What's Out Is In
Cosmopolitan|July 2017

The “no nasties” ingredient trend has gone from the food aisle to beauty shelves—with free of plastered on product labels. Here, what’s just hype and what’s truly unhealthy.

Lauren Balsamo
What's Out Is In

SULFATES

Love how your hair gets all sudsy when you wash it? Thank sulfates, detergents found in shampoos, body washes, and facial cleansers. 

THE DRAMA: Hair pros often blame sulfates for fading your color. And sulfates can strip the scalp of moisture and natural oils, causing dryness and irritation. 

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: When it comes to color, the real culprit is water, not sulfates. As strands swellwith moisture, dye molecules can escape through the cuticle. (However, sulfates can indirectly contribute to color fade by removing your hair’s natural oils, which seal the cuticle.) If you have a sensitive scalp or fickle skin, proceed with caution, as sulfates can be drying—or check out L’Oréal Paris’s super-gentle, low-suds, sulfate-free cleansing conditioner.

TALC

This naturally occurring mineral helps some makeup, powders, and deodorants absorb oil and sweat. 

THE DRAMA: There have been consumer reports linking talc to ovarian cancer. 

This story is from the July 2017 edition of Cosmopolitan.

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This story is from the July 2017 edition of Cosmopolitan.

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