Best Non Toxic Face Wash

Which is the best chemical free face wash? Check out these options for a non tosic face wash, which eliminates harmful toxins from your skin care routine. Check out these cleaner options to switch to!

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Common face washes often contain concerning ingredients that can have an impact on our health. Fortunately, there are plenty of non toxic options to swtich to that eliminate these threats from our skin care routine.

Table of Contents

Ingredients to Avoid in Face Wash

Fragrance/Parfum: umbrella term including hundreds of toxins, including hormone disrupting phthalates, as well as skin irritants and allergens. Chemicals that are hidden behind this term can be carcinogenic, respiratory irritants, endocrine disruptors, reproductive toxins, neurotoxins, and more (PMID: 35669814)
Parabens: preservatives linked to endocrine disruption (PMID: 29596967), known to be carcinogenic due to endocrine disruption (PMID: 36746253) Parabens may be listed as methylparaben, ethylparaben, propylparaben, butylparaben, isobutylparaben, isopropylparaben, and benzylparaben.
Ethoxylated ingredients (PEGs, PPGs, polysorbates, ceteareth, phenoxyethanol): ethoxylation process produces ethylene oxide, a carcinogen and developmental toxin (PubChem CID: 6354) and 1,4-dioxane, a suspected carcinogen (PubChem CID: 31275)
Phenoxyethanol: deemed generally safe at a 1% concentration, however it’s production process, ethoxylation, can potentially contaminate phenoxyethanol with 1,4-dioxane and ethylene oxide (see above for ethoxylated ingredient description) (PubChem CID: 31236)
Phthalates: preservative linked to reproductive & developmental toxicity, potentially linked to ADD and learning disabilities (PMID: 24267794) potential carcinogen & endocrine disruptor (PubChem CID: 3026)
Sodium Laureth Sulfate: penetration enhancer which can cause other ingredients to be more readily absorbed through the skin; may cause skin irritation, may react with other ingredients to form nitrosamines (carcinogen), may contain 1,4-dioxane (carcinogen)
Polyethylene glycols (PEGs): ethoxylated ingredient that may be contaminated with 1,4 dioxane and ethylene oxide, byproducts of ethoxylation (see above for ethoxylated ingredient description)
Potassium sorbate: skin, eye, respiratory irritant, (PubChemID: 23676745); caused DNA damage when combined with ascorbic acid and Fe-salt (PMID: 12176085) and deemed genotoxic to human lymphocytes by this study (PMID: 20036729)
Sodium benzoate: study has shown to be mutagenic and cytotoxic in lymphocytes (PubChem ID: 517055); can form benzene when combined with ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) (PMID: 33371618)