We loved this helpful little list from Black Chicken on simple steps to de-toxifying your beauty regime. Here are six simple steps to help you identify ingredients to avoid!

1)    Say NO to mineral oils, petroleum jelly, liquid paraffin & petrolatum.

These are all petrochemical-derived ingredients marketed as remedies for dry skin but instant relief will also result in long-term worsening of the problem as their additives clog the pores and strip the skin of natural oils, making your skin dependent on these toxins.

2)    Know your chemistry.

Beware of ingredients with “eth” in the name like laureth or “oxynol” or “PEG” as these have been linked with cancer and known to interfer with the reproductive hormones.

3)   Avoid formaldehyde-releasing ingredients.

Companies use them as preservatives but formaldehyde is known to be extremely toxic. Look for ingredients listing Urea.

4)   Avoid parabens.

They are used as preservatives in moisturisers but are known to interfere with normal hormone functioning and can cause allergic reactions and skin rashes. They have also been found in breast cancer tumors.

5)   Avoid synthetic fragrances.

The word fragrance can refer to thousands of ingredients, most of which are not required to be listed so you don’t know what that nice smelling spray is doing to you. Look out for Hyper-pigmentation i.e. nasty brown spots, as these may be an outward reaction, which makes you wonder what is happening at a cellular level.

6)   Avoid artificial colours.

A pretty nice pink cream may look good, but any colour ingredient with a 5 digit number after it was probably* derived from Coal tar which is known to cause cancer. They are not needed – you want your skin to be ‘skin coloured’ – and it already is.

*NB: natural and inorganic pigments used in cosmetics are also assigned Colour Index numbers (in the 75000 and 77000 series, respectively).

You can shop the gorgeous natural Black Chicken range right here, from heavenly fragrances to nourishing facial care.