Natural Personal Care Products May Contain Synthetic Ingredients

Personal care products such as lotions, makeup, and hair treatments that are labeled as “all natural” have certain standards they must meet including that the “natural” product is almost entirely made of natural ingredients and the ingredients are not suspected to be a health risk. 

Many consumers who intentionally purchase “natural,” “all-natural,” “organic” and other health conscious personal care products rely on the manufacturer’s claims that the product is what it claims to be. However, there are some companies who place a “natural” label on products that contain ingredients known to be health risks. 

The following is a short list of ingredients “all-natural” consumers should watch out for when purchasing a higher priced personal care item that’s labeled “natural.”

Synthetic Ingredients

FD&C Color Pigments: The inclusion of color pigments in a personal care product not only can cause skin irritation but studies have found that many pigments are made from coal tar which is believed to be a human carcinogenic. 

Isopropyl Alcohol: This ingredient is most commonly included in hand lotions, after-shave lotions and fragrances. It is also one of the ingredients used in antifreeze. Consumer studies have found isopropyl alcohol vapors can cause headaches, dizziness, nausea, and vomiting.

Fragrance: Most fragrances are synthetic compounds. A “fragrance” mention on a label can mean there is up to thousands of separate ingredients that make up the compound. Consumers report fragrances cause rashes, headaches, skin irritation and violent coughing.

Mineral Oil: This ingredient coats the skin like its in plastic wrap. The skin loses its ability to breathe and release toxins which is a normal function of the organ. Most baby oils contain 100 percent mineral oil.

Imidazolidinyl Urea and DMDM Hydantoin: These ingredients release formaldehyde into the air. Most nail polish, antiperspirants, body and hair care products contain these preservatives. Exposure can cause allergies, chest pains, chronic fatigue and joint pain.

Polyethylene Glycol (PEG): This is an ingredient used to make cleansers and dissolve oil. It can be found in many personal care products as well as oven cleaners. It is known as a possible carcinogen.

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) and Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES): These two chemicals are found in about 90 percent of shampoos and personal care products that foam. The ingredients are also found in car wash soaps and engine degreasers. The ingredient is known to cause eye damage, skin irritation, labored breathing and diarrhea. Some studies have even suggested that SLS can penetrate through the skin and travel to organs including the heart, liver, lungs and brain.

DEA (diethanolamine) MEA (momoethanolamine) TEA (triethanolamine): These ingredients are also found mostly in personal care products that foam, including soaps and facial cleansers. Medical experts have linked repeated skin exposure to the chemicals to having an increase chance of developing liver or kidney cancer.

‘All Natural’ Marketing

All-natural personal care products generate millions of dollars in revenue in the U.S. each year. Natural skin care products are the most popularly purchased, followed by hair care and cosmetics. Marketing experts warn consumers to check the ingredients as any one of these ingredients mentioned above would invalidate a natural label.

Health-conscious consumers who spend extra money for “100% natural” products only to discover a company mislead them by including synthetic ingredients in their items are choosing to take legal action and file an all natural class action lawsuit.

Free All Natural Personal Care Products Class Action Lawsuit Investigation

Did you purchase a personal care product because the label said it was “Natural,” “All Natural,” “100% Natural” or used a similar term? You may be eligible to join a free class action lawsuit investigation and pursue compensation for your purchase(s) due to the potential use of deceptive labels and/or marketing.

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