Reference list

Ingredients to avoid (and what to use instead)

A short, evidence-based list of the ingredients most commonly flagged in personal care, cleaning, and household products — plus what we recommend swapping them for.

Last reviewed June 2026. Not medical advice — talk to a clinician about specific health concerns.

1.Parabens

Also listed as: Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Butylparaben, Ethylparaben

Where it hides
Lotions, shampoos, deodorants, makeup
Why avoid
Endocrine disruptors that mimic estrogen; detected in breast tissue and linked to reproductive concerns.
Cleaner swap
Look for 'paraben-free' lotions preserved with phenoxyethanol, sodium benzoate, or potassium sorbate.

2.Phthalates

Also listed as: DEP, DBP, DEHP, listed as 'fragrance'

Where it hides
Perfumes, nail polish, vinyl, scented lotions
Why avoid
Plasticizers linked to hormone disruption and reproductive toxicity. Often hidden under 'fragrance/parfum.'
Cleaner swap
Choose products labeled 'phthalate-free' and 'fragrance-free' or scented only with named essential oils.

3.PFAS (Forever Chemicals)

Also listed as: PTFE, PFOA, PFOS, C8, Teflon

Where it hides
Non-stick cookware, waterproof clothing, dental floss, food packaging
Why avoid
Bioaccumulate in blood for decades; linked to cancer, immune suppression, and thyroid disease.
Cleaner swap
Cast iron or stainless steel cookware, untreated cotton or wool outerwear with beeswax DWR, paper-only food packaging.

4.Triclosan & Triclocarban

Also listed as: TCS, TCC

Where it hides
Antibacterial soap, toothpaste, deodorant
Why avoid
FDA banned from soap in 2017 — promotes antibiotic resistance and is an endocrine disruptor. Still appears in other categories.
Cleaner swap
Plain soap and water is just as effective. For toothpaste, choose triclosan-free fluoride or hydroxyapatite formulas.

5.Formaldehyde Releasers

Also listed as: DMDM hydantoin, Quaternium-15, Imidazolidinyl urea, Bronopol

Where it hides
Shampoo, body wash, keratin treatments, nail polish
Why avoid
Slowly release formaldehyde, a known human carcinogen, into product over time.
Cleaner swap
Pick preservative systems like sodium benzoate + potassium sorbate, or refrigerated short-shelf-life products.

6.Oxybenzone & Octinoxate

Also listed as: Benzophenone-3, BP-3

Where it hides
Chemical sunscreens
Why avoid
Coral reef toxicity (banned in Hawaii, Key West, and Palau) and hormone disruption in humans.
Cleaner swap
Mineral sunscreens with non-nano zinc oxide or titanium dioxide.

7.SLS / SLES

Also listed as: Sodium lauryl sulfate, Sodium laureth sulfate

Where it hides
Shampoo, body wash, toothpaste
Why avoid
Harsh surfactants; SLES can be contaminated with 1,4-dioxane, a probable human carcinogen.
Cleaner swap
Decyl glucoside, coco-glucoside, or cocamidopropyl betaine for gentler cleansing.

8.Synthetic Microbeads

Also listed as: Polyethylene (PE), Polypropylene (PP)

Where it hides
Exfoliating scrubs, toothpaste (banned in US but still in some import brands)
Why avoid
Pass through wastewater treatment, accumulate in oceans, ingested by marine life.
Cleaner swap
Sugar, salt, jojoba beads, ground apricot kernel, or oat exfoliants.

9.BPA & BPS

Also listed as: Bisphenol-A, Bisphenol-S

Where it hides
Plastic bottles, canned-food linings, thermal receipts
Why avoid
Endocrine disruptors. 'BPA-free' often means BPS, which has similar effects.
Cleaner swap
Glass, stainless steel, or certified bisphenol-free packaging. Decline receipts or request email.

10.Palm Oil (uncertified)

Also listed as: Sodium palmate, Palmitate, Elaeis guineensis

Where it hides
Soap, snacks, biofuel, cosmetics
Why avoid
Conventional palm production drives deforestation and orangutan habitat loss in SE Asia.
Cleaner swap
RSPO-certified palm oil, or products using shea butter, coconut, or sunflower oil instead.

