Sunscreen with Oxybenzone, Octinoxate, and Homosalate
With summer right around the corner it’s inevitable that you’ll need to pick up a bottle of sunscreen before you head to the beach. You should also be wearing sunscreen on a day to day basis according to derms, but it remains just as important to double check the ingredients list before purchasing the cheapest option at the store. “Sunscreen is mandatory when it comes to skincare and drugstore sunscreen is really popular. But watch out for the label for ingredients such as Oxybenzone, Octinoxate, and Homosalate,” warns dermatologist Dr. Smriti Shrestha.
“Oxybenzone is an endocrine disruptor as it gets easily absorbed in the body. Oxitonate and Homosalate cause irritation to sensitive skin.” Instead, she recommends opting for sunscreen which contains non-nano zinc oxide or non-nano titanium dioxide as these ingredients are well known for fighting off UV.
Scrubs with Fragrance
Across the board, fragrance is one of the most common irritants found in skincare products. In combination with abrasive scrubs, this can cause abrasions on the face which may lead to premature aging and micro-damage. In particular, the St. Ives scrub line should be avoided for its overwhelming use of fragrance. “Fragrance just doesn’t imply perfume,” explains Shrestha. “The ingredients used for fragrance often include petroleum or coal-derived chemicals. They are known to be nose and skin irritants. Using the scrub every day can actually cause your skin to tear with infection and irritation.” If you do choose to exfoliate your skin, give it at least a day in between each scrub, and choose an option which contains no fragrance.
Products with Formaldehyde
It may seem like a no-brainer, but formaldehyde should never be included in your skincare routine, although it can often be found in drugstore products as a preservative. “You would find them in hair straightening products, nail polish, eyelash glue, nail polish remover and Keratin treatment to name a few,” warns Shrestha. “The use of formaldehyde-releasing preservatives can cause irritation in the skin. Pay careful attention to labels for formaldehyde releasers such as Imidazolidinyl urea, Diazolidinyl urea, Bronopol, DMDM hydration.” Really it comes down to checking out the ingredients list before purchasing any skincare products, but while affordable and full of good options, the drugstore can be a minefield of potentially damaging ingredients for your skin.