I Do the Math on My Skincare Routine (and So Should You)
I Do the Math on My Skincare Routine (and So Should You)
At a party a while back, I made an offhand joke that ended up showing me something I actually think about a lot: "what am I gonna do, use aluminum in my deodorant?" Someone said, "They actually proved aluminum doesn't cause cancer from deodorant."
I said, "oh, that's interesting," and the conversation moved on, but it's been bothering me ever since, because the "it's safe" logic misses the bigger point.
Aluminum is not really the problem, but what we put on our bodies overall is. What bothers me is the argument that estheticians, hairstylists, chemists, and whoever else make: chemists spend tons of time and money studying toxicity levels, and if science says something is safe, we should just use it.
But the 'it's safe in isolation' argument falls apart the moment you start adding products together.
I'm not disputing that a tiny amount of a chemical, in isolation, may cause no measurable harm. My disagreement is that this argument stops being useful the moment we look at real life. A normal routine can include shampoo, conditioner, hair oil, cleanser, toner, serum, moisturizer, sunscreen, body oil, body lotion, body scrub, mascara, eyeliner, primer, eyeshadow, concealer, foundation, contour, blush, bronzer, highlighter, setting spray, hairspray, and other hair creams and mousse.
If I use basically all of those products on a big getting-ready day, or take an everything shower, or run through my full 10-step skin routine, the supposedly safe amount from each product gets added together, and suddenly I'm absorbing 10+ separate safe doses at once. This is not some impossible scientific mystery, and I don't think I should have to accept it after taking into consideration the differences in safety across the world.
"Aggregate exposure" and "cumulative exposure assessment" are real, established concepts in regulatory toxicology. The EU SCCS already models exposure across roughly 17 product categories at maximum allowed concentrations when setting individual ingredient limits, specifically to account for this stacking problem. I arrived at the same idea through gut instinct and basic math.
The US does not come close to that level of rigor, and the gap between the two systems is significant. The FDA restricts or bans around 11 cosmetic ingredients, while the EU has banned or restricted over 1,300 (according to figures widely cited by consumer safety researchers and regulatory watchdogs). The FDA generally does not require premarket cosmetic safety approval, except for color additives. The EU requires proof of safety before something can enter the market. MoCRA, enacted in 2022, expanded the FDA's authority over cosmetics, but that only reveals how thin the oversight was before then.
And about the aluminum conversation: the person who tried to correct me was actually not correct either. The American Cancer Society and National Cancer Institute say there is no proven causal link between antiperspirant aluminum and breast cancer, but they also say the question remains open and actively studied. There are lab studies that report estrogen-like effects and interference with estrogen receptor activity, and some other studies find elevated levels aluminum in breast tumor tissue. Nobody has proven it's dangerous, but nobody has proven it's safe either. While the link is not direct, it is suspicious and as a consumer I have the option to not take the risk.
My definition of "safe" is that a product should not cause harm in most cases, most situations, for most individuals when used as advertised. That does not mean eliminating every possible allergen, for example, from every product for everyone. If someone is personally allergic to an ingredient, that person avoids the product.
Actual practicing scientists, publishing peer-reviewed and replicable research, should decide the margin of safety. My suspicion, and this is a suspicion rather than a proven fact, is that shareholder and industry financial incentives are built into whoever makes the "safe for market" call in the US food and cosmetic system. I also suspect the US's reluctance to adopt aggregate exposure modeling like the EU's may come down to not wanting to slow down or restrict a competitive capitalist market.
I also notice that the EU takes a more precautionary or preventative approach, while the US often seems to operate from a mindset of "it's allowed unless someone proves it's actually hurting people." That means ingredients stay on shelves while the harm is still being established.
That said, even if EU countries do have higher health outcomes and quality of life, that does not prove their cosmetic regulations caused those outcomes. Universal healthcare, diet, and a dozen other factors are involved. Still, I think it's worth noticing a pattern in what the culture looks like in places that are objectively doing better.
My own routine does not contain many, if not all, of the specific ingredients banned in the EU. I practice what I preach here.
Cancer is frustrating to argue about because so many things statistically correlate with it, and there is still so much we don't know, but between the US regulatory gaps, the ingredients already banned elsewhere, and the links to real harm, I'd rather avoid a known risk than wait for certainty.
We all have the choice to decide which brands and products receive our money. I'm going to choose brands that choose not to use harmful toxins and chemicals, even if that makes me "that person."
References
American Cancer Society. (n.d.). Antiperspirants and breast cancer risk. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/risk-prevention/chemicals/antiperspirants-and-breast-cancer-risk.html
CONEM (Council for Nutritional and Environmental Medicine). (2024, March 29). Aluminum-containing deodorants/antiperspirants and breast cancer: A review of evidence. https://www.conem.org/2024/03/aluminum-deodorants-and-breast-cancer/ [Summarizing: Hangan, T., Bjørklund, G., & Chirilă, S. (2024). Exploring the potential link between aluminum-containing deodorants/antiperspirants and breast cancer: A comprehensive review. Current Medicinal Chemistry. https://doi.org/10.2174/0109298673269343231025070053]
Consumer Reports. (2026, February 3). 5 concerning ingredients in cosmetics and beauty products (N. Greenfield, Author). https://www.consumerreports.org/product-safety/concerning-ingredients-in-cosmetics-beauty-products-a1142118686/
Creighton International and Comparative Law Journal. (n.d.). The cosmetic industry: Comparing the industry oversight in the European Union and the United States. https://creighton-intl-comp-law-journal.scholasticahq.com/article/74351
Critical Catalyst. (2026, January 14). European Commission requests SCCS opinion on aggregate exposure to salicylic acid from salicylic esters. https://criticalcatalyst.com/european-commission-requests-sccs-opinion-on-aggregate-exposure-to-salicylic-acid-from-salicylic-esters/
European Union. (2009). Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 November 2009 on cosmetic products (recast). EUR-Lex. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=celex%3A32009R1223
National Cancer Institute. (n.d.). Antiperspirants/deodorants and breast cancer. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/myths/antiperspirants-fact-sheet
New York Health Foundation. (2018, June 4). Fact sheet: Potentially toxic chemicals in personal care products. https://nyhealthfoundation.org/resource/fact-sheet-potentially-toxic-chemicals-in-personal-care-products/
Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS). (2023). The SCCS notes of guidance for the testing of cosmetic ingredients and their safety evaluation, 12th revision (SCCS/1647/22, Corrigendum 2). European Commission. https://health.ec.europa.eu/system/files/2023-12/sccs_o_273_final.pdf
U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (n.d.). Prohibited & restricted ingredients in cosmetics. https://www.fda.gov/cosmetics/cosmetics-laws-regulations/prohibited-restricted-ingredients-cosmetics
U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (2023, September 18). Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act of 2022 (MoCRA). https://www.fda.gov/cosmetics/cosmetics-laws-regulations/modernization-cosmetics-regulation-act-2022
Trash Panda. (2025, January 14). US food additives banned in Europe — full list (2026) (J. Putzeys, Author). https://www.trashpandaapp.com/blog/us-food-additives-banned-in-europe
Disclaimer
The content in this blog is for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Please consult a qualified healthcare professional for advice specific to your situation before starting any new treatment or wellness routine.This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I earn a small commission at no additional cost to you if you make a purchase through these links. As an affiliate, I only recommend products that I truly believe in from companies that I personally trust.