{"id":28012,"date":"2023-07-25T15:15:25","date_gmt":"2023-07-25T19:15:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/prose.com\/?p=28012"},"modified":"2025-06-19T07:56:10","modified_gmt":"2025-06-19T11:56:10","slug":"ingredients-to-avoid-in-skincare","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/prose.com\/blog\/ingredients-to-avoid-in-skincare","title":{"rendered":"What Ingredients to Avoid in Skincare"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Skincare Ingredients You Should Always Avoid<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Formaldehyde<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIn addition to being a common cause of contact dermatitis\u2014characterized by rashes and blisters\u2014and skin irritation, formaldehyde is also known as a carcinogen,\u201d says Dr. King. Unfortunately formaldehyde, which is used as a preservative to extend shelf life, can be found in many beauty staples, including nail polish, nail polish removers, eyelash glue, and hair straightening products. But it shouldn\u2019t stop at just eliminating formaldehyde\u2014there are also formaldehyde releasers, substances that emit formaldehyde over time to continue the preservation process. \u201cQuaternium-15, DMDM-hydantoin, imidazolidinyl urea, and diazolidinyl urea are all formaldehyde releasers,\u201d shares Dr. King.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Parabens <\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAccording to the European Commission&#8217;s Scientific Committee on Consumer Products, certain long chain parabens may disrupt the endocrine system and cause reproductive and developmental disorders,\u201d she says of the&nbsp;preservative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Phthalates<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSome<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC7559247\"> studies<\/a> have shown that phthalates can change hormone levels,\u201d says Dr. King. \u201cPhthalates may contribute to endocrine disruption, breast cancer risk, and negatively affect the male reproductive system.\u201d It\u2019s also important to note that due to its low molecular weight, these plasticizers may be absorbed through the skin more easily. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Sulfates<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Found in everyday essentials like liquid soap and laundry detergent, sulfates\u2014which are favored by companies due to its ability to produce a lather\u2014may cause dry, irritated skin. This may be due to the stripping of the skin\u2019s naturally produced oils.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Triclosan<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>While this antimicrobial kills bacteria, fungus, and other microbes, \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC3945593\/\">studies<\/a> have linked it to a number of different problems including disruption of the endocrine system and the increased risk of cancer,\u201d according to Dr. King.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Ammonium Chloride<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>This ingredient is found in freezing mixtures, batteries, dyes, safety explosives, and in urinary acidifiers and diuretics. \u201cIf ingested, it can cause nausea, vomiting, and acidosis in doses of 0.5 to 1 gram,\u201d adds Dr. King. \u201cAs with any ammonia compound, concentrated solutions can be irritating to the skin.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to Find the Right Skincare Routine For You<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Now that you know which ingredients to avoid in skincare products, how do you find the right routine for you?! If you&#8217;re looking to upgrade your skincare lineup, you&#8217;ve come to the right place. Prose just launched a new, Custom Skincare line that takes into account your personal needs. Simply take the consultation to answer questions about your skin, lifestyle, environment, and more. Prose will then match you with custom <a href=\"https:\/\/prose.com\/products\/custom-cleanser\">Cleanser<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/prose.com\/products\/custom-serum\">Serum<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/prose.com\/products\/custom-moisturizer\">Moisturizer<\/a> formulas made specifically for you! Take the guesswork out of your skincare routine with Prose. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<section class=\"block--full-width-cta section\">\n  <div class=\"container\">\n    <div class=\"cta-card\">\n            <p>Always made to order. Never made to waste.<\/p>\n      \n            <h2 class=\"heading-3\">Exclusive Trial Offer Get 60% Off + Free Gift<\/h2>\n      \n            <div class=\"links\">\n          \n<a href=\"https:\/\/prose.com\" target=\"\" class=\"button button primary\">\n  Get Your Formula<\/a>\n      <\/div>\n                    <img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1350\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn-blog.prose.com\/1\/2025\/05\/interstitial-background-1.jpg\" class=\"cta-background-image\" alt=\"Woman with curly hair\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn-blog.prose.com\/1\/2025\/05\/interstitial-background-1.jpg 1350w, https:\/\/cdn-blog.prose.com\/1\/2025\/05\/interstitial-background-1-600x222.jpg 600w, https:\/\/cdn-blog.prose.com\/1\/2025\/05\/interstitial-background-1-1200x444.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/cdn-blog.prose.com\/1\/2025\/05\/interstitial-background-1-768x284.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1350px) 100vw, 1350px\" \/>          <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n<\/section>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Only the best for you (and your skin!)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":29,"featured_media":28027,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[483],"tags":[487,488,261,35,479,251,486],"class_list":["post-28012","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-skin-health","tag-acne","tag-anti-aging","tag-dry","tag-ingredients","tag-new","tag-oily","tag-skincare"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Ingredients to Avoid in Skincare | Bad Skin Care Ingredients<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Concerned about what ingredients to avoid in skincare? Here&#039;s a list of the top bad ingredients to avoid in skin care and what to use.