I recently encountered a tube of Mary Kay hand lotion in a drawer I rarely access. It was a gift I received from a friend several years ago and had tucked away as a treasure. But it is going away now. Here are the ingredients:
Water/Eau, Petrolatum, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, Distearyldimonium Chloride, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Cetyl Alcohol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dimethicone, Diazolidinyl Urea, Tocopheryl Acetate, Methylparaben, Disodium Edta, Allontoin, Sodium Chloride, Triethanolamine.
As a comparison, here are the ingredients in Sheeperfect® Icing:
Shea butter, sweet almond oil, argan oil, honey, lanolin, vitamin E, essential oils.
Let’s take a closer look at what is in the Mary Kay product.
- Water (of course) is first.
- Petrolatum is petroleum jelly. (If the first two ingredients are water and petroleum jelly, why not just buy some Vaseline – and avoid all of the additional ingredients!) Originally discovered at the bottom of oil rigs, petrolatum is a derivative of oil (petroleum). The Huffington Post (10/21/2013/Updated September 1, 2016) reported that “Though generally regarded as safe, the components that are removed from the oil during the refining process of petroleum jelly are carcinogenic in some cases.”
- Glycerin is a humectant, which makes it an effective moisturizer.
- Propylene Glycol is a synthetic organic compound classified as a solvent.
- Distearyldimonium Chloride is synthetically created to give skin a smooth feeling. Some studies raise concerns about toxicity.
- C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate is a synthetic ingredient used as an emollient.
- Cetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol used as an emollient, emulsifier, or thickening agent.
- Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride is a mixed triester derived from coconut oil and glycerin used as an emollient.
- Dimethicone, commonly known as silicone, used as a skin barrier.
- Diazolidinyl Urea is a preservative that has been shown to release formaldehyde.
- Tocopheryl Acetate is vitamin E combined with acetic acid. The acetic acid is added, making it cheaper and longer lasting, but is corrosive and can be irritating to skin.
- Methylparaben is a preservative.
- Disodium Edta is a chelating agent used to improve product stability.
- Allontoin is a chemical compound naturally found in the root of the comfrey plant and urine of most mammals, but chemically synthesized in bulk; used to soothe and protect skin.
- Sodium Chloride. Salt. (A superfood for skin with antiseptic and healing properties, but most likely used in this product as a thickening agent. It is great as an exfoliant, but must be paired well with oils so as not to produce drying.)
- Triethanolamine is produced by reacting ethylene oxide (considered highly toxic) with ammonia (another known toxin); used as a buffering agent, masking and fragrance ingredient.
Sheeperfect® products use only superfoods for the skin and are ultra pure, all natural, highly concentrated, and no water. No synthetics. No derivatives. No preservatives. No perfumes. Ever. I’ll never go back!