With so many blogs popping up dedicated to natural DIY skincare, there is a lot of misinformation floating around online about the uses for natural products. While I am of course an advocate of using natural products over synthetic ones, it is important to remember that just because something is natural does not necessarily mean it’s safe. There are lots of botanicals that are carcinogenic, cause birth defects or are generally just irritating or not useful for skincare. I also see instances of synthetic products being called natural just because they are easily accessible (a prime example of this is baking soda). Below is a list of the most common offenders I see in natural DIY skincare, natural skincare lines and handmade products.

1. Alkanet

This is a completely natural ingredient-just pure alkanet root that has been dried and powdered…it is also a known carcinogen. This is first on the list partly because I have seen this used so often in DIY recipes on blogs and in Etsy products but also one of the most toxic ingredients on this list. Alkanet root contains a vibrant oil soluble pigment so it is very easy to incorporate into a DIY lip balm. I have tried this and it really does produce an absolutely perfect color so I can see how this is tempting to use when trying to formulate a natural and theoretically safer product. However, alkanet root is so carcinogenic, it is banned by the FDA for use as a food colorant so it is definitely not something you want to be putting on your lips. Mica, the more traditional colorant, is actually much safer.

2. Coal tar

This is used in many natural dandruff treatment shampoos and while it is definitely effective and natural, it is also a known carcinogen. This is another case where more traditional treatments such as Ketoconazole shampoo are probably a safer option even though they are not natural.

3. Tocopheryl Acetate

This is used in a lot of natural skincare products as an antioxidant. It is a compound that consists of Tocopherol (vitamin E) and acetic acid. Used alone, both of these ingredients are harmless but the compound is bioaccumulative and contains hydroquinone (a known carcinogen) as a contaminant. PiperWai deodorant is one example of many natural products I have seen this used in.

4. Potassium alum

This is the only ingredient used in natural Crystal deodorant. While there isn’t actually any evidence that this compound (or other aluminum compounds used in non natural deodorants) are dangerous, generally when switching to natural deodorants, the goal is to avoid aluminum compounds and compounds that block sweat glands. Crystal deodorants (which are 100% potassium alum) actually contain far more aluminum than traditional antiperspirants, which only contain 2-3% aluminum compounds. It does also function as an antiperspirant, meaning it blocks sweat glands. For a really great write up that goes into more detail about health risks of alum click here: http://chemicaloftheday.squarespace.com/most-controversial/2010/3/8/exposing-more-truths-about-alum.html

5. Baking Soda

This is actually not a natural ingredient but I am including it here because it is one of the most common ingredients I see in DIY natural products and deodorants. If used correctly, this is a safe ingredient but more often than not, it is used incorrectly and can be extremely irritating to skin and damaging to hair. The problem with baking soda is that it has a PH of 9 which is high enough to burn skin (which has a PH of 5.5) with prolonged exposure. This ingredient is safe when used in small amounts to neutralize an acidic formula (so you should see it towards the end of an ingredient list or directly before or after citric acid as in bath bombs) However, more often than not it is one of the first ingredients in natural deodorants or DIY products which is why so many people get rashes from natural baking soda deodorants (it is not because you are going through a “detox” phase). There are also a lot of natural skincare blogs recommending this as a way of cleansing your hair or face. Baking soda should never be used as a cleanser. It has no cleansing ability what so ever but it will cause damage, irritation and dryness.