. Get one you like. If you get any irritancy from them, you can stop them. My own products, as I say, have been thoroughly tested, and they contain a combination of safe, effective botanicals plus safe, effective preservatives. And that's the key. But it depends on there are products out there that don't follow the guidelines. So, you have to be wary.