The Dirty List

Many cosmetic products can potentially contain harmful chemicals leading to the aggravation of dry eye symptoms and skin irritation. Moreover, a growing amount of evidence have linked prolonged use of such ingredients to systemic long-term health consequences. Our commitment to improving your eye health includes ensuring the use of healthy and safe products around the eyes. The reason behind “The Dirty List” is to provide a detailed account of questionable ingredients commonly used in skin care and make-up products.  We encourage you to look through the products you currently own and check whether these ingredients could possibly be present in your own cosmetic collection.

• Benzalkonium Chloride: A common ingredient of sunscreen which can cause irritation of and around the eyes.
• Butylatedhydroxy Anisole and Butylated Hydroxytoluene: An ingredient often added as a preservative to increase the shelf life of products. It may cause damage to the liver and is a potential carcinogen.
• Coal tar hair dyes and other coal tar ingredients: A known carcinogen that could be found in anti-dandruff shampoos.
• Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA): An ingredient that could result to organ toxicity and can be found in moisturizers and hair products.
• Ethanolamines (MEA/DEA/TEA): An ingredient found in many skin care and make-up products. Prolonged use can lead to a variety of complications such as allergies and skin irritation, as well as hormonal disruptions and fetal development issues.
• Formaldehyde: A known carcinogenic ingredient used to extend product shelf life. It can be found in multiple bath products such as shampoo and body wash.
• Hydroquinone: An ingredient found in skin-lightening products intended to disrupt pigment production by melanocytes, which has been linked to skin irritation and cancer.
• Methylisothiazolinone and methylchloroisothiazolinone: A common skin irritant found in bath products.
• Oxybenzone: A major ingredient in many sunscreen products that can lead to skin irritation.
• Parabens: An antimicrobial ingredient in many skin care products that can disrupt hormonal levels.
• Phthalates (DBP, DEHP, DEP and others): An ingredient added to products intended to make them fragrant, which has been linked to reproductive complications.
• Polyethylene glycol (PEG compounds): Used in many skin care creams and could potentially contain toxic oxygen forms that are carcinogenic
• Sodium Lauryl Sulfate and Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLS and SLES): An irritant found in bath products.
• Synthetic flavour or fragrance: Artificial scents contain potential skin irritants and allergens and is found in almost all cosmetics.
• Toluene: An ingredient mainly found in nail polish which can disrupt the reproductive and immune systems.
• Triclosan and triclocarban: An antimicrobial ingredient of soaps. Prolonged use may also cause toxicity to humans.