If you’ve been wondering whether all the lotions, sunscreens, serums, and “fragrance” in your day are adding up to more chemical exposure than you’d like, they probably are.
U.S. biomonitoring shows that people carry a variety of chemicals in their bodies, including PFAS “forever” chemicals, detected in nearly everyone tested, according to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR).
Meanwhile, the number of chemicals in U.S. commerce remains huge—over 86,000 are listed on the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) TSCA Inventory, with more than 42,000 considered active.
Under the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) rules, cosmetic companies can list a cocktail of scent compounds simply as “fragrance,” which means you often can’t see all the chemicals you are putting on your skin.
Did you know, scientists have linked more than 900 chemicals to breast cancer? And according to a recent survey, the average man uses 11 products daily, with 105 unique ingredients, and the average woman uses 13 products per day, containing 114 unique ingredients.
There is hopeful science. A recent study by the University of Cambridge/MRC Toxicology Unit showed that certain gut bacteria in mice can absorb PFAS and help excrete them. Promising news, but it hasn’t been proven in humans yet, which means we’re years away from getting assistance on this issue.
While regulators and scientists keep working, you can lower your chemical exposure with a few smart tweaks, especially when it comes to products that sit on your skin for hours.
Chemical Exposure: Your Skin May Allow Chemicals In
We tend to think of the skin as a shield, and yes, it is the body’s first line of defense. It’s not an impenetrable wall, though. It’s more like a living fabric that protects us, but also “breathes” and interacts with the world around it. And just like water may soak through your shirt, chemicals you apply to the skin can seep through it and enter your bloodstream. That’s why medicated patches—like nicotine or hormone patches—work: the drug travels through the skin right into the blood.
How much of a chemical gets absorbed depends on a few factors. If a product is left on (like lotion or makeup), there’s more time for penetration compared to anything you might rinse off fast, like body wash or shampoo. Ingredients that are oil-soluble sneak through more easily because they mix well with the skin’s natural oils. Thinner areas of the skin, like the face or underarms, are also more permeable than thicker areas like the soles of your feet.
So while your skin does a good job of protecting you most of the time, it isn’t a perfect barrier. Daily wear and tear can also damage the outer barrier, making penetration even more likely. That means the choices you make about what sits on your skin every day matter, because some of those ingredients may become part of your internal chemical exposure load.
A clean beauty challenge like the one below isn’t just about vanity, but about reducing the number of unnecessary chemicals your body has to process.
Fall Clean Beauty Challenge: 7 Days to Reduce Chemical Exposure and Create a Safer Skin Routine
To try our clean beauty challenge, take one realistic step each day. Small steps can make a big difference in your skin care and overall health.
Day 1: Read Your Labels
We’ve long advised our customers to carefully read the ingredient labels on any products they buy. We provide a handy list of top ingredients to avoid here. If you haven’t gotten into the habit, start today.
Grab every self-care product you’ve got, including moisturizer, body lotion, sunscreen, makeup, deodorant, serums, hair care, all of it. Turn each product over and read the ingredients list. When you see the catch-all term “fragrance” or “parfum,” understand that it can hide dozens of undisclosed chemicals.
That doesn’t mean every fragrance is dangerous. It just means you can’t know what’s in the mix. Fragrance is also one of the most common “sensitizing” ingredients, meaning it can cause your skin to react over time.
Start identifying one or two products you’re comfortable swapping for fragrance-free versions.
Then look at the other ingredients. Things like “methylparaben” and “butylated hydroxytoluene” signal the presence of synthetic chemicals that you’d be best to avoid. Look also for formaldehyde-releasing preservatives like DMDM hydantoin, and synthetic colors listed as “FD&C” or “D&C” followed by a color and number.
Don’t panic if you find these ingredients. You don’t have to throw everything away today. Just start being more aware of what you’re using. Write down which products have the most concerning ingredients, and gradually start replacing those with products made by ingredient-conscious companies like CV Skinlabs.
Day 2: Make One High-Impact Swap
Products that sit on your skin all day are more dangerous than something you rinse off in 20 seconds. That means you’ll want to pay special attention to lotions, creams, serums, sunscreen, and leave-in conditioners. If you have one or more of these that are full of chemicals, make it your priority to swap them out for a cleaner version.
If you want a yardstick for gentler, cleaner products, look for those with shorter ingredient lists or with lists that include mostly ingredients you can pronounce. This is where brands like CV Skinlabs come in handy because they are specifically formulated without the harsh chemicals you’re trying to avoid, plus they’re designed for sensitive skin that might be irritated by all those synthetic ingredients. Each one helps strengthen and protect your skin barrier, and every ingredient has been screened by a toxicologist to be sure it’s free of carcinogens, xenoestrogens, and any other potentially harmful ingredients or irritants.
