Question: what ingredients are bad in cosmetics?
Answer: Parabens. Parabens are a whole family of chemicals (methylparabens, propylparabens, butylparabens, and ethylparabens) that help preserve shelf-life of products. ... 
Phthalates. ... 
Fragrance. ... 
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) and/or Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES) ... 
BHT. ... 
Retinyl palmitate and Retinol (aka, Vitamin A) ... 
Lead. ... 
Formaldehyde.