Not every synthetic skincare ingredient is harmful and I want to be fair about that. But some are worth cutting based on the current evidence, the regulatory environment, and the simple fact that better alternatives exist. If you are trying to simplify and clean up your routine, start with these five.

1. Synthetic Fragrance

This is the single most impactful change you can make. Fragrance or parfum on a label is a legal loophole that allows brands to hide dozens or hundreds of chemical compounds, including allergens, endocrine disruptors, and carcinogens, without listing them individually. Fragrance is the leading cause of contact allergens in cosmetic products. If a product lists fragrance and it is not identified as a natural essential oil, avoid it. If you want scent, choose products scented with clearly named essential oils, or go unscented. When you buy our Face Balm, the scent comes from lavender and frankincense essential oils, listed by name.

2. Parabens

Methylparaben, propylparaben, butylparaben, ethylparaben. These synthetic preservatives are linked to endocrine disruption. They are absorbed through the skin and have been detected in blood and breast tissue. The EU restricts several forms. The US has not acted. Look for anything ending in paraben and consider replacing those products with options that use fewer and simpler preservative strategies, or formulations that do not require them at all.

3. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate

SLS creates rich lather in cleansers, shampoos, and body wash. It is also aggressive at stripping the skin's natural oils, disrupting the acid mantle, and compromising the skin barrier over time. If your skin is chronically dry, tight after washing, or reactive, SLS in your cleanser might be a contributing factor. Our tallow soaps create a natural lather through saponification without any synthetic surfactants, and they leave the skin's protective oils largely intact.

4. Phthalates

Phthalates are plasticizing chemicals used to help synthetic fragrances adhere to skin. Like parabens, they are endocrine disruptors with documented hormonal effects. They are rarely listed explicitly and usually hide inside the fragrance entry on a label. Eliminating synthetic fragrance is the most direct way to eliminate phthalate exposure from your skincare routine.

5. Oxybenzone and Octinoxate

These are the two most scrutinized synthetic UV filters in chemical sunscreens. Oxybenzone is a potent endocrine disruptor detected in human blood, urine, and breast milk after application. Both are implicated in coral reef damage. The FDA has requested complete safety data from manufacturers multiple times and has not received it. If you use sunscreen, which you should when spending real time in the sun, mineral options using non-nano zinc oxide are significantly better from a safety standpoint. Our Sun Balm uses non-nano zinc oxide along with grass-fed tallow, organic cacao, organic beeswax, organic carrot seed oil, and organic raspberry seed oil. Nothing synthetic, nothing questionable.

The Bigger Point

Cutting these five will not fix everything overnight, but it will push you toward simpler formulations with fewer ingredients and more transparency. And that direction, toward fewer things you cannot pronounce and more things you can understand and research, is almost always the right one when it comes to what you put on your skin every day.