RUA's No-No List
Common Skincare Ingredients To Avoid
| Ingredient | Cosmetic Use | Plastic? |
|---|---|---|
| Acrylates Copolymer | Film-former, thickener, binder | Yes |
| Acrylates Crosspolymer | Thickener, stabilizer, texture enhancer | Yes |
| Artificial Colorants (FD&C, D&C Dyes) | Coloring agent | No |
| Butylene | Solvent, emollient | No |
| Carbomer | Thickener, stabilizer | Yes |
| Ceteareth Glycol | Emulsifier, surfactant | Yes |
| Ceteareth-20 | Emulsifier, surfactant | Yes |
| Dimethicone | Emollient, skin protectant, hair conditioner | Yes |
| Hydroquinone | Skin-lightening agent | No |
| Mineral Oil | Emollient, occlusive | 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 |
| Paraffin | Emollient, occlusive | No |
| Parabens | Preservative | No |
| PEGs | Emulsifier, humectant | Yes |
| Phenoxyethanol | Preservative | No |
| Propylene Copolymer / Polypropylene | Film-former, texture | Yes |
| PVP | 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 |
| Synthetic Fragrances / Parfum | Fragrance, masking odor | No |
| 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 |
Descriptions - 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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