The Low Tox Lifestyle: 7 Common Hair & Skincare Ingredients to Avoid

Have you made a conscious decision to move towards a low-tox lifestyle?

From shampoo and conditioner to face wash, body wash and skincare, the products we use every day can contain a long list of ingredients. Often unpronounceable and unrecognisable, we are the first to understand that navigating ingredient labels can be very tricky, especially when some ingredients sound like chemicals but are in fact plant-based ingredients and safe to use.

For people prone to dryness, redness, itching, stinging or sensitivity however, choosing a gentle, low tox formulation becomes even more of a priority, ensuring the skin barrier is well supported with minimum impact.

The good news? You don't need to become a cosmetic chemist to make more informed choices. Today we’re helping demystify the ingredients list with 7 common ingredients to avoid when moving onto low-tox haircare, skincare and personal care products.

 

1. SLS & SLES: Harsh Cleansing Surfactants

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) and Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES) are surfactants used to create that familiar bubbly lather as well as removing oils, dirt and product build-up.

While SLS & SLES are highly effective cleansers, they can also be quite drying or irritating for some people, particularly those with sensitive or easily irritated skin.

Over-cleansing can strip some of the skin's natural oils and contribute to your skin feeling tight, dry and/or irritated.

What to look for on the label:

• Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS)
• Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES)
• Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate
• Ammonium Laureth Sulfate

Low-tox tip: Don't be tricked into thinking that more bubbles mean a better clean. These bubbles are almost always chemical based and clean a little bit too well, stripping the skin. A gentle plant-based cleanser can effectively clean the skin and hair without producing a huge amount of lather, while maintaining the skin’s natural barrier, the sebum.

 

2. PFAS: The "Forever Chemicals"

PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are often referred to as “forever chemicals” because they can persist in the environment for a very long time, making them handy for water resistant makeup or sunblock. While research is still ongoing on the true effect of these ingredients, they are known to disrupt the skins natural barrier, causing inflammation and even DNA damage, potentially interfering with skin cell functions. Allowing these chemicals to get absorbed and accumulate within the skin can trigger immune responses or worsen conditions such as eczema, particularly in sensitive skin.
What to look for on the label:

Look for ingredients containing terms such as:

• Perfluoro-
• Polyfluoro-
• PTFE
• Fluoro-

Examples include:

• PTFE
• Perfluorononyl Dimethicone
• Polyperfluoromethylisopropyl Ether
  
  

3. Silicones

Silicones are widely used in haircare and skincare to create a smooth, silky feel while detangling and adding a coating to ‘protect’ the hair.

Unfortunately, silicone build up traps sweat, bacteria, or other irritants on the hair or skin, which may contribute to skin sensitivity, dermatitis, or even breakouts. Silicone build up can be undesirable for certain hair types, especially curly hair, making hair feel coated, weighed down and unmanageable along with oily hair, looking and feeling oilier.

What to look for:

Common examples include dimethicone, cyclopentasiloxane and dimethiconol.
Those that contain Multiple silicones are a heavily silicone-based formula.
Ingredients ending in:

• -cone — such as Dimethicone
• -siloxane — such as Cyclopentasiloxane
• -conol — such as Dimethiconol

Other examples include Trimethylsiloxysilicate.

Those that contain Multiple silicones are a heavily silicone-based formula.

Low-tox tip: Natural plant oils offer a detangling solution for dry, frizzy hair, while providing a balanced approach to conditioning the hair shaft without coating it. Surprisingly they also work well with oily hair, providing a balanced scalp, rather than coating it with a synthetic silicone.

4. Formaldehyde & Formaldehyde-Releasing Preservatives

Included in some skincare products to prevent the growth of bacteria, mould, and yeast, they extend the life of liquid and creams, however, aren’t as necessary for bar style products. These ingredients are known skin sensitisers and can cause itching, redness, burning, and even allergic reactions such as contact dermatitis, especially with repeated exposure.

Ingredients to look for:

• DMDM Hydantoin
• Quaternium-15
• Diazolidinyl Urea
• Imidazolidinyl Urea
• Bronopol

Low-tox tip: If you're prone to contact dermatitis or unexplained irritation, learning the names of common cosmetic allergen can help you identify and eliminate potential triggers.

