As part of our Campaign for Clarity, our research found the following Terrible Ten ingredients in health and beauty products, which mention organic on the label, but are not certified organic.
We are not suggesting that the inclusion of any of these ingredients in the products listed means that they are not safe for use in the products where we found them. However, we do think it could be misleading to include these ingredients in products that claim to be organic, when they would not be permitted in an organically certified product. The side effects listed below have been identified in research about of the possible impact of these chemicals on human health and the environment in wider use.
Terrible Ten Beauty Ingredients
(listed alphabetically, click an ingredient to find out more)
What is it used for? Used as a chemical UV filter in sunscreen, a fragrance ingredient and to help the skin better absorb cosmetics.
Features: Made from salicylic acid and ethanol.
Side effects:
May have negative impacts on the immune system.
Potential to cause allergies including acute contact dermatitis.
Eco-toxicity – concerns that it damages the environment.
Summary of our findings: Also found in hair dye, this ingredient is used in sunscreen to help easy absorption and promote longer lasting sun protection. However, in wider use it may have a negative impact on the immune system, and has the potential to cause acute contact dermatitis or other allergies. It may also be toxic to the environment. Regulations restrict the amount of octisalate that can be used in beauty products – but with safe alternatives to octisalate available, you don’t have to take that risk.
Where we found it:
Rituals Heavenly Hammam Organic Argan Oil and Eucalyptus bath oil
COOLA ORGANIC SUNCARE Sport sunscreen spray Pina Colada SPF30 (listed as octisalate)
COOLA ORGANIC SUNCARE Makeup setting spray (listed as octisalate)
What is it used for? Chemical sunscreen which offers protection from UVB but not UVA. It is aromatic and also acts as a skin conditioner.
Features: Artificially produced chemical
Side effects:
May cause allergies.
Shown to be estrogenic which means it disrupts our hormones and may block male hormones.
Has been found in human breast milk.
Could be contaminated with salicylic acid which has been associated with harming the development of babies.
Summary of our findings: Like many of the Terrible Ten ingredients, homosalate is used in sunscreens to offer protection from UVB rays, and as a skin conditioner. UVB blocking prevents sunburn which warns us when we’ve had too much sun, so the use of homosalate means we can risk overexposing our skin to the sun’s harmful rays. This ingredient may also cause allergies. Worryingly, in wider use it is shown to have harmful effects on hormones – it may stop male hormones from working. In wider use it is also known to be at risk of being contaminated with a chemical associated with harming foetal development. It has also been found in human breast milk.
What is it used for? Helps to retain moisture in the upper layers of the skin
Features: Artificial antimicrobial preservative also used in insect repellent
Side effects:
May release formaldehyde – a class one carcinogen, which also causes allergic reactions.
Summary of our findings: Imidazolidinyl urea is used in beauty products to help retain moisture – you may find it in deodorant, hand cream and shampoo. It’s a man-made chemical formed from three ingredients: formaldehyde, caustic soda and hydrochloric acid. Imidazolidinyl urea may release formaldehyde, which may cause cancer in humans and may also damage your DNA. You may also find imidazolidinyl urea in ointment for aching joints.
Where we found it:
Korres Fig shower gel with organic extracts of althaea & helichrysum
Korres Basil lemon shower gel with organic extracts of althaea & helichrysum
What is it used for? Found in sunscreens, it blocks UVB rays.
Features: Antimicrobial ingredient, also found in insect repellent.
Side effects:
Hormone disrupter in animals. Potentially hormone disrupting in humans.
Bioaccumulates within our bodies, which can’t get rid of it naturally.
Could affect the neurological development of babies.
Summary of our findings: An ingredient also found in insect repellent, octinoxate is used in sun creams to block the sun’s harmful UVB rays. But it has been found to act as an endocrine disruptor in animals, meaning that it could potentially change the natural function of our hormones. It could also affect neurological development in babies, and bio-accumulates in humans – meaning once we put it on, it sticks around as our bodies can’t get rid of it.
Where we found it:
COOLA ORGANIC SUNCARE Sport sunscreen spray Pina Colada SPF30
What is it used for? Chemical sunscreen filter blocks UVB and some UVA rays.
Features: UV absorber suspected to be persistent.
Side Effects:
Skin irritant which is suspected to be persistent.
Strong allergen which can cause contact dermatitis in children.
Photo contact allergies – meaning it causes allergies when it is exposed to sunlight.
Summary of our findings: Octocrylene is a UV absorber, stopping the sun’s harmful rays from getting through to your skin. However, it can cause strong allergies and dermatitis in children and adults. It is suspected to be persistent, and has been found in people and animals alike. Bizarrely, octocrylene has been shown to actually cause allergies when it is exposed to sunlight.
