RUA's No-No List
Common Skincare Ingredients To Avoid
|
Ingredient |
Cosmetic Use |
Microplastic? |
|
Acrylates Copolymer |
Film-former, thickener, binder |
Yes |
|
Acrylates Crosspolymer |
Thickener, stabilizer, texture enhancer |
Yes |
|
Benzalkonium Chloride |
Preservative, disinfectant |
No |
|
Butoxyethanol |
Solvent |
No |
|
Butylene |
Solvent, emollient |
No |
|
Carbomer |
Thickener, stabilizer |
Yes |
|
Ceteareth Glycol |
Emulsifier, surfactant |
Yes |
|
Ceteareth-20 |
Emulsifier, surfactant |
Yes |
|
Cyclopentasiloxane |
Silicone, emollient, conditioner |
No |
|
Dimethicone |
Emollient, skin protectant, hair conditioner |
Yes |
|
Hydroquinone |
Skin-lightening agent |
No |
|
Isododecane |
Solvent, texture enhancer |
No |
|
Latex |
Film-former, binder |
No |
|
Methacrylate Copolymer |
Film-former, binder, texture enhancer |
Yes |
|
Methacrylate Crosspolymer |
Thickener, texturizer |
Yes |
|
Methyl Methacrylate Copolymer |
Film-former, binder |
Yes |
|
Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer |
Texturizer, thickener |
Yes |
|
Methylisothiazolinone |
Preservative |
No |
|
Nylon |
Microbeads, texturizers / texture enhancer |
Yes |
|
Phenoxyethanol |
Preservative |
No |
|
Polyacrylamide |
Thickener, film-former, stabilizer |
Yes |
|
Polyacrylate |
Thickener, binder, film-former |
Yes |
|
Polybutene |
Binder, film-former |
Yes |
|
Polypropylene |
Microbeads, binder |
Yes |
|
Polyurethane |
Film-former, texture enhancer |
Yes |
|
Polyvinyl (e.g., PVA) |
Film-former, binder |
Yes |
|
Propylene Copolymer / Polypropylene |
Film-former, texture |
Yes |
|
PVP (Polyvinylpyrrolidone) |
Hair fixative, film-former, binder |
Yes |
|
Quaternium-15 |
Preservative |
No |
|
Sodium Acrylates Copolymer |
Thickener, stabilizer |
Yes |
|
Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES) |
Surfactant, foaming agent |
No |
|
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) |
Surfactant, foaming agent |
No |
|
Styrene Copolymer |
Film-former, texture enhancer |
Yes |
|
Talc |
Absorbent, texturizer |
No |
|
Vinyl |
Film-former, binder |
Yes |
|
Vinyl Acetate Copolymer |
Film-former, adhesive |
Yes |
|
VP/VA Copolymer |
Film-former, hair fixative, texture enhancer |
Yes |
Harmful Ingredient Guide
|
Category |
Description |
Ingredient Examples |
|
Acetates |
Skincare and nail products. Potential carcinogenic, affects on reproductive health. |
retinyl acetate, vinyl acetate |
|
Acrylamide & Polyacrylamide |
Used to produce polyacrylamides. Carcinogenic, can contaminate water. |
acrylamide, acrylamide/ammonium acrylate copolymer |
|
Acrylates |
Plasticizers/thickeners. Contributes to microplastic pollution. |
sodium acrylate copolymer, acrylates copolymer, acrylates/C10-30 alkyl acrylate crosspolymer |
|
Alkylphenols |
Found in shampoos, soaps. Surfactants, solubilizers. Reproductive health affects. |
nonoxynol, nonylphenol ethoxylate, octylphenol ethoxylate, octylphenol, nonoxynol-9 |
|
Benzalkonium Chlorides |
Disinfectants. Can irritate skin, toxic to aquatic life. |
benzalkonium chloride, benzethonium chloride, cetylpyridinium chloride |
|
Carbomers |
Thickeners. May contain benzene traces. Contributes to microplastic pollution. |
carbomer, carbopol, acrylates copolymer, polyacrylic acid |
|
Chemical UV Filters |
Sunscreen active ingredients. Protects from UV. Endocrine disruptors and harms aquatic life. |
oxybenzone, avobenzone, octocrylene, octinoxate, homosalate, tinosorb S, tinosorb M |
|
Coal Tar |
Contains PAHs, carcinogenic. Harmful to health and environment. |
coal tar, phenol, p-phenylenediamine, benzene, resorcinol |
|
EDTA |
Binds metals, stability enhancer. Environmental concerns, petroleum derived. Possible carcinogen. |
EDTA salts, calcium disodium EDTA, diammonium EDTA, tetrasodium EDTA, HEDTA |
|
Formaldehyde |
Preservatives that release carcinogenic gases. Toxic to aquatic life. |
quaternium-15, imidazolidinyl urea, diazolidinyl urea, DMDM hydantoin |
|
Mineral Oils & Paraffins |
Petroleum-derived, may contain PAHs (Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons). Pollutes aquatic ecosystems. |
mineral oil, petrolatum, paraffin, microcrystalline wax, ozokerite |
|
Parabens |
Preservatives with environmental risks. Endocrine disruptors, potential cancer links. |
methylparaben, ethylparaben, propylparaben, butylparaben |
|
PEGs |
Petroleum-based, liquid plastic. Potential carcinogen. |
PEG-6, PEG-8, PEG-12, PEG-20, PEG-400, PEG-1000 |
|
Petroleum Ingredients |
Fossil fuel derived. |
mineral oil, petrolatum, paraffin, PEG, PPG, SLS, SLES |
|
Phthalates |
Endocrine disruptors. Exposure has been linked to infertility. |
DBP, DEP, DMP, BBP, DEHP |
|
Silicones |
Plastic film-former. Non-biodegradable, disrupts aquatic ecosystems. Endocrine disruptors. |
dimethicone, cyclopentasiloxane, dimethylsilanediol, cyclomethicone, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) |
|
Synthetic Fragrance |
Petroleum-derived. Skin irritants. Can trigger migraines, asthma. Disrupts skin microbiome, endocrine disruptor. |
fragrance, parfum, aroma, fragrance compound, fragrance oil |
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