5. Parabens

Parabens are preservatives used to prevent microbial growth and help personal care products remain safe and stable.

Examples include:

• Methylparaben
• Ethylparaben
• Propylparaben
• Butylparaben
• Isobutylparaben
• Isopropylparaben

Parabens have been flagged for causing skin irritation, allergic reactions and increased skin sensitivity, especially for sensitive folk. Additionally, some parabens have been studied for their potential endocrine activity, which is one reason some people choose to avoid them. Trace amounts have been detected in human tissues, which has led to ongoing scientific debate about long-term exposure.

How to spot them:

It's simple: if the ingredient name ends in "paraben", it belongs to the paraben family.

 

6. Synthetic Dyes & Colourants

Colour can make a product look beautiful, but it doesn't necessarily provide a functional benefit for your hair or skin. Synthetic colourants are primarily used to create or enhance a product's appearance. Some colourants can cause irritation or allergic reactions especially for those with sensitive skin.

What to look for:

You may see:

• FD&C colours
• D&C colours
• CI numbers, such as CI 42090 or CI 17200

Low-tox tip: If you're simplifying your routine because you have sensitive skin, choosing products with unnecessary chemical colourants can be one way to reduce non-active ingredient exposure.

 

7. High pH Traditional Soap

Not all cleansing bars are created equal.

Traditional soap is made through a process called saponification, typically involving oils or fats and an alkali such as sodium hydroxide. Finished soap is naturally alkaline, whereas healthy skin has a naturally acidic surface environment.

For some people, frequent use of traditional high-pH soap can leave the skin feeling dry, tight or irritated.

Ingredients commonly found in traditional soap include:

• Sodium Palmate
• Sodium Cocoate
• Sodium Tallowate
• Potassium Cocoate

You may also see Sodium Hydroxide listed in the ingredient declaration.

Important: A product being a bar does not automatically mean it is traditional soap.

Many modern cleansing bars are syndets (synthetic detergent bars) or soap-free cleansers designed to cleanse without the same high pH as traditional soap. NueBar is a pH balanced bar thoughtfully formulated with your skins wellbeing in mind.

 

What Does 'Low-Tox' Actually Mean?

A low-tox lifestyle doesn't have to mean eliminating every ingredient with a complicated chemical name.

Instead, a practical low-tox approach can mean being more conscious about what you use, reducing unnecessary exposure and choosing products that align with your personal preferences and skin needs.

For hair and skincare, that might mean:

• Choosing simpler ingredient lists
• Avoiding ingredients that you know irritate your skin
• Reducing heavily fragranced products, especially those with artificial fragrance
• Choosing fragrance-free options if you're extra sensitive or pregnant
• Avoiding unnecessary colourants
• Looking for products without intentionally added PFAS
• Choosing gentle cleansing ingredients, such as oatmeal and natural oils
• Supporting the skin's natural barrier rather than stripping it with synthetic cleansers
• Learning to read ingredient labels

You don't have to change everything overnight.

Start with one product, learn what is in it, and make your next choice more consciously.

A Simpler Approach to Sensitive Skin

Sensitive skin often benefits from a less-is-more approach.

Rather than constantly adding another product to fix dryness, irritation or sensitivity, consider whether your existing routine could actually be contributing to the problem.

A gentle cleanser, moisturiser and carefully selected haircare products may be all you need.

And remember: natural doesn't automatically mean gentle, and synthetic doesn't automatically mean harmful. Individual ingredients, concentrations, formulation and your own skin can all make a difference.

If your skin is persistently itchy, inflamed, painful or developing a rash, it's worth speaking with a qualified healthcare professional or dermatologist rather than assuming a cosmetic ingredient is the cause.

Choosing a Low-Tox Haircare Routine

At NueBar, we believe your everyday hair and body products can be effective without needing an unnecessarily complicated ingredient list.

Our solid bars are formulated by a Naturopath as a conscious alternative to conventional liquid hair and body products, with carefully selected ingredients and without SLS, SLES, parabens or traditional soap.

Because they're concentrated bars, they are highly concentrated without being diluted by water.

For people looking to make their personal care routine simpler, more considered and lower-waste, switching one product at a time can be an easy place to start. The NueBar range of hair bars are available in sample/travel sizes so you don’t have to commit to a whole bar to try.