Continued from our Retreat & Renew Daily Tip.

Here are a few of the biggest red flag ingredients that you won’t find in our Healing Lifestyles & Spas product recommendations, or in our personal beauty regimens. For the complete list, print our Safe Skincare Shopping Guide and keep it with you every time you shop for cosmetics!

· Phthalates: these chemical plasticizers disrupt endocrine function and have been linked to health concerns as far-ranging as early puberty and liver cancer.

· Triclosan: skip this ingredient in your antibacterial products. It may harm thyroid function and encourage drug-resistant bacteria.

· Formaldehyde: this potentially carcinogenic ingredient is already banned in several countries, but you can still find it in some hair and nail products.

· Sulfates: these bubbly ingredients, like sodium lauryl sulfate and sodium laureth sulfate, give many shampoos their well-loved sudsing action, but they may be carcinogenic.

· Parabens: these chemical preservatives (with names like methyl-. ethyl- and butylparaben) mimic estrogen and have been linked to breast cancer.

Safe Skincare Shopping Guide

Keep your beauty regimen clean and green by skipping these 15 red flag ingredients when you hit the cosmetic aisle.

Look for these trustworthy seals of approval for products that make the grade:

USDA Organic: 95-100% organic ingredients

ECOCERT: European certification, at least 95% organic

NSF: 70% or more organic ingredients

Natural Products Association: natural

Leaping Bunny: cruelty free, no animal testing

Whole Foods Market Premium Body Care

*Bonus: Fair Trade USA: Contains one or more fair trade, ethically sourced ingredients