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Cosmetics are now an essential part of daily life for many consumers – but have you ever questioned what the long ingredient names on the packaging mean? Next time you’re shopping, have a read of the packaging of any cosmetic product and see if you can spot any of these in the list below:


ACRYLATES & METHACRYLATES


Every allergic person’s nemesis, these two can cause very severe reactions and should be avoided at all costs.


These are waterproof, film-forming plastic agents used in sun cream and make-up. Their purpose is to help foundation stay on and last longer, create a hardened shell on products like mascara, liquid eyeliner and lipstick, and help make sun cream waterproof and stay on longer. Sounds great, right? Apart from the fact that there are numerous studies and research to support the fact that these two ingredients are very common allergens, as


Dermnet states:


“Direct contact with acrylate monomers produces classic allergic contact dermatitis. The dermititus is usually confined to the area of contact and may cause itching, burning, scaling, hives, and blistering.”


LIMONENE & LINALOOL (aka CITRUS PEEL EXTRACT)


Following suit and number two in the line-up of terrible cosmetic additives. These are basically citrus smelling perfumes used to cover up the bad smell of other chemicals and preservatives. It shocks me to know that these chemicals are not only used frequently in detergents and household cleaners, but also in make-up, shampoo, conditioner, skin moisturisers…basically every personal care product ever which directly touches the skin:


“The oxidized forms of the fragrance terpenes limonene and linalool are known to cause allergic contact dermatitis.”


FRAGRANCE/PARFUM/PERFUME/ESSENTIAL OIL EXTRACTS


My rule of thumb is to be immediately wary of any ingredient list which includes any of these terms. They are umbrella terms for elements like linalool and limonene which translates to needless allergenic chemicals:


“Fragrance ingredients are one of the most frequent causes of contact allergic reactions. Products labelled as 'fragrance free' have also been shown to contain fragrance ingredients, either because of the use of fragrance ingredients as preservatives or masking perfumes, or the use of botanicals.”


PHENOXYETHANOL


This is a preservative used in cosmetics to help reduce bacteria growth. It has some pretty nasty side effects:


“Phenoxyethanol is used as a preservative in cosmetic products and also as a stabiliser in perfumes and soaps. Exposure to phenoxyethanol has been linked to reactions ranging from eczema to severe, life-threatening allergic reactions.”


XANTHAN GUM


This is used to prevent separation in cosmetic products and as a thickener in toothpaste. Whilst xanthan gum is known to cause intestinal problems, there are also studies to support allergic reactions to this ingredient:


“There are several symptoms that help identify a xanthan gum allergy, including: excruciating intestinal cramps, sudden migraine attacks, temporary hike in the blood pressure, skin irritation, runny nose, sore and itchy eyes, asthma and breathing problems, nausea and vomiting, swelling of tongue and throat, swelling around lips, facial swelling and skin flushing, light-headedness, cough and hoarseness, sneezing and wheezing.”


TOCOPHEROL (Vitamin E)


This one is less offensive but should still be considered and ideally avoided when reading ingredient lists. It’s more of a challenge to find products which don’t contain any of the previous allergens as well as Tocopherol, so if you are really stuck you can make an exception for this one. After my third allergic reaction I actually developed an allergy to Tocopherol, which is one of the reasons why I couldn’t use Clinique make up anymore.


“Vitamin E, or DL-tocopherol, which has been widely used in topical ointments, may cause allergic contact dermatitis.”


DIMETHICONE


There are fewer studies and articles available to support any allergenic claims regarding Dimethicone. This is a silicon emulsifier, used to help products spread evenly across the skin and lock in moisture, commonly found in products like sun cream. As with Tocopherol, this is a less offensive allergen but should be one to look out for if you are experiencing heightened allergic reactions. It could be that the silicone properties of Dimethicone locks in other allergens known to cause contact dermatitis. Rather than causing the reaction itself, it exacerbates reactions to other substances through prolonged exposure.


The best thing consumers can do is to educate themselves on the true meaning behind complicated ingredient lists. Next time you are in Tesco or Boots, take a moment to see how many of these ingredients you can find on product packaging, especially on those products claiming to be natural, organic and even hypoallergenic.


Here are some great sources of information if you want to check any cosmetic ingredients for allergenic properties:


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