Whether you’re dealing with aging skin or acne, figuring out how to cleanse your face both safely and effectively is no easy feat. The average pharmacy carries over 100 products just for facial cleansing, making it difficult to navigate the those aisle of foams, bars, powders, and oils.

However, regardless of skin type, sidestepping potentially harmful substances in your cleansers is the first step toward safer skin. There is sufficient data to show that many ingredients commonly found in facial cleansers are toxic hormone disruptors. In fact, research suggests that many of the chemicals in our facial cleansers could be putting our health at risk.

So, which ingredients should we be avoiding?

Sodium lauryl sulfate, an ingredient found in most cleansers, is generally considered non-toxic unless ingested. However, it may be doing more harm than good to your skin. In fact, research suggests it can irritate sensitive skin and may worsen some existing skin conditions, like eczema.

More frightening are parabens, which can disrupt the body’s natural hormonal balance. In fact, research published in the Journal of Applied Toxicology reveals that parabens have been found in breast cancer tissue.

Fortunately, for those curious to see what else might be lurking in their face wash, the Environmental Working Group, a non-profit that provides education on environmental toxins to the public, has the answer. Their website, Skin Deep, provides detailed information on cosmetics, where users can search by brands, ingredients, and safety rating. Better yet, Skin Deep has the scientific data available to back it all up. Skin Deep also provides a verified list of products that they consider non-toxic.

However, of the nearly 2,000 facial cleansers on Skin Deep, only 68 of them are verified safe by EWG. Of these, one brand stands out as a customer favorite, with a nearly perfect score across multiple review sites. As the name suggests, Just The Goods is made from 100% natural ingredients with no chemical fillers, fragrances, or additives. The vegan formulas contain ingredients like tea tree oil, eucalyptus oil and essence of lavender. Some exfoliating formulas even include jojoba beads, an environmentally-safe alternative to the maligned microbead.

The brand offers a line of facial cleansers for different skin types, from normal and sensitive to oily and congested. Better yet, you can even order a sample kit to find the right fit. After you’ve found the face wash that works best for your skin type it’s time to move on to the 30 Best Ways To Have Your Best Skin.

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