Ever wondered where the real weapons of mass destruction are? You play Russian roulette with them every time you reach for the antiperspirant - or any other conventional personal care product for that matter.
Four and a half years ago the still ongoing Iraq war was started on the pretence that the Iraqi regime harboured an arsenal of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs), which needed to be secured in order to protect millions of people from potential harm and death. As we all know now, the ensuing search for this threat turned out a wild goose chase because the threat wasn’t real and there simply weren’t any WMDs to be found. As subsequent inquests have corroborated, this was a well-known fact in the responsible political circles prior to the war, which suggests that the motivation for this conflict was never the protection of human life but more likely of an economic and “petroliferous” nature. The same motivational force is at work when it comes to the very real WMDs which you take home with every toiletries purchase and apply to your body on a daily basis.
Similar to Trojan horses, virtually all mainstream cosmetic and personal care products (from toothpaste, shampoo and body lotion to deodorants, shower gel and perfumes) conceal a number of suspect chemicals, which can present serious health risks – either because there is scientific evidence of their toxicity or because they have never been sufficiently tested for their effects on human health in the first place. They all contain so-called petrochemicals – synthetic chemicals derived from petroleum, including preservatives, colours and fragrances. Of the tens of thousands of officially registered chemicals, only a fraction has undergone comprehensive testing, whilst the majority of the over 2,000 chemicals that enter the market each year hardly undergo the most basic tests to determine their toxicity, let alone their reaction with each other or with the human body. Many mass-produced and mass-used chemicals have been scientifically associated with a range of adverse effects from irritation to skin, eyes and mucous membranes, eczema, asthma or other respiratory problems to headaches, nausea, malfunctions of the nervous system, endocrine disruption (i.e. an alteration of the body’s hormone levels and functions) and, worst of all, cancer.
Mainstream toiletries such as shampoo and shower gel often contain aggressive “lauryl” or “laureth” cleansing agents, most commonly Sodium Lauryl or Laureth Sulfate or Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate, which may be contaminated with the known endocrine disrupter and carcinogen 1,4-dioxane, which happened to be one of the main ingredients of the chemical defoliant Agent Orange used in the Vietnam war.
Other omnipresent suspect chemicals are Propylene Glycol and Polyethylene Glycol (also known as PEG). These petroleum-based substances, which are used in virtually every imaginable cosmetic product, increase the permeability of the skin and allow chemicals (both the beneficial as well as the harmful ones) to penetrate it more easily. Moreover, some of the most common synthetic preservatives in personal care products may contain, release or break down into formaldehyde, which is a proven carcinogen. Amongst these are 2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol, Bronopol, Quaternium 15 and 5-bromo-5-nitro-dioxane.
And then there are the various Parabens, which are not only potential allergens but have also been associated with breast cancer in women. They are endocrine disrupters, which mimic or interfere with the body’s natural hormones, especially oestrogen. They can alter the hormone level and stop or stimulate hormone production, thereby affecting hormone-controlled functions. Potentially harmful are also DEA (diethanolamine) and TEA (triethanolamine). Though harmless in themselves, they can react with nitrites, often used as preservatives, to form carcinogenic nitrosamines. Fluoride-containing toothpastes are also to be treated with caution as there is suggestive evidence of carcinogenicity. The use of fluoride, especially Sodium Fluoride, is so controversial that the Canadians and Belgians have put it on their “hotlist” and do not permit it in oral care products at all.
The list of potentially harmful ingredients in mainstream cosmetics is much longer than this; in fact, it is shockingly long. Yet, regulatory authorities allow these synthetic chemicals into our daily lives because suggestive scientific evidence of toxicity or even carcinogenicity is currently not considered reason enough to ban the use of such substances. At present it usually takes large-scale or high-profile incidents such as mass contaminations, backed up by scientific proof “beyond doubt” (as if that was ever possible!), before officials finally take action and impose bans or restrictions. If their main concern was indeed “the safeguarding of public health”, as the European Council Directive 76/768/EEC on the Approximation of the Laws of the Member States relating to Cosmetic Products claims, the currently applied principle of “acting after the harm is done” should be replaced by a precautionary principle: Safeguarding measures should be taken when a product raises the slightest concern or threat to human or environmental health, even if some cause-and-effect links are not fully established.
