Below is a list of some ingredients which may cause skin damage from prolonged use or which are just unnecessary.
Imidazolidinyl Urea and Diazolidinyl Urea:
Skin Care Ingredients
These are used as preservatives in order to prohibit bacterial growth though they are not effective in killing fungi. Both are known to be a fairly common cause of contact dermatitis. The trade names for these ingredients are Germall II and Germall 115. Germall 115 is known to release formaldehyde which is a potentially toxic substance. The potential for long term skin damage from these ingredients has not been sufficiently studied but there is a very high probability that it exists.
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate:
This refers to a detergent that is generally found in shampoos as well as other cleansers. It is quite safe due to the short period of time that it is in contact with the skin. But prolonged exposure can cause irritation to the skin, dryness as well as other minor damage. In fact, sodium lauryl sulfates are usually used in experiments as a skin irritant when the skin protectors are being studied. It is a good idea to stay away from products containing sodium lauryl sulfates unless the skin contact time is very short. This is particularly true in the case of skin cleansers.
Mineral Oil:
This refers to a cheap base that you can find in some products, which is made up of hydrocarbons based in petroleum. Mineral oil can be moderately comedogenic but can also inhibit perspiration besides other basic skin functionality.
Synthetic Colors:
Since there have been no conclusive studies regarding the long term effects of synthetic colors, thus it is impossible to say if they are totally safe or mildly damaging with prolonged use. Since synthetic colours have no real purpose hence, it is better to avoid them when possible. They appear as FD&C or D&C which is followed by a colour and number on the label.
Synthetic Fragrances:
Nearly 200 synthetic fragrances are used in the production of cosmetics, for which there is no regulation for their naming on packaging; they are just listed as “fragrance”. The safety levels of fragrances are still doubtful. It is better to stay away from them as they have no benefits. Though it is nice to have a cream that smells good, but in case the safety level is questionable then it is better to stay away from it. The other issue with fragrance is that it can often cover up spoilage of the product.
Ethanolamines (Monoethanolamine/MEA, Diethanolamine/DEA, and Triethanolamine/TEA):
These are commonly found pH based stabilizers which can cause irritation or become toxic when exposed to air. It is still not clear as to what the level of nitrosamines get formed during the normal use of skin care products which contain ethanolamines.
Parabens (e.g. Methyl, Ethyl, Propyl and Butyl Paraben):
These are used as preservatives as they stop microbial growth besides giving an extended shelf life to the products which contain them. When methyl parben degrades it tends to release methanol, a potentially toxic chemical. But the level of methanol released from methyl paraben when used as an ingredient in the skin care products is so low that there are no real side effects. Few people’s skin reacts to paraben, but more research is required in order to understand whether they are non-toxic or in case they have a capability of causing low level skin damage after long term use.