When we launched My Skin Feels just over three years ago now, I was sick and tired of the beauty industry doing everything possible to avoid considering the planet, the long-term effects of their products, and the ingredients they put inside them.
It's mind-blowing to me that, still today, so many brands on the market use ingredients linked to all sorts of issues - endocrine disruptors, plastics, and plenty of others that don't just affect you and your microbiome, but also make their way back to the earth, our waterways, and our oceans, where ultimately most of our products end up.
Let's start with the top 5 baddies and why.
The Top 5 Baddies
1. SLS / SLES (Sodium Lauryl/Laureth Sulfate)
These are the harsh foaming agents behind that super drying feeling when you wash your face, your hair and your body but that "clean" comes at a cost. They strip the skin's natural oils and disrupt the moisture barrier, which can lead to irritation, dryness, and sensitivity over time making it a nightmare for those with skin conditions like sensitive skin, eczema and psoriasis.
Look for instead: gentle, plant-derived cleansing agents like Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Decyl Glucoside and Coco-Glucoside - all made from sugar and coconut, all can be found in My Skin Feels Clean, and all give you a lovely lather without stripping your skin barrier.
2. Parabens
Used as preservatives to extend shelf life, parabens (methylparaben, propylparaben etc) have been shown to mimic oestrogen in the body so they're also known as endocrine disruptors. That's a problem because they've been found to disrupt hormone function which we are now learning is a huge issue especially for women's health.
Look for instead: naturally-derived preservatives like Sodium Benzoate and Potassium Sorbate used in both of our vegan skincare products - they keep the formula safe and stable without the hormone-disrupting effects of parabens.
3. Fragrance / Artificial Perfumes
"Fragrance" is one of the most frustrating labels in beauty because it's a legal loophole - a single word can hide dozens, even hundreds, of undisclosed chemicals, some of which are known irritants or hormone disruptors. Brands don't have to say what's in there because it's protected as a "trade secret."
Look for instead: brands that name every single scent ingredient. We use a beautiful, uplifting blend of 100% natural essential oils: Citrus Sinensis (Orange), Citrus Bergamia (Bergamot), Citrus Limon (Lemon), Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit), Citrus Nobilis (Mandarin) and Litsea Cubeba - so you always know exactly what's making our products smell so good.
4. Phthalates
Often hiding inside that same "fragrance" label, phthalates are used to make scent last longer and plastics more flexible. They've again been linked to hormone disruption and reproductive health concerns, and because they're rarely listed explicitly, most people using them have no idea.
Look for instead: the same fix as above, because we only use named essential oils rather than synthetic "fragrance," there's no hidden phthalate carrier to worry about. What's on the label is what's in the bottle!
5. Silicones
Silicones give products that instant silky, smooth feel - but they sit on top of the skin rather than absorbing into it, which can clog pores and trap in bacteria and impurities over time. They're also not biodegradable, so once they're washed off, they persist in waterways for a very long time. Think microplastics on a huge scale.
Look for instead: real plant oils and butters like Shea Butter, Sunflower Seed Oil, Rosehip Oil and Triolein all found in My Skin Feels Moisturised - they absorb into skin rather than sitting on top of it, and they break down naturally rather than lingering in waterways.
So Why Do Brands Still Use Them?
It's not that brands don't know. It largely comes down to cost, shelf life, and regulation:
- They're cheap. SLS and SLES are inexpensive, effective surfactants that create the big, foamy lather people associate with "clean," and SLES in particular is often favoured for its low production cost, which manufacturers consistently prefer. Parabens are similarly attractive because they're a low-cost preservative that kills bacteria, prevents yeast growth, and extends shelf life.
- They extend shelf life, which protects profit margins. Preservatives like parabens let products sit in a warehouse, in transit, and on a store shelf for years rather than months - which matters a lot when you're manufacturing at scale.
- They're not required to be tested before going to market. In the US in particular, the FDA doesn't require safety testing for most personal care ingredients before they're sold, so there's little regulatory pressure to reformulate. The UK/EU has tighter rules, but "fragrance" is still allowed to be listed as a single word covering dozens of undisclosed chemicals.
- They deliver the "right" sensory experience. Big lather, silky glide, long-lasting scent — these ingredients are chosen because they feel premium in the moment, even when that sensation has nothing to do with how well the product actually works or how it affects your skin over time.
In short: short-term cost savings and shelf appeal, at the expense of long-term skin and environmental health.
And It Doesn't Stop With Your Skin - It Goes Back to the Planet Too
Everything that goes down the drain has to go somewhere, and most of it ends up in rivers, seas, and oceans — often surviving wastewater treatment along the way.
- Parabens don't stay put. Once they enter waterways, they become environmental pollutants due to how persistent they are, their tendency to build up in living organisms, and their hormone-disrupting effects. They've been found in water, sediment, and marine organisms, and can even move up the food chain, building up to higher concentrations in fish and marine mammals - and ultimately in the seafood and drinking water we consume. They've also turned up in the tissue of marine mammals like otters and dolphins, and low concentrations have been shown to bleach coral.
- Sulfates disrupt aquatic life too. Beyond being unnecessary for effective cleansing, sulfates have been shown to be toxic to marine organisms, affecting their growth, reproduction, and overall health. Their foaming action can also interfere with the natural surface tension of water, which gets in the way of the oxygen exchange that aquatic ecosystems depend on.
- Fragrance and phthalates carry hidden hormone disruptors into water systems. Because "fragrance" chemicals aren't required to be disclosed, they can wash into waterways completely untracked - and several of the endocrine-disrupting compounds hidden inside are known to interfere with reproduction and development in marine life, the same way they do in humans.
It's a good reminder that "what's in it" isn't just a personal skin question - it's an ocean, river, and ecosystem question too. Everything we put on our skin eventually rinses off, and it has to go somewhere.
So What Do We Use Instead?
This is the bit we're actually proud of. Not juicy gossip - it's all true and it always will be!
- Over 99% natural ingredients
- Vegan, always
- UK made, so we know exactly what's going in and how it's produced
- Dermatologically tested, so it's kind to your skin as well as the planet
No parabens. No artificial fragrances or perfumes. No alcohol. No SLS/SLES. No silicones. No endocrine disruptors. Just skincare that feels as good as it does for your skin, and for everywhere it ends up afterwards.
You can find out more and check out our natural skincare products here.