That these chemical time bombs are readily available on the shelves of our shops might have to do with the fact that the petrochemical industry, as the provider of most ingredients for cosmetics and personal care products, is too big an economic force to be curtailed. Petroleum is not just big business in oil-producing countries in the Middle East but also in the EU, with Germany being the largest chemical producer, followed by France, and the UK in fourth place. According to the European Chemical Industry Council CEFIC, cosmetics and perfumes accounted for 10% of the total EU chemical sales in 2005, racking up a staggering € 61 billion (about £ 41 billion). EU statistics provider Eurostat confirms the industry’s clout:
In 2003 the miscellaneous chemical products manufacturing sector in the EU generated € 42 billion of added value, the largest proportion of which came from soaps, detergents and toiletries (over 40%). The sector employed a total of 266,600 people, with the production of perfumes and toiletries accounting for the majority of employment and added value (55.3% and 55% respectively). Production of soap, detergents and toiletries in the EU increased steadily from 1995 to 2005, with an average growth rate of 2% per year.
Impressive economic figures like these are political arm-twisters, which obviously persuade governments and regulatory bodies to focus more on the proviso than the main objective of Directive76/768/EEC: “the main objective of these laws is the safeguarding of public health and […], however, this objective must be attained by means which also take account of economic and technological requirements”.
The Directive and its countless amendments list a number of substances which must not form part of cosmetic products, including oestrogen, nitrosamines and formaldehyde (except in nail hardeners). Paradoxically though, oestrogen-mimicking parabens, potential nitrosamine-forming chemicals such as DEA and TEA or formaldehyde releasers like 2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol (which is even used in “gentle” products for babies and sensitive skin) are still permitted in mainstream toiletries.
Given the lack of protection through current regulations, the buck has (yet again) been passed to the consumers, who are forced to exercise their “right of choice” to avoid these clearly avoidable health risks. The supply and demand cycle for mainstream products using suspect petrochemicals and toxic substances can only be broken by a drop in demand for such goods. Personal care products can be made without the use of harmful chemicals, as the wealth of natural and organic alternatives proves, so consumers can vote with their feet and buy healthier options. This requires a little research about what substances to avoid, but considering the countless publications and organisations which provide information on suspect and dangerous cosmetic ingredients (see below), wising up couldn’t be easier.
Most mainstream cosmetics and toiletries are potential chemical WMDs that can cause long-term health problems – a fact that manufacturers most likely know but can legitimately ignore. In their adverts they emphasise the positive and omit the negative. Don’t let them fool you – because you‘re worth it!