When shopping for your replacement, look for products that say “paraben-free,” “phthalate-free,” and “synthetic fragrance-free” on the label. (All CV Skinlabs’ products qualify!) Then look for products with plant oils, botanical extracts, and safe preservatives—these are your friends.
Day 3: Rethink Sunscreen
All sunscreens are not made the same. You need sun protection, but you don’t need extra chemical exposure.
Keep in mind that there are two types of sunscreen: chemical and mineral (sometimes called physical). Chemical sunscreens use ingredients like oxybenzone, octinoxate, and avobenzone that absorb UV rays and convert them to heat. The problem? Some of these chemicals have raised concerns about hormone disruption, and they definitely can absorb into your bloodstream.
Mineral sunscreens, on the other hand, use zinc oxide or titanium dioxide to physically block UV rays. They sit on top of your skin rather than absorbing into it. The FDA highlights these two sunscreen actives as having the strongest safety profile.
For this challenge, try switching to a mineral sunscreen if you’re not already using one. Apply it every day, even when it’s cloudy.
Day 4: Simplify Your Routine
Body sprays, scented lotions, hand creams, and more can all contribute to your chemical load. One of the easiest ways to cut your exposure is to use fewer products overall. This doesn’t just save money, but it’s a healthier approach for your skin and body.
Try using one multi-tasking, fragrance-free body lotion after every shower (our Body Repair Lotion is a great choice), and keep a small unscented hand cream in your bag. You can also use our Rescue + Relief Spray as a toner and a midday mister. If you enjoy a signature scent, reserve it for your clothes or use a spritz of hair mist instead of layering perfumes and sprays on your skin.
Give your skin a break from acids, retinoids, and other serums every other day. See how your skin reacts. If you can cut back to just the basics three or four days a week, that’s a meaningful change.
Think of it as giving your skin and your system some breathing room. With fewer products competing on the surface, your skin can feel less overwhelmed.
Day 5: Be Smart About Makeup and “Long-Wear”
Long-wear makeup is all the rage, but it can mean more film-formers and plasticizers that help products stick. That’s not automatically bad, but if you’re trying to lower your chemical exposure, reduce the number of long-wear products you use every day.
Makeup is also tricky, as it stays on our faces for hours. We want it to look good all that time, which often means more synthetic ingredients and preservatives. Look for mineral makeup options that use simple ingredients like iron oxides for color and that let your skin breathe while still giving you the coverage you want.
For color cosmetics like eyeshadow, blush, and lipstick, seek out brands that are transparent about their ingredient sourcing. Avoiding anything with “fragrance” listed, because that can mean anything from phthalates to synthetic musks.
Lip products deserve special mention here. Unlike foundations or eyeshadow, anything on your lips doesn’t just sit there—it gets licked, sipped, and eaten throughout the day. That means you’re not only absorbing ingredients through the skin, but also potentially swallowing them. That makes long-wear lipsticks, which rely heavily on plasticizers and sometimes fluorinated compounds for staying power, a higher-priority product to swap.
Look for brands that make clean, fragrance-free, or mineral-based lipsticks, and consider using them less often instead of as a daily staple. A tinted balm with safer ingredients can be a solid everyday option.
Reduce Chemical Exposure Guardrails
Keep these in mind as you shop:
- When in doubt, pick fragrance-free for anything that stays on your skin for hours.
- For sunscreen, go broad-spectrum, reapply as directed, and consider mineral actives.
- If your skin is sensitive, fewer products can be better. CV Skinlabs offers gentle, fragrance-free options you can use as core layers.
- Purchase from conscientious, ingredient-careful brands that are dedicated to clean beauty standards.
Over just five days, you can cut back on the biggest exposure drivers in your cabinets and move into fall with a routine that feels cleaner, clearer, and a lot more in your control.
As a cancer survivor myself, I know all too well the importance of not only safer products, but awareness and education.
Breast Cancer Prevention Partners (BCPP) is the nation’s leading organization working to prevent breast cancer by eliminating toxic chemicals and other environmental exposures linked to the disease.
Help us support Breast Cancer Prevention Partners. For the month of October, we’re donating 10% of website sales to BCPP to help support science, prevention education and advocacy.
Did you know breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed for women worldwide, and the second most common cancer after nonmelanoma skin cancer diagnosed in American women? Yet only 5 to 10% of breast cancer cases are due to family history. That means most may be preventable.
BCPP translates science into education, presses businesses to make safer products, protects consumers from toxic chemicals, and passes health-protective laws.
How do you reduce chemical exposure?
Featured image by RDNE Stock project via Pexels.
