Not that long ago, most people were clueless about their skincare products having potentially toxic and harmful ingredients like parabens and SLS. Like, what? How can something that's meant to care for my skin, actually contain anything harmful? But turns out that they do! These harmful ingredients are believed to cause much harm, from hormonal disruptions to concerns as severe as cancer. To help solve this problem, it is important to switch to a clean beauty routine by avoiding certain skincare baddies. But first, let's take a look at what we need to do our research on such as paraben free meaning and what are safer alternatives.
01Discovering Paraben and SLS-free Face Skin Care: The Basics
If there is one ingredient that's commonly found in everything, from soaps and body lotions to makeup and skincare, then it has to be parabens. Parabens are preservatives that help improve the shelf-life of a product. But long-term exposure to paraben mimics the body's own hormones, thereby causing disruption of important endocrine functions. It also causes premature skin ageing. Meanwhile, sodium lauryl sulphate, more commonly known as SLS, is an artificially foaming agent that is used mainly in face washes and shampoos. This ingredient also makes you believe that your skin and scalp are feeling squeaky clean, but it is in fact, a well-known skin irritant, hormone and endocrine disruptor and suspected carcinogen. The less a product foams, the better it is. There is why you need products which are SLS and paraben free, meaning safe and completely harmless skincare items that don't compromise when it comes to giving you the best results. Well, let's take a look at five such skincare products.
02Discovering Paraben and SLS-free Face Skin Care
1. Simple Kind To Skin Refreshing Facial Wash
The Simple Kind To Skin Refreshing Facial Wash is SLS and paraben free meaning it manages to deep cleanse your skin without irritating it. The gentle face wash is also free of soap, making it suitable for all skin types, including sensitive and acne-prone skin. Do you know how? With the magic of vitamins and amino acids which leave your skin soft and healthy.
Instructions on How to Use the Product
Keep your face hydrated while you're travelling or on a busy day, with this facial wipe. Just take a wipe and wipe your eyelids and lips. Then use the other side to swipe at your T-zone, chin and neck. If you need to remove makeup, just hold it over the area for a few seconds before wiping.
2. Simple Daily Skin Detox Clear Pore Facial Scrub
Along with your parabens and sulphates, another ingredient you should keep an eye out for is alcohol which is very commonly used as a base ingredient in many skincare products to make them absorb better. It is also added to products formulated for oily skin types to control excess oil. But this skincare baddie disrupts the skin's pH level and has a tendency to severely dry out the skin. If you have oily skin, opt for the Simple Daily Skin Detox Clear Pore Facial Scrub. It contains natural ingredients like thyme, zinc and witch hazel to control excess sebum. This gentle scrub works on unclogging your pores while smoothening your skin of any acne scars or rough patches.
Instructions on How to Use the Product
Keep your face hydrated while you're travelling or on a busy day, with this facial wipe. Just take a wipe and wipe your eyelids and lips. Then use the other side to swipe at your T-zone, chin and neck. If you need to remove makeup, just hold it over the area for a few seconds before wiping.
3. Simple Kind To Skin Protecting Light Moisturiser
Okay, say you have figured out the unholy trinity of paraben, alcohol and sulphate. But there's more. Who does not like smelling fresh as a daisy all day long and a nice glittery pink or galaxy blue colour cream to show off on your Instagram? But when you see any skincare product that mentions artificial fragrance, perfume, colour and/or dye as one of the ingredients, keep it back right away. This is because manufacturers aren't obligated to reveal what those artificial fragrances or dyes are made up of, and more often than not, these artificial fragrances turn out to be a cocktail of carcinogens, allergens, endocrine disruptors, and skin irritants. To avoid this issue, use colour and fragrance-free formulas such as the Simple Kind To Skin Protecting Light Moisturiser. You don't have to worry about any breakouts, skin irritation or redness as this lightweight moisturiser actually uses glycerin to hydrate the skin while vitamin E heals any skin woes. It also happens to have SPF 15 doubling up as the perfect sunscreen-moisturiser combo.
Instructions on How to Use the Product
Keep your face hydrated while you're travelling or on a busy day, with this facial wipe. Just take a wipe and wipe your eyelids and lips. Then use the other side to swipe at your T-zone, chin and neck. If you need to remove makeup, just hold it over the area for a few seconds before wiping.
4. Simple Kind To Skin Micellar Cleansing Water
Feels a little redundant to use harsh chemicals to take off your makeup, no? But what to do when your makeup happens to be extremely waterproof and just won't budge? Just go for the Simple Kind To Skin Micellar Cleansing Water. Like any skincare product from this brand, it is free of 2000 harsh chemicals including parabens, sulphates, dyes, fragrances, you name it. Yet it effectively removes all traces of makeup without being harsh on the skin. Once again, it uses nature's wonders aka vitamins B3 and C. It is also pretty transparent when it comes to the rest of the ingredients such as the naturally-found chemical compound hexylene glycol being used to dislodge and dissolve the makeup and grime from your face.
Instructions on How to Use the Product
Keep your face hydrated while you're travelling or on a busy day, with this facial wipe. Just take a wipe and wipe your eyelids and lips. Then use the other side to swipe at your T-zone, chin and neck. If you need to remove makeup, just hold it over the area for a few seconds before wiping.
5. Simple Kind To Skin Micellar Cleansing Wipes
Along with the usual bad guys in the beauty world, there is just one more we should remember especially since it is so frequently used in one of our most common skincare products. Propylene glycol helps the ingredients penetrate into the skin making it a regular for hydrating face wipes. The problem with this ingredient is that it can cause skin irritation and has been flagged by certain countries for assessment and safety. If you are looking for a milder facial wipe, the Simple Kind To Skin Micellar Cleansing Wipes is your safest bet. It just takes the formula of its face wash counterpart and gives it to us in a form of a wipe. Get all of your vitamins B5, E and triple purified water to remove dirt, makeup and other impurities from the skin without causing irritation.
Instructions on How to Use the Product
Keep your face hydrated while you're travelling or on a busy day, with this facial wipe. Just take a wipe and wipe your eyelids and lips. Then use the other side to swipe at your T-zone, chin and neck. If you need to remove makeup, just hold it over the area for a few seconds before wiping.
03FAQs about Discovering Paraben and SLS-free Face Skin Care
Q1) What are the harmful ingredients in skincare products?
Our skincare products are loaded with ingredients that do more harm than good for the skin. Used in the name of preservatives and surfactants, these ingredients can be pretty harsh on the skin. Some common harmful ingredients are paraben, SLS, alcohol, artificial fragrance, artificial colour, petrolatum, phthalates and more.
Q2) What ingredients to avoid in cleansers?
Cleansers and face washes contain all sorts of harsh chemicals to give that squeaky clean effect. However, your skin should feel soft and hydrated after washing, not dry and stretched. Avoid ingredients like SLS, parabens, alcohol, artificial fragrance and formaldehyde.
Q3) What natural ingredients are good for the skin?
Instead of harsh chemicals, you can opt for natural alternatives to keep your skin healthy and safe. Here are a few natural ingredients that are good for the skin – green tea, licorice, oats, vitamin C, witch hazel and thyme. Not sure what skincare ingredient is good for you or not? Well, we are here to take you through it such as paraben free meaning and how you can go about avoiding these skincare baddies with our guide above.