The future isn’t so bright for octocrylene, which has been deemed so potentially harmful that it may be phased out in the coming years. For now, it’s still found in a variety of sunscreen brands – including those making claims that may make consumers think they are organic.
Where we found it:
COOLA ORGANIC SUNCARE Sport sunscreen spray Pina Colada SPF30
What is it used for? Used to thicken products to improve texture, carry moisturisers or as solvents in the manufacturing of products.
Features: Also used in pharmaceuticals as laxatives and in industrial manufacturing, PEGs are derived from petrochemicals.
Side effects:
If there is no guarantee of purity the product may contain contaminants ethylene oxide and 1,4 dioxane, which both cause cancer.
Summary of our findings: PEGs are man-made ingredients made from petrochemicals that thicken products and have moisturising properties, so they’re often found in moisturisers, shampoo and surprisingly, laxatives. Unlike the other ingredients on our Terrible Ten list, PEGs are relatively safe – providing they are pure, but in wider use PEGs can contain contaminants like ethylene oxide, which has been classed as a definite human carcinogen.
What is it used for? An anti-static agent, it is used in shampoo and conditioner to stop hair looking frizzy.
Features: Artificial polymer
Side Effects:
Could be contaminated with acrylamide, a possible cancer-causing chemical.
Concerns have been raised that it is toxic to the environment.
Summary of our findings: Polyquaternium 7 is an anti-static agent typically found in shampoos and conditioners. In wider use, if it is contaminated with acrylamide, this is a potentially cancer-causing chemical, and could be toxic to the environment.
What is it used for? This is a detergent used to clean things and an emulsifier which is used to mix oil and water. It’s found in bubble bath, body wash, shampoo & hand wash.
Features: a detergent found in cleaning products including this flea comb.
Side effects:
Has been associated with serious eye irritation.
Can cause allergic skin reactions.
Can be contaminated with cancer-causing chemicals during the manufacturing process.
Summary of our findings: Polysorbate 20 acts as a detergent and is used in body wash, shampoo and other products that cleanse and clean. It has been associated with serious eye irritation – polysorbate 20 is also an ingredient used in flea treatments. In wider use, this ingredient could be contaminated with cancer causing chemicals, and there are concerns that it can cause allergic reactions on your skin.
Where we found it:
Faith in Nature Raspberry & cranberry shower gel & bath foam
What is it used for? This artificial dye is used to create a red colour in cosmetic products. We found it in bath oil but it has also been used in red beauty products such as blusher or lipstick.
Features: An artificial chemical from the diazo dye family, red 17 is highly soluble in fats.
Side effects:
Persistent in wildlife, the body cannot get rid of it naturally.
Toxic to our organs – harmful to your liver and kidneys.
Evidence to suggest it might cause cancer (gaps in data about its safety).
Summary of our findings: Artificial colour 26100 (aka Red 17) is a dye that gives products a deep crimson shade not found in nature. It can be found in blusher, lipsticks and bath oils. There’s a lot we don’t know about this ingredient, which is also found in hair bleach and nail polish in the US, where we know product regulations are much weaker than those in Europe.
Evidence suggests it could be toxic to our organs in wider use and it may cause cancer in humans. We also know Red 17 is biopersistent, which means it accumulates in wildlife because it can’t be broken down naturally. The European Commission even declared that Red 17 should be banned in cosmetics because of safety concerns. But no one really knows the full impacts of this potential toxin because there are data gaps that prevent scientists from performing an adequate risk assessment.
Where we found it:
Rituals Heavenly Hammam Organic Argan Oil and Eucalyptus bath oil
What is it used for? An anti-oxidant, retinyl is otherwise known as vitamin A1. Retinyl occurs naturally in foods but retinyl palmitate is artificial. It is used in anti-aging products and sunscreens.
Features: Although retinyl is produced naturally in our bodies, retinyl palmitate is the artificial version sometimes added to beauty products.
Side effects:
The use of retinyl palmitate can lead to too much vitamin A in our bodies. The biggest risk related to this is to the unborn children of pregnant women, who could suffer foetal malformations.
Persists in the environment as it cannot be broken down in nature.
Can be toxic to the environment.
Summary of our findings: Retinyl is a form of Vitamin A which is produced naturally in our skin, where it protects against ageing. However, retinyl palmitate is artificially produced and added to body lotions and after sun creams. Using these could lead to too much vitamin A in the body.
Too much Vitamin A can lead to developmental toxicity, or foetal malformations in babies in the womb. There is evidence to suggest that applying a product with retinyl palmate to your whole body could exceed the recommended daily dose of Vitamin A.
