Ingredients to avoid (and what to use instead)
An evidence-based index of the ingredients most often flagged in personal care, cleaning and household products. Each one has a full page: what it is, every name it hides under, what regulators have actually done, and the swap we recommend.
Not medical advice — talk to a clinician about specific health concerns.
1.Parabens
Also listed as: Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Butylparaben
Endocrine disruptors that weakly mimic estrogen; longer-chain parabens (propyl-, butyl-) are the ones regulators restrict.
Read the full guide2.Phthalates
Also listed as: DEP, DBP, DEHP
Plasticisers linked to hormone disruption and reproductive toxicity; frequently undeclared because they hide inside 'fragrance/parfum'.
Read the full guide3.PFAS (forever chemicals)
Also listed as: PTFE, PFOA, PFOS
Extremely persistent in the environment and human blood; associated with kidney and testicular cancer, immune suppression and thyroid disease.
Read the full guide4.Triclosan & triclocarban
Also listed as: TCS, TCC, Microban
Promotes antibiotic cross-resistance and acts as an endocrine disruptor; the FDA removed it from consumer hand soap in 2017 for lack of proven benefit.
Read the full guide5.Formaldehyde releasers
Also listed as: DMDM hydantoin, Quaternium-15, Imidazolidinyl urea
These preservatives slowly release formaldehyde, a known human carcinogen and a common contact allergen, into the product over its shelf life.
Read the full guide6.Oxybenzone & octinoxate
Also listed as: Benzophenone-3, BP-3, Ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate
Linked to coral bleaching (banned in Hawaii, Key West and Palau) and absorbed into human bloodstream at levels that triggered FDA re-evaluation.
Read the full guide7.SLS & SLES
Also listed as: Sodium lauryl sulfate, Sodium laureth sulfate, Sodium dodecyl sulfate
Harsh surfactants that strip skin lipids and irritate sensitive scalps; ethoxylated SLES can carry 1,4-dioxane contamination, a probable human carcinogen.
Read the full guide8.Microplastics & microbeads
Also listed as: Polyethylene (PE), Polypropylene (PP), Nylon-12
Pass straight through wastewater treatment, persist in oceans and soil, and are ingested throughout the food chain.
Read the full guide9.BPA & BPS
Also listed as: Bisphenol-A, Bisphenol-S, Bisphenol-F
Endocrine disruptors active at low doses; 'BPA-free' products frequently substitute BPS or BPF, which behave similarly.
Read the full guide10.Uncertified palm oil
Also listed as: Sodium palmate, Palmitate, Elaeis guineensis
Conventional expansion drives tropical deforestation, peatland burning and orangutan habitat loss across Indonesia and Malaysia.
Read the full guideFind products without these
Every product page on EthiCompare flags certifications and ingredient concerns. Start with the categories most affected: