15 chemicals · 0 exceptions
What never does
Each card names the chemical, where it usually hides on a label, the documented concern, and the plant-based alternative in our jars. The struck-through names are the label aliases to look for.
Sulfates (SLS / SLES)
- Usually found in
- Foaming cleansers, soaps, shampoos, face and body washes
- Documented concern
- Harsh surfactants that strip the skin’s natural lipid barrier, a documented cause of dryness, tightness, irritation and scalp itching. They can worsen eczema.
- What we use instead
- Cold-processed soap that keeps its natural glycerin, plus coco glucoside and coco betaine: mild, plant-derived, biodegradable cleansers.
Sodium Lauryl SulfateSodium Laureth SulfateAmmonium Lauryl Sulfate
Called out on 22 product pages
Parabens (methyl-, propyl-)
- Usually found in
- Creams, serums and lotions, as a synthetic preservative
- Documented concern
- Absorb through skin and mimic estrogen. Detected intact in human breast tissue, a suspected endocrine disruptor, and a known contact allergen.
- What we use instead
- Sensicare, an eco-certified, skin-safe preservative system. Water-free oils and cold-process bars need no preservative at all.
MethylparabenPropylparabenButylparabenEthylparaben
Called out on 71 product pages
Silicones (Dimethicone & cousins)
- Usually found in
- Serums, conditioners, primers
- Documented concern
- Form an occlusive, plastic-like film that traps sebum and debris, causing congestion and dullness. Build up on hair, causing limpness, and are poorly biodegradable.
- What we use instead
- Plant oils such as jojoba, watermelon seed and moringa, which absorb and nourish instead of coating.
DimethiconeCyclopentasiloxaneDimethiconolAmodimethicone
Called out on 38 product pages
Mineral Oil / Petrolatum
- Usually found in
- Baby oils, balms, creams, lip products
- Documented concern
- A petroleum by-product with no nutrients. Poorly refined grades can carry polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) impurities, which are possible carcinogens. Occludes pores.
- What we use instead
- Cold-pressed sesame, coconut, sweet almond and olive oils: vitamin-rich lipids that skin recognises.
Paraffinum LiquidumPetrolatumParaffinMicrocrystalline Wax
Called out on 30 product pages
Synthetic Fragrance (Parfum)
- Usually found in
- Almost every conventional cosmetic
- Documented concern
- “Parfum” can legally hide dozens of undisclosed chemicals. It is the leading cause of cosmetic contact dermatitis, and phthalates are its usual carrier.
- What we use instead
- Scent only from steam-distilled essential oils and hydrosols, fully declared.
ParfumFragranceAroma
Called out on 75 product pages
Phthalates (DEP, DBP)
- Usually found in
- Perfumes, nail products, fragrance fixative
- Documented concern
- Endocrine disruptors linked in studies to reproductive and developmental harm. Banned or restricted in European Union cosmetics.
- What we use instead
- No synthetic fragrance, so no phthalate carrier is needed.
Diethyl PhthalateDibutyl Phthalate
Called out on 28 product pages
Formaldehyde-releasers (DMDM Hydantoin, Quaternium-15)
- Usually found in
- Shampoos, washes, wipes
- Documented concern
- Slowly release formaldehyde, which the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classes as a Group 1 carcinogen. A frequent cause of scalp and skin sensitisation.
- What we use instead
- Sensicare, an eco-certified preservative, at the minimum effective dose.
DMDM HydantoinQuaternium-15Imidazolidinyl UreaDiazolidinyl Urea
Called out on 4 product pages
Artificial Colors (coal-tar / azo dyes)
- Usually found in
- Colored soaps, lip products
- Documented concern
- Several coal-tar dyes are restricted and linked to irritation and sensitisation. They add nothing functional.
- What we use instead
- Colour from the ingredients themselves: turmeric gold, charcoal grey, moringa green, tesu-flower pink.
CI 19140CI 42090FD&C Yellow 5D&C Red 33
Called out on 41 product pages
Triclosan
- Usually found in
- Antibacterial soaps and washes
- Documented concern
- Banned by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in consumer wash products in 2016, over endocrine-disruption signals and its contribution to antibiotic resistance.
- What we use instead
- Natural antibacterials: neem, tea tree and basil essential oils, and charcoal.
TriclosanTriclocarban
Called out on 14 product pages
Oxybenzone / Octinoxate
- Usually found in
- Chemical sunscreens
- Documented concern
- Absorb into the bloodstream (FDA, 2019). Linked to hormone-disruption signals, and banned in Hawaii for bleaching coral reefs.
- What we use instead
- Mineral and botanical UV support with pomegranate and plant oils.
Benzophenone-3Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
Called out on 2 product pages
Talc
- Usually found in
- Baby and face powders
- Documented concern
- Talc is mined from seams that sit beside asbestos. Contamination lawsuits led Johnson & Johnson to withdraw its talc baby powder, and inhaled talc is a risk for infants.
- What we use instead
- A talc-free botanical powder base: arrowroot, corn starch, chamomile and calendula.
TalcTalcumMagnesium Silicate
Called out on 6 product pages
PEGs (polyethylene glycols)
- Usually found in
- Cream bases, washes
- Documented concern
- Made by ethoxylation, which can leave 1,4-dioxane residue, a possible carcinogen. They also help other chemicals penetrate skin.
- What we use instead
- Plant butters and cold-pressed oils as the emollient base.
PEG-40PEG-100 StearatePolyethylene Glycol
Called out on 28 product pages
Denatured Alcohol (Alcohol Denat.)
- Usually found in
- Perfumes, toners, gels
- Documented concern
- Evaporates fast, but dehydrates and disrupts the skin barrier. Stings broken skin and is unsuitable near baby skin.
- What we use instead
- Alcohol-free formats, such as the GraceYes Alcohol-Free Perfume on a sandalwood-oil base.
Alcohol Denat.SD Alcohol 40Ethanol
Called out on 18 product pages
DEET
- Usually found in
- Mosquito repellent sprays and creams
- Documented concern
- Effective, but it can irritate skin and eyes. Rare neurological events are reported with heavy repeated use, and it melts some plastics.
- What we use instead
- Lemongrass hydrosol and citronella-family essential oils.
N,N-Diethyl-meta-toluamide
Called out on 1 product page
Petroleum Jelly
- Usually found in
- Lip balms
- Documented concern
- An occlusive petroleum residue with no nourishment. Poorly refined grades can carry PAH impurities, and it needs constant reapplication.
- What we use instead
- Beeswax, kokum and mango butter, and cold-pressed oils that condition lips.
PetrolatumWhite PetrolatumVaseline
Called out on 3 product pages
