3 Steps to Detox Your Personal Care Products

By Dr. Nikki D. Hill, MD, FAAD.

Medically reviewed by Dr. Nikki D. Hill, MD, FAAD. Last updated: October 2026.

STEP 1: Educate yourself

STEP 2: Read labels and look for certifications

STEP 3: Invest in your health

Educate Yourself

Maybe you’ve already started the year with a clean slate, supporting your body’s natural detoxification processes by eating right, sleeping well, and exercising. These steps help organs like the liver and kidneys function properly, but your skin is another very large and important organ constantly absorbing nutrients as well as toxins.

Many personal care products such as deodorants, lotions, shampoos, toothpastes, and cosmetics contain ingredients like parabens, phthalates, triclosan, surfactants, and fragrances. Some ingredients can be absorbed through the skin, and how much that matters for long-term health is still being studied. Some of these ingredients have raised safety questions in research and are restricted in other markets, so many people choose to limit them where they can.

Let’s break down a few personal care products and common toxic components and learn what we may avoid and what we can buy better once our current favorite products run out.

Read Labels

Limit or Avoid:

• Artificial/Synthetic Colors, which may be made from coal tar and be carcinogenic, AKA. cancer causing.
• Synthetic Fragrances, which do not have to be regulated or listed on a label but may have toxic, irritating, and hormonally disruptive components.
• Products without Certifications such as a seal of BDIH, NaTrue, and NPA certified as “natural” or “organic.

Choose:

• Lotions that are plant-based like shea butter or cocoa butter avoiding unknown fragrance, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polyethylene glycol (PEG), TEA, preservatives like DMDM hydantoin, and estrogen-mimicking parabens like methylparaben and propylparaben.
• Shampoo without harsh detergents and sulfates, chemical fragrances, formaldehyde-releasing preservatives such as quaternium-15, DMDM hydantoin, imidazolidinyl urea and diazolidinyl urea, and parabens.
• Cosmetics free of artificial fragrances, colors, or preservatives, with pigment from natural sources like fruits and veggies.
• Toner/Astringents made of witch hazel, aloe vera gel, or rosewater
• Detergents and fabric softeners free of petrochemicals, synthetic fragrances, and optical brightener, which are made to stay in clothes after washing and may cause skin irritation. A natural detergent can be made from baking soda, washing soda, castile soap, and scents from essential oils.
• Deodorant of hops, baking soda, and organic essential oils free of aluminum, parabens, talc, or synthetic fragrance.
• Toothpaste without artificial sweeteners, dyes, detergents, or triclosan.

Invest in Your Health and Beauty

In the face of pricey natural products, remember that you are worth it. It isn’t simply an expense or splurge but an investment in the health and skin you will have for the rest of your life. These expenses will likely outweigh the costs of health complications or beauty treatments you may have found yourself paying for down the line. Use up the products you have now then make the switch to toxin free where possible.

If a product leaves your skin red, itchy or flaky, patch testing for skin rashes can pinpoint the ingredient behind the reaction, and our medical-grade skincare line offers gentler options.

Questions about your skin care routine? Schedule a visit at SOCAH Center in Atlanta, GA, or call (404) 474-2301.