The ingredients contained in a skincare product are what ultimately makes or breaks a product’s ability to properly take care of your complexion. Within the past few years, the general public has learned the importance of doing research to learn about the various ingredients used as well as which ones are best for certain skin types. However, just as you should learn to read skincare product labels for ingredients that are good, you should also know which ones to avoid.

When it comes to shopping for skincare products it is a must that you choose items that are formulated for your skin type: dry, sensitive, oily and normal/combination. Additionally, you’ll want to make sure to stay away from ingredients that can cause more harm than good. However, if you are still learning the ropes in regards to skincare products, you may not readily know what to be on the lookout for. The good news is that this type of information is not hard to come by.

In general, the three chemicals you want to make sure do not appear on your skincare products include the following: TEA, DEA and MEA. TEA stands for triethanolamine, which is a man-made chemical that is commonly used for balancing the pH levels in products such as lotions, cleansers, shampoos, moisturizers, shaving cream and eye gels. However, studies have shown that TEA actually creates a number of allergic reactions in these products. Additionally, the exposure to TEA in female lab rats showed an increase in the growth or tumors on the liver. DEA stands for diethanolamine and is used for many of the same purposes as TEA. DEA appears in many creams, shampoos and lotions. However, studies show that this chemical is actually carcinogenic, which means it could possibly cause cancer in humans. MEA, which stands for monoethanolamine, is another chemical that should not be in any skincare product you purchase. This chemical is also being tested as possibly being carcinogenic towards humans.

Dry skin types should look for the following ingredients on the labels of their skincare products: avocado, rose essential oils, chamomile, horsetail and rosehip seed oil. Sensitive skin types should make sure these ingredients are contained in their skincare products: chamomile, St. John’s wort, carrot, bergamot, oils from seeds and nuts and calendula. Oily skin types will benefit from the following: tea tree, witch hazel, calendula, Echinacea and lemon myrtle. Normal and combination skin types will want to have any of these ingredients in their favorite skincare products: jojoba, calendula, chamomile, rosehip seed oil, lavender, olive oil and orange peel oil.

If you need to spot treat blemishes and minor breakouts on your complexion, you can turn to any of these ingredients to get your skin back to normal: marshmallow, tea tree, witch hazel, thyme, Echinacea, lavender, green clay, lemon myrtle and plantain.

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