What ingredients may be harmful to my skin?

Parabens, sulphates, hyaluronic acid - skincare labels and ingredients can be confusing and scary. But they're not all bad, you just have to know what to look out for...

Quite rightly, there's a lot of talk about labels these days. It's important to know what you're putting into and onto your body. Information is the key. But we don't always know enough about that information to make an informed judgement. There are a lot of scientifically-named ingredients in face-creams, shampoos, shower creams and make up.

And it's important to realise that not all chemicals are bad - they've all been added for one reason or another, many of them to make things more convenient for us to use, such as preservatives, to make your moisturiser stay fresh outside the fridge. Others have been added to make the cream smell better or absorb more easily. And these are not necessarily a bad thing. Others, though, are added purely on the basis that they're cheap to source. They may well have been tested on animals unnecessarily. They may contain products that are best left in the lab.

Many brands have not traditionally seen it as their problem to meet your skincare needs, sensitivities or ethical concerns. It's only in recent years that they've bothered saying much about what's IN their products. If you're at all concerned, it's probably good to start with brands that openly expound an ethical, natural, or organic policy, such as Ren, Elemis, Lavere, Dr Hauschka, or Caudalie. Then, you need to know about ingredients...

Here's our basic guide to Labels and chemicals to help you.

See also:

* Hyaluronic acid - skincare or skin scary?

* How do I avoid products that have been tested on animals?

* I have very sensitive skin. Do spas use products that will irritate my skin?