Cosmetic products are those products which we generally used for taking care of our skin and hair. It includes oil, soap, shampoo, perfume, several skin creams, lotions etc. These are the products which are closely related with our life style. Most of us don’t aware with the negative effects of the chemical products.

Now-a-days, these commercial cosmetics are easily available in the market. There are several reasons behind it. The first and the foremost point is the effortless accessibility of chemical ingredients. Another important point is the lowest price of these chemicals than ayurvedic herbs. According to ayurvedic formulas all beauty care and health care products must be made with natural ingredients like plants, herbs which need to be cultivated in proper ways. This process includes time and efforts. But in case of making chemical based products no such complex and lengthy procedures are required. We call it resource (man, machine, money, minute) saving process.

Do we really think about the harmful effects of these chemical products while buying them? Are we conscious about how much of these substances like Sodium lauryl sulfate, petroleum stuffs, propylene glycol or benzene, additives, artificial colors, Quaternium-15 etc. can affect our body or skin. From the book, Health Risks in Today's Cosmetics, Alliance Publishers, 1995 (540-659-2395), I have found “By avoiding these ingredients you will have healthier skin and hair and avoid potential health risks due to long term exposure to problem-causing compounds". But the saddest thing is that most of the cosmetics manufacturing companies use them for making their products.

Here are some chemical components which we use in different ways to make our skin and hair beautiful and shiny without knowing their injurious effects.

Petroleum jelly: This component is used to make lip cream. It is very cheap and is easily available. But with prolonged use this can make our skin acne prone and sensitive to UV rays.

Mineral oil: Generally found in lipstick, lotions and makeup removers. It can clog the pores of the skin resulting problem in skin’s breathing and may leads to premature aging. Some mineral oils can effects skin and eye, which might result in irritation and even lead to fatal cases like cancer. Also harmful for children.

Sodium lauryl sulfate: It is used for making shampoos, soaps, lotions etc. It is very much harmful as because it generates infections in kids. It even leads to skin irritation, cracks and roughness of the skin.

Artificial colors: It is one of the leading elements of lipstick, hair dye, makeup, soap etc. It is considered that these artificial colors are one of the sources of cancer.

DEA or Diethanolamine: This is also cancerous.

Propylene glycol: Responsible for causing liver malformation, kidney damage and creates anxiety.

Due to the dangerous side effects dermatologists are now encouraging people to go for Ayurvedic products. Basically, ayurveda is the ancient theory of natural healing invented by Indian sages. Still now there is no substitute of ayurvedic products because they generally don’t have side effects. Chemical based products can result in many skin disorders like acne, itching, allergies and even cancer; whereas ayurvedic skin care products can prevent almost all kind of skin ailments. So it’s always advisable to switch over to ayurvedic or herbal skin and hair care products from chemical cosmetics.