Want to detox your skincare routine? Start with this ingredient.

Are plastics in skin care killing your healthy glow? It’s quite possible. Countless cosmetics are filled with chemicals known as “cones,” such as dimethicone or silicone. While cones aren’t the worst health offenders, they’re a nightmare for skin. They seal off pores, preventing your skin from breathing and functioning properly. Think of it like putting a sheet of plastic wrap over your face: suffocating! The cones trap skin’s oils, along with dirt and pollution, leading to clogged pores. They take skin congestion to the next level of dysfunction by making it much harder to clear and clean.

Clogged pores also sabotage the work of healthy skincare ingredients by preventing anything from penetrating skin – including products you apply with beneficial active ingredients. This works the opposite direction as well: waste can’t be expelled. This makes your skin’s natural oils go rancid, which breaks down collagen and thus accelerates aging.

The cones look and feel amazing when applied, but don’t be fooled – they wreak havoc. For example, many makeup primers contain cones. They give you an instantly smooth complexion, but in the long run they actually damage and age your skin. Products containing cones can exacerbate other skin issues, too, such as breakouts, redness, dryness, and oil overproduction.

Skin needs a deep-pore cleaning/detoxing in order to stay healthy, young, vibrant, and to readily absorb what’s put on it. You’ll notice the difference once your pores are clean and clear and your skin can breathe and function properly!

Be mindful of what you put on your skin. This includes products like shampoo, that aren’t applied directly to skin, but flow over it. Many hair care products are loaded with cones. If you’re attached to your products, try washing it to the side (so there’s no flow), or in the sink. As mentioned above, makeup is also often cone-filled. Read your primer and foundation ingredients carefully.

But ditching this ingredient isn’t as easy as just looking for cones on the label. As consumer awareness about cones and other chemicals increase, the cosmetic industry still finds ways to hide them in your products by switching up the names. Here are some ingredients to look for that are, in fact, cone chemicals:

• Amodimethicone
• Behenoxy Dimethicone
• Cetearyl Methicone
• Cetyl Dimethicone
• Cyclomethicone
• Cyclopentasiloxane
• Dimeticon
• Dimethicone 500
• Dimethicone Copolyol
• Dimethicone/OL
• Dimethylpolysiloxan
• Dimethicone Satin
• E900
• Hydroxypropyl Polysoloxane (Hydrolized Wheat Protein)
• ISO Dimethicone Copolymer
• Lauryl Methicone Copolyol
• Methylpolysiloxan
• Peg 8 Dimethicone
• Phenyl Trimethicone
• Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)
• Poly (Dimethylsiloxan)
• Poly Silane
• PPG-18 Dimethicone
• Siloconol
• Silol
• Stearyl Dimethicone
• Stearoxy Dimethicone
• Trimethylsilylamodimethic
• Trimethylsiloxicilicates