Some useful sources of information:
Weblinks:
http://www.preventcancer.com/ – The Prevent Cancer Coalition
http://www.safecosmetics.org/ – The Campaign for Safe Cosmeticshttp://www.cosmeticdatabase.com/ – Skindeep
http://www.mindfully.org/
http://www.greenpeace.org.uk/ – see Toxics, The Problems, Hazardous Chemicals
http://www.theecologist.org/ – a monthly periodical (also available in print)
http://livelearnchange.blogspot.com/ – author’s own health info blog
Publications:
A Consumer's Dictionary of Cosmetics Ingredients, Ruth Winter
Beauty to Die For, Judi Vance
Don’t Go to the Counter without Me, Paula Begoun
Dying to Look Good: The Disturbing Truth About What’s Really in Your Cosmetics, Toiletries and Personal Care Products, Christine Hoza Farlow
The Safe Shopper's Bible, A Consumer's Guide to Nontoxic Household Products, Cosmetics and Food, David Steinman & Samuel S. Epstein
Skin Care and Cosmetic Ingredients Dictionary, Natalia Michalun
© Manuela Hübner, 2007
Tuesday, 16 October 2007
Wednesday, 29 August 2007
Hair Colourants - why we colour, how we colour and what we daub on our heads
Changing our hair colour is one of the most radical changes we can make to our appearance and probably the only fundamental one. Plastic surgery and masquerade aside, there is precious little we can do about the size of our nose or the shape of our face. Yet, our hair gives us an element of creative freedom and allows us to shape ourselves in the image of someone else – at least temporarily. The reasons why an ever increasing number of women and men turn to chemistry for help are varied. There is, first of all, the prevalent misconception that different equals better. Secondly, constantly changing or rather constantly manipulated trends demand an almost seasonal change of hair style and colour, with those who oblige more often than not falling prey to the equally fallible equation that being à la mode means remaining young. And this leads directly to the biggest bugbear of them all, which drives many of us to the bottle: ageing. It almost seems that the fear of dying has been superseded by the fear of ageing and many a woman would no doubt rather be seen dead than with grizzled tresses. What feeds this fear seems quite often not the actual perception of oneself as old or unattractive but the fear of being treated as such by others. One could therefore conclude that fear of ageing is effectively tantamount to fear of others.
Yet whatever the motivation, hardly anyone knows what exactly they are pasting on their heads. Nor are people generally aware that their beautification efforts can backfire in the long run and severely affect their health and lifespan due to the numerous harmful chemicals, which are contained in virtually all conventional hair colourants and can either by themselves or in reaction with other ingredients cause allergies, neurological malfunctions and even cancer.
Your natural hair colour is determined by your hair’s own colour pigments, the so-called melanin pigments, of which there are two types: phaeomelanins, which are red, and eumelanins, which are black. The individual shade of your hair depends on the proportion of these two pigment types. Eumelanins determine the darkness of your hair, so a low concentration of this pigment gives you blonde hair, whilst a higher concentration results in darker shades, ranging from brown to black. A lack of melanin pigments results in grey or rather white hair – the perception of hair as grey is but an optical illusion, produced by the juxtaposition of coloured and white hairs. Melanin pigments are produced and stored in cells called melanocytes and hair greying is caused by a failure of the melanocyte stem cells to maintain the production of these melanocytes. Grey hair is not necessarily a sign of age though; it can already occur in teenagers and people in their twenties, its onset largely depending on the individual’s genetic make-up.
The pigmentation of your hair can, however, also be affected by other factors such as genetic defects (for example, albinism), hormones, climate, pollutants, toxins and exposure to chemicals. And the latter is voluntarily practised by millions of male and female hair dye users around the globe, who either don’t know about the dangers or tend to ignore them and hope for the best.
Hair colourants are divided into three different types: temporary, semi-permanent and permanent. As the name suggests, temporary colourants only change the hair colour temporarily and are easily washed out. They usually come as ready-to-use applications in a single container and colour the hair by covering its surface rather than penetrating the hair shaft as semi-permanent and permanent colours do. The degree of penetration does, however, vary. Whilst semi-permanent dyes only settle on and within the scales of the outer hair layer (the so-called cuticle) without altering the hair’s integral melanin, permanent colourants enter deep into the hair shaft and modify the hair’s natural pigments. That explains why semi-permanent colours fade after about half a dozen washes, while permanent dyes give a longer lasting colour and need to grow out.
Permanent hair colourants are mostly so-called oxidation hair dyes, which consist of two separate components that require mixing prior to the application: There is the colour precursor with an alkaline agent (which often comes in a tube) and the developer or oxidising agent (which comes in a bottle). The alkaline agent, usually ammonia, opens up the cuticle to facilitate the penetration process and reacts with the oxidising agent, usually hydrogen peroxide, to realease oxygen. The released oxygen triggers the actual colour-modifying reaction and lightens the hair’s natural melanin pigments so that the new colour can substitute the old one. The colour precursor is usually a chemical called phenylenediamine, which turns into a hair dye under the influence of ammonia and hydrogen peroxide and develops the new colour.
