In societies where women are judged more for their looks than the content of their character, demand for cosmetics can only increase. Most have developed an over-reliance on cosmetics to achieve the ever-elusive perfect look.

 

However, most cosmetic products are laced with chemicals that are harmful to the body when used excessively or over a long period of time. Here are common negative effects of using cosmetics daily.

 

Hair Loss

Various hair trends require a wide array of products to maintain them. Unfortunately, some shampoos, hair sprays or conditioners contain chemicals that may do more harm than good to hair. Prolonged use of chemical-based hair products may also lead to itching, dandruff, thinning of hair and eventual hair loss.

Skin Problems

Some chemicals used in the preservation of cosmetics are known to cause irritation. An example is parabens, whose derivatives include ethyl-paraben and butyl-paraben.

Parabens cause various skin problems including irritation, itching and swelling. Other allergens such as salicylate cause painful rashes.

Eye Infections

The skin around eyes is extremely sensitive and ought to be treated with care. Heavy eye make-up may often find its way into eyes, leading to a myriad of problems.

You may be lucky to get away with irritation that will go away after cleansing. However, some chemicals in eye make-up provide fertile breeding ground for bacteria that cause serious eye infections.

Hormonal Imbalance

Chemicals from cosmetic products get absorbed directly into the skin and eventually make their way into the body. Once in the body, some chemicals impact the endocrine system and affect thyroid function.

Several studies by dermatologists have shown that Tricolsan, a common ingredient in deodorants and acne removal products, causes hormonal imbalance. Hormonal imbalance has effects such as headaches and depression.

 Cancer

Many cosmetic products have chemicals known to cause cancer. For instance, studies have shown that beauty products containing phthalates and benzene can cause a wide range of cancers including breast cancer, thyroid cancer and skin cancer.

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The best way to minimize risk of getting harmed by cosmetic products is to avoid products with known toxic chemicals. These include parabens, phthalates, sodium sulphates, sodium benzoate, potassium bromate, tricolsan and salicylates. You can also opt to go natural more often. Plant-based home-remedies are unlikely to cause any harm to your body.