By Michelle Vongphakdy on March 5, 2013 in
It's a typical scenario: You're looking for a new beauty product and find one that calls out an ingredient you actually know. Retinol -- you're sold! You probably won't even bother reading the ingredient list on the back because you can't decipher those long scientific-looking names. But have you ever wondered what they mean and which ingredients are bad for your skin? We break it down for you. The bad, the controversial and where you'll find these sneaky ingredients.
| Ingredient | Where you might find it | The verdict: Good, bad, controversial | What does it do? | Other ingredients like it | You should also know... |
| Petrolatum | Lip balm, facial moisturizer, body wash, facial cleanser, shampoo, conditioner, shaving products, anti-aging products and sunscreen | Controversial | Main ingredient in petroleum jelly; prevents moisture loss, reduces inflammation, helps in healing process | Mineral oil | Derived from petroleum. Some consumer advocate groups consider it a potential carcinogen. The EWG (Environmental Working Group), however, considers it to be safe |
| Parabens | Shampoo, conditioner, lotion, facial cleanser, toner, body wash, body scrubs and shaving products | Controversial | Prevents bacterial growth; prolongs shelf life | Butylparaben, methylparaben, propylparaben | Most mainstream cosmetics and skin care products contain parabens. May interfere with the hormone system. Skin care expert Paula Begoun, however, says the amount used in skin care products is too small to cause any risk |
| Human growth factors | Anti-aging products, facial moisturizer and body lotion | Controversial | Helps heal damaged skin; reduces the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines | Human Fibroblast Conditioned Media | Most studies involve patients with injured or diseased skin and don't consider general use for aging skin. Long term risks are unknown |
| SD alcohol | Toner, facial moisturizer, acne treatments | Bad | Gives skin a tingly feeling; helps products to absorb faster; can be very drying | Denatured alcohol, ethyl alcohol, ethanol | Can be especially irritating if listed towards the top of the ingredients list |
| Menthol | Technically an alcohol and used as a fragrance in products | Bad | Gives skin a tingly, refreshing feeling; herbal | Peppermint oil; camphor | No beneficial attributes beyond the way it feels |
| Fragrance | Any skin care product | Bad | Gives products a noticeable scent; covers up the smell of various chemicals and other ingredients | Plant extracts, parfum, cinnamal, lavandula angustifolia | Can cause allergic reaction for those with skin sensitivities |
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