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/prose.com\/blog\/ingredients-to-avoid-in-skincare\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Ingredients to Avoid in Skincare | Bad Skin Care Ingredients\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Concerned about what ingredients to avoid in skincare? Here&#039;s a list of the top bad ingredients to avoid in skin care and what to use.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/prose.com\/blog\/ingredients-to-avoid-in-skincare\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-07-25T19:15:25+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-06-19T11:56:10+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/cdn-blog.prose.com\/1\/2023\/07\/Untitled-3.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1300\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"900\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Keely McCormick\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Keely McCormick\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/prose.com\/blog\/ingredients-to-avoid-in-skincare#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/prose.com\/blog\/ingredients-to-avoid-in-skincare\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Keely McCormick\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/prose.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/cd00aa1df81e8b84cc05265f0413de08\"},\"headline\":\"What Ingredients to Avoid in Skincare\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-07-25T19:15:25+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-06-19T11:56:10+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/prose.com\/blog\/ingredients-to-avoid-in-skincare\"},\"wordCount\":427,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/prose.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/prose.com\/blog\/ingredients-to-avoid-in-skincare#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/cdn-blog.prose.com\/1\/2023\/07\/Untitled-3.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"acne\",\"anti aging\",\"dry\",\"ingredients\",\"new\",\"oily\",\"skincare\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Skin Health\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/prose.com\/blog\/ingredients-to-avoid-in-skincare#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/prose.com\/blog\/ingredients-to-avoid-in-skincare\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/prose.com\/blog\/ingredients-to-avoid-in-skincare\",\"name\":\"Ingredients to Avoid in Skincare | Bad Skin Care Ingredients\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/prose.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/prose.com\/blog\/ingredients-to-avoid-in-skincare#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/prose.com\/blog\/ingredients-to-avoid-in-skincare#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/cdn-blog.prose.com\/1\/2023\/07\/Untitled-3.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-07-25T19:15:25+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-06-19T11:56:10+00:00\",\"description\":\"Concerned about what ingredients to avoid in skincare? Here's a list of the top bad ingredients to avoid in skin care and what to use.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/prose.com\/blog\/ingredients-to-avoid-in-skincare#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/prose.com\/blog\/ingredients-to-avoid-in-skincare\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/prose.com\/blog\/ingredients-to-avoid-in-skincare#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/cdn-blog.prose.com\/1\/2023\/07\/Untitled-3.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/cdn-blog.prose.com\/1\/2023\/07\/Untitled-3.jpg\",\"width\":1300,\"height\":900},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/prose.com\/blog\/ingredients-to-avoid-in-skincare#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/prose.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Skin Health\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/prose.com\/blog\/skin-health\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"What Ingredients to Avoid in Skincare\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/prose.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/prose.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/prose.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/prose.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/prose.com\/blog\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Prose Hair\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/prose.com\/blog\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/prose.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/cdn-blog.prose.com\/1\/2018\/05\/prose-logo-fulltext.svg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/cdn-blog.prose.com\/1\/2018\/05\/prose-logo-fulltext.svg\",\"width\":1,\"height\":1,\"caption\":\"Prose Hair\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/prose.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/prose.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/cd00aa1df81e8b84cc05265f0413de08\",\"name\":\"Keely McCormick\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/prose.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/e32e7e9d404f9df4490dadb92b7ab6c4?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/e32e7e9d404f9df4490dadb92b7ab6c4?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Keely McCormick\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/prose.com\/blog\/author\/keely-mccormickprosehair-com\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Ingredients to Avoid in Skincare | Bad Skin Care Ingredients","description":"Concerned about what ingredients to avoid in skincare? Here's a list of the top bad ingredients to avoid in skin care and what to use.