Over the past decade, consumers’ perspectives towards beauty products have shifted significantly to focus on skin-safe ingredients. Amid this evolving landscape, “nasties” has become a popular term to highlight ingredients that could do more harm than good; on the opposite end of the spectrum, the term “clean” is used for products that contain no harmful ingredients while bringing myriad benefits. Initially, these “bad” ingredients were favoured by manufacturers for their effectiveness, affordability and versatility, and used in products from moisturisers to cleansers.
However, they actually undermine the quality and safety of skincare products. Even worse, it’s often difficult for consumers to identify these ingredients, as they hide in plain sight on labels by masquerading under complex chemical names. Here are some of the most common hidden skincare nasties, and how to identify them so that you can make informed decisions and choose safer, skin-friendly products.
1. Parabens {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"ImageObject","caption":"Jessica Alba’s Honest Beauty has a range of clean skincare and beauty products","url":"https://cdn.
i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2024/06/11/d992be3a-38c4-4d5a-94ca-bf26f4577fa2_730ed1d8.jpg"} Jessica Alba’s Honest Beauty has a range of clean skincare and beauty products Parabens are often used in beauty products to prevent bacterial growth and extend shelf life, but the health concerns associated wit.
