Personal care products can help us look, smell, and feel good, but what’s in them—and how they affect our health—is not so obvious. While regulated, many of these products contain carcinogens and other ingredients harmful to human health. Knowing what to avoid can help you reduce your risk for cancer and other health problems.
Emanuela Taioli, MD, PhD
“I read beauty product labels the same way I read food labels,” says Emanuela Taioli, MD, PhD, Associate Director for Population Science and a Co-Leader of the Cancer Prevention and Control Program at The Tisch Cancer Institute at Mount Sinai. “Just like I want to make sure I’m not eating too much sugar when buying a food product, I want to make sure I’m not exposing myself to something potentially dangerous when using products in my skin and hair.”
In this Q&A, Dr. Taioli, who is also the Director of the Institute for Translational Epidemiology and the Center for the Study of Thoracic Diseases Outcomes at Mount Sinai, explains why it’s important to read product labels and what to look for.
Do some personal care products pose a cancer risk?
Many personal care products contain chemicals that pose a cancer risk. Check labels on hair products, cosmetics, deodorants, skin creams, and sunscreens, etc., for potential carcinogens—especially shampoos and conditioners, hair extensions, and hair relaxants. These products can contain formaldehyde, a known carcinogen, and other potentially harmful ingredients, which can become even more dangerous when hair is heated.
What should I look for and avoid in product labels?
Products labels don’t tell you whether a product contains carcinogens. For example, just because a product label says “fragrance-free,” “natural,” or “organic,” does not necessarily mean a product does not contain chemicals that can increase your risk for cancer and other health issues.
For example, hormonal ingredients are natural but can interfere with your natural hormone system and pose health risks, including cancer. Hormones are added to some personal care products, from shampoos to anti-aging creams and cosmetics. Some products contain placental ingredients, which are loaded with hormones. Skin bleaching products contain estrogen-like compounds.
If you want to know if a product is potentially harmful, you need to look at the ingredients.
Use these trusted cosmetic safety databases to research ingredients in skincare, haircare, and other personal care products:
- California Safe Cosmetics Database – Find information on chemicals known to cause cancer or reproductive harm.
- EWG’s Skin Deep® Cosmetics Database – Explore safety ratings for thousands of cosmetic and personal care product ingredients.
What common ingredients should I avoid due to potential cancer risk?
These products can contain definite and probable carcinogens. Some of the most common ones include, but are not limited to:
Definite carcinogens:
- Formaldehyde
- Coal tar
- Benzene
- Asbestos
- 1,4-Dioxane
- Arsenic
- Crystalline silica
- Ethylene oxide
- Cadmium compounds
- Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)
Probable carcinogens:
- Phthalates (e.g., DEP, DBP)
- Nitrosamines
- Talc
- Titanium dioxide (inhalable form)
- BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole)
If hormonal ingredients are natural, why are they considered unsafe?
Certain cancers, like prostate and breast cancer, are very sensitive to hormones. Treating your skin or hair with hormones may feed a cancer that is in an initial stage and promote the growth of that cancer. If these products are used on children, they can trigger early puberty.
Any ingredient that starts with “estra,” like estradiol, for example, is a hormone derivate. Ingredients known as “endocrine disrupters” are not hormones but mimic them. Examples include parabens, phthalates (e.g., DEP, DBP), triclosan, resorcinol, and BHA/BHT.
Why does heating my hair increase my cancer risk?
Let’s say you put a product containing formaldehyde or other carcinogen in your hair and then straighten it with a flat iron—you are treating the chemicals at a very high temperature, and that creates a chemical reaction, which you can breathe in. If you do this only once, it’s unlikely to be harmful. But if you do it on a regular basis, you are increasing your risk. Hair dryers emit less heat, and don’t have direct contact with hair, so are less risky than flat irons and curling irons.
Are there any reliable resources that will tell me what ingredients or products are unsafe?
The California Safe Cosmetics Database (on the California Department of Public Health website) and the EWG Skin Deep® Cosmetics Database both contain lists of ingredients you should avoid or treat with caution, and are great resources to bookmark and reference when you are shopping for these products.