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/prose.com\/blog\/ingredients-to-avoid-in-skincare","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Ingredients to Avoid in Skincare | Bad Skin Care Ingredients","og_description":"Concerned about what ingredients to avoid in skincare? Here's a list of the top bad ingredients to avoid in skin care and what to use.","og_url":"https:\/\/prose.com\/blog\/ingredients-to-avoid-in-skincare","article_published_time":"2023-07-25T19:15:25+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-06-19T11:56:10+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1300,"height":900,"url":"https:\/\/cdn-blog.prose.com\/1\/2023\/07\/Untitled-3.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Keely McCormick","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Keely McCormick","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/prose.com\/blog\/ingredients-to-avoid-in-skincare#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/prose.com\/blog\/ingredients-to-avoid-in-skincare"},"author":{"name":"Keely McCormick","@id":"https:\/\/prose.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/cd00aa1df81e8b84cc05265f0413de08"},"headline":"What Ingredients to Avoid in Skincare","datePublished":"2023-07-25T19:15:25+00:00","dateModified":"2025-06-19T11:56:10+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/prose.com\/blog\/ingredients-to-avoid-in-skincare"},"wordCount":427,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/prose.com\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/prose.com\/blog\/ingredients-to-avoid-in-skincare#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/cdn-blog.prose.com\/1\/2023\/07\/Untitled-3.jpg","keywords":["acne","anti aging","dry","ingredients","new","oily","skincare"],"articleSection":["Skin Health"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/prose.com\/blog\/ingredients-to-avoid-in-skincare#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/prose.com\/blog\/ingredients-to-avoid-in-skincare","url":"https:\/\/prose.com\/blog\/ingredients-to-avoid-in-skincare","name":"Ingredients to Avoid in Skincare | Bad Skin Care Ingredients","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/prose.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/prose.com\/blog\/ingredients-to-avoid-in-skincare#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/prose.com\/blog\/ingredients-to-avoid-in-skincare#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/cdn-blog.prose.com\/1\/2023\/07\/Untitled-3.jpg","datePublished":"2023-07-25T19:15:25+00:00","dateModified":"2025-06-19T11:56:10+00:00","description":"Concerned about what ingredients to avoid in skincare? Here's a list of the top bad ingredients to avoid in skin care and what to use.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/prose.com\/blog\/ingredients-to-avoid-in-skincare#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/prose.com\/blog\/ingredients-to-avoid-in-skincare"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/prose.com\/blog\/ingredients-to-avoid-in-skincare#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/cdn-blog.prose.com\/1\/2023\/07\/Untitled-3.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/cdn-blog.prose.com\/1\/2023\/07\/Untitled-3.jpg","width":1300,"height":900},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/prose.com\/blog\/ingredients-to-avoid-in-skincare#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/prose.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Skin Health","item":"https:\/\/prose.com\/blog\/skin-health"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"What Ingredients to Avoid in Skincare"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/prose.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/prose.com\/blog\/","name":"","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/prose.com\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/prose.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/prose.com\/blog\/#organization","name":"Prose Hair","url":"https:\/\/prose.com\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/prose.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/cdn-blog.prose.com\/1\/2018\/05\/prose-logo-fulltext.svg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/cdn-blog.prose.com\/1\/2018\/05\/prose-logo-fulltext.svg","width":1,"height":1,"caption":"Prose Hair"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/prose.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/prose.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/cd00aa1df81e8b84cc05265f0413de08","name":"Keely McCormick","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/prose.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/e32e7e9d404f9df4490dadb92b7ab6c4?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/e32e7e9d404f9df4490dadb92b7ab6c4?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Keely McCormick"},"url":"https:\/\/prose.com\/blog\/author\/keely-mccormickprosehair-com"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/prose.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28012","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/prose.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/prose.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prose.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/29"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prose.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28012"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"https:\/\/prose.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28012\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29708,"href":"https:\/\/prose.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28012\/revisions\/29708"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prose.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/28027"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/prose.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28012"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prose.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28012"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prose.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28012"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}