Find products without these

Every product page on Pickly flags certifications and ingredient concerns. Start with the categories most affected:

Best beauty & personal careBest home & cleaningBest baby & kidsMaterials guideCertifications
The short answer

The ingredients worth avoiding in UK household and beauty products are parabens, phthalates hidden under 'parfum', PFAS in non-stick and waterproof goods, formaldehyde releasers, oxybenzone, SLS in sensitive-skin formulas and microplastics. UK and retained EU cosmetics law bans over 1,300 substances, but the rest is left to the label.

  • UK cosmetics law bans 1,300+ substances — far more than the US does.
  • 'Parfum' on an INCI list can legally conceal dozens of undisclosed components.
  • PFAS persist for decades and are being phased out unevenly across UK retailers.
  • 'Natural' and 'chemical-free' are unregulated marketing terms in the UK.
  • INCI lists are ordered by concentration down to 1%, then in any order.
  • Fragrance-free is a stricter claim than unscented.

Read the INCI list, not the front of the pack

Every cosmetic sold in the UK must carry an INCI ingredient list, ordered by concentration until you reach 1%, after which the order is arbitrary. That single rule tells you most of what you need: an ingredient in the first five is doing real work in the formula, one in the last five is present in trace amounts.

The front of the pack, by contrast, is unregulated on the words that shoppers care about most. 'Natural', 'clean', 'eco' and 'chemical-free' have no legal definition here, and the Competition and Markets Authority's Green Claims Code polices only the most egregious cases.

  • Ingredients above 1% are listed in descending order of concentration
  • 'Parfum' or 'fragrance' is a legal umbrella term, not a single ingredient
  • Fragrance-free means none added; unscented can mean masked with more fragrance
  • Allergens such as limonene and linalool must be declared separately

Where the risk actually concentrates

Exposure, not the presence of a scary-sounding molecule, is what matters. A rinse-off shampoo containing a mild surfactant is a very different proposition from a leave-on body lotion applied daily over a large surface area, and a non-stick pan heated past its stability limit is different again.

That is why our guidance prioritises leave-on products, anything used on babies and young children, and anything that involves heat or abrasion — cookware, waterproof clothing and worn-out plastic containers.

Swapping everything at once is expensive and unnecessary. Replace items as they run out, starting with the leave-on products you use daily.

Priority swaps for UK households

Priority swaps for UK households
Product typeWhat to checkLower-risk swap
Body lotion, leave-onParabens, 'parfum'Fragrance-free formulas preserved with phenoxyethanol
Non-stick cookwarePTFE, PFOA, 'forever chemicals'Cast iron, carbon steel or stainless steel
Waterproof coatsPFAS-based DWR finishesPFC-free DWR, waxed cotton
Baby wipes and washesFragrance, formaldehyde releasersFragrance-free, minimal-ingredient formulas
SunscreenOxybenzone, octinoxateMineral zinc oxide filters
Exfoliants and scrubsPolyethylene microbeadsSugar, salt or ground-kernel exfoliants

A practical five-step audit of your bathroom and kitchen

  1. 1List the five products you leave on your skin every day — those matter most.
  2. 2Photograph their INCI lists and check the first five ingredients against this page.
  3. 3Replace only what runs out; nothing here justifies binning a half-used bottle.
  4. 4Check cookware next: replace scratched non-stick before anything else.
  5. 5For children's products, prefer fragrance-free and the shortest ingredient list available.
  6. 6Re-check annually — UK reformulations happen quietly and often improve.

Frequently asked questions

Are these ingredients banned in the UK?

Some are. UK cosmetics law, inherited and extended from EU rules, prohibits over 1,300 substances and restricts many more. Others discussed here remain legal but are worth limiting in leave-on products or for young children.

Does 'chemical-free' mean anything?

No. Everything is a chemical, including water, and the phrase has no legal meaning in the UK. Judge products by the INCI list and verified certifications instead.

Is 'parfum' always a problem?

Not always, but it is opaque: it can cover dozens of undisclosed components, some of which are common allergens. If you have sensitive skin or eczema, fragrance-free is the safer default.

Should I throw out my non-stick pans?

Not if the coating is intact and you avoid overheating them. Replace them once scratched or flaking, and prefer cast iron, carbon steel or stainless steel when you do.

Are natural ingredients automatically safer?

No. Several potent allergens and irritants are entirely natural, and some plant extracts are far more sensitising than synthetic alternatives. Safety depends on the specific substance and dose, not its origin.

Keep exploring

Materials guideCertifications explainedProduct recallsGlossary of terms