How to Stay Healthy By Avoiding Toxins in Body Products – Part 4

Last updated: May 2026

This is the fourth and final article in our series on how to stay healthy by avoiding toxins. Catch up on the rest of the series:

• Part 1: Avoiding toxins in your food — eat organic whenever possible.
• Part 2: Avoiding toxins in your water — invest in a quality water filter.
• Part 3: Avoiding toxins in your home and air — use an air purifier and choose natural home furnishings.

This article tackles the last major pathway toxins use to enter your body: through your skin. Conventional body products are loaded with potentially harmful ingredients, including soaps, lotions, makeup, sunscreen, perfume, hair dyes, and deodorants. Here's what to know, and how to make smarter choices.

Why Body Products Matter More Than You Think

The skin is highly absorbent and takes on chemicals it comes into contact with. This process is called dermal absorption — chemicals penetrate the skin and enter the bloodstream. This matters because, on average, women use 12 beauty products a day and men use 6 products a day, as reported by the Environmental Working Group.

The chemicals used in these beauty products are tested for short-term problems like skin irritation, but they are not tested for long-term safety. For example, Harvard Health Publishing reports a strong link between hair dye and breast cancer. Many ingredients used in beauty products are carcinogenic or linked to reproductive and developmental harm. These ingredients can be absorbed both through the skin and through inhalation (from the fragrances they release into the air).

The Regulatory Problem: Why the FDA Isn't Protecting You

The FDA does not actively regulate the ingredients used in beauty products. To put that in perspective: the FDA has banned only 9 ingredients due to safety concerns. Meanwhile, the European Union and other regulators around the world have banned over 1,400 different cosmetic ingredients. Many of those banned ingredients are still legally used in American products every day.

That means the responsibility for avoiding toxic ingredients largely falls on the consumer. Reading labels, knowing which ingredients to watch out for, and choosing brands with truly clean formulations is essential.

Toxic Ingredients to Watch For

WebMD identifies 11 ingredients and Skinkraft identifies 16 ingredients that are known to cause harm. Some are familiar names that "clean beauty" brands advertise avoiding:

• Parabens — preservatives linked to hormone disruption and breast cancer.
• Sodium laureth sulfate (and sodium lauryl sulfate) — surfactants that can be contaminated with carcinogenic byproducts.
• PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) — the same "forever chemicals" found in non-stick cookware and water, now also showing up in cosmetics. Linked to hormone disruption and several cancers.
• Phthalates — endocrine disruptors often hidden under generic "fragrance" labels.
• Formaldehyde and formaldehyde-releasing preservatives — known carcinogens.
• Synthetic fragrances — a catch-all that can hide dozens of undisclosed chemicals, many of them sensitizers or endocrine disruptors.

Both the WebMD and Skinkraft articles are good starting points for researching toxic ingredients in body care. But keep in mind: even while avoiding the most "reported on" chemicals, there could be a variety of toxins that are simply overlooked or lesser-known. Just because an ingredient isn't mainstream doesn't mean it isn't harmful.

How to Choose Truly Safe Body Products

Because the cosmetics industry is so loosely regulated, the only truly safe approach is to use all-natural body products from brands you trust. A few steps to make smarter choices:

1. Start at a natural foods store. Brands carried at health food stores tend to be cleaner than mass-market drugstore brands, but this isn't a guarantee — read every label.
2. Read ingredient lists carefully. Even brands marketed as "natural" or "clean" frequently contain conventional chemicals. The word "natural" is not regulated in cosmetics.
3. Check EWG's Skin Deep database. The EWG's list of safe personal care products is a comprehensive resource that grades thousands of products on ingredient safety.
4. Reduce overall product count. Using fewer products is one of the easiest ways to reduce total chemical exposure. Do you really need 12 different products in your routine?
5. Watch out for "fragrance" on any ingredient list — it's a legal catch-all that can hide dozens of unlisted chemicals.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does my skin really absorb chemicals from body products?

Yes. The skin is the largest organ in the body and is highly absorbent. Many chemicals applied topically pass through the skin into the bloodstream within minutes. This is the same mechanism medical patches (nicotine, hormone, pain) use to deliver medication.

What are parabens, and are they really dangerous?

Parabens are synthetic preservatives commonly used in cosmetics to prevent bacterial growth. They've been linked to hormone disruption and have been detected in breast cancer tissue, though the direct causal relationship is still being studied. Many natural cosmetic brands now advertise as paraben-free as a result.

Is "natural" or "organic" on a beauty product label regulated?

No — neither "natural" nor "organic" is regulated in the cosmetics industry. A product labeled "natural" can legally contain mostly synthetic ingredients. Look for certifications like USDA Organic, EWG Verified, or third-party clean beauty seals for real assurance.

Are PFAS really in cosmetics?

Yes. Independent testing has found PFAS in many cosmetics, including foundations, mascara, lipstick, and waterproof products. PFAS are the same "forever chemicals" that contaminate drinking water and have been linked to cancer, hormone disruption, and other serious health effects.

What's the easiest first swap to make?

Switching to a fragrance-free or essential-oil-scented deodorant is often the highest-impact swap. Conventional deodorants are applied near sensitive lymph nodes and contain some of the most concerning ingredients (aluminum compounds, phthalates, parabens), and you use them every day. Other high-impact swaps: lotion, shampoo, and any leave-on products.

The Bigger Picture: Health Is the Greatest Wealth

The road to health isn't always easy or inexpensive. But switching to natural ingredients in your body products could mean a healthier, longer life. You'll be far ahead of most Americans simply by avoiding toxins in your body products, in addition to making the other healthy choices we covered in the earlier articles: organic food, filtered water, natural furniture, bed frames, organic mattresses, natural carpets, and fresh, purified air.

It's nearly impossible to avoid 100% of toxins consistently, but every small percentage you avoid can have dramatic positive effects on long-term health. Being healthy is the greatest form of wealth and abundance you will ever possess. Wishing you continued health and wellbeing.

Continue Exploring the Series

If you missed any earlier parts of this series, here's your full guide to reducing toxins across every area of life:

• Part 1: Avoiding toxins in your food
• Part 2: Avoiding toxins in your water
• Part 3: Avoiding toxins in your home and air