However, the above-mentioned chemical ingredients do not only penetrate the hair, they can also permeate the skin and seep into the body and that’s where the real problems start. Frequent and long-term use of semi-permanent and permanent hair dyes presents a clear health risk and can cause anything from hair breakage and hair loss to irritation of the eyes, skin and mucous membranes and more serious diseases like Hodgkin’s and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and other cancers. Highly alkaline hair products are potential irritants, as are phenylenediamines, which may produce eczema, bronchial asthma, gastritis, skin rashes and cancer. A study by New York University researchers suggests that women who have used hair dyes for a period of ten years or longer face an increased risk of developing breast cancer. Especially at risk are frequent users of darker hair colourants (black, brown/brunette).
Yet even users of temporary hair colourants are not safe from harm since many wash-out colours contain chemicals like Acid Orange 87, Solvent Brown 44, Acid Blue 168 and Acid Violet 73, which have shown evidence of carcinogenicity. In addition, many hair dyes contain resorcinol – an allergen and irritant to eyes and skin, which can also interfere with the hormone balance. Another widely used suspect cosmetic ingredient is polyethylene glycol (in its various PEG compounds), which increases the skin’s permeability and allows toxins to enter the body (see “Overview: Unsafe and Suspect Cosmetic Ingredients” on http://livelearnchange.blogspot.com/ for more details).
The good news is that there are alternative options. The first and most obvious one is to discontinue using hair dyes altogether and to accept your natural shade. Take a closer look and you’ll find that the colour you were given by nature is actually well-chosen and fits into your overall “colour-scheme”, complementing your eyebrows, eyes and complexion. After all, what use is a seductive Monroesque mane when it makes your face look like a pink marshmallow with eyebrows seemingly on loan from Ernie’s pal Bert? If you are already greying, you could take a defiant stance, make grey hair look cool and turn it into the latest must-have look. However, if vanity rules and the lure of the grass on the other side is too strong, you can always explore some of the alternative products available and take a few precautionary measures when colouring your hair:
- Avoid synthetic hair colourants which contain m-, o- or p-phenylenediamines or phenylenediamine-based ingredients.
- Try natural colouring products but check the label carefully because many so-called natural alternatives still contain the same ingredients as their conventional synthetic counterparts, albeit at lower levels – or so the manufacturers claim. Since labelling laws do not demand an indication of the exact percentage of each ingredient, buying alternatives can still be a bit of a lottery, unless you choose something purely plant-based, which consists exclusively of botanical materials such as chamomile, walnut, henna or logwood and is free from any chemical ingredients (one brand to try is Logona).
- Don’t use products which have explicit warnings or disclaimers, e. g. “may cause skin irritation”, “may cause blindness”.
- Use lighter shades as they are safer than dark colours.
- Colour your hair less frequently.
- Defer using hair dyes as long as possible; according to some experts women who start colouring their hair at forty face less of a risk than one third of those who start at thirty, whereas the risk for women who start aged twenty is twice as great.
- Don’t leave hair dyes on your scalp for longer than necessary.
- Use gloves during the application, so the chemicals don’t come into contact with the skin on your hands.
- Try techniques which reduce skin contact to a minimum, for example highlighting, streaking and frosting. The old-fashioned way of using perforated plastic caps and pulling strands of hair through the holes is actually one of the best ways of avoiding skin contact.
Scientific research on the link between hair dyes and cancer is not entirely conclusive; while some studies have demonstrated a clear association, others haven’t. If the research is not conducted by an independent body, the outcome might possibly also be influenced by the interests of those who carry out the tests. Yet, for the consumer even the slightest evidence of potentially serious health risks should be reason enough to treat such substances with caution or best forego them altogether. You wouldn’t take your chances with Russian roulette either, would you?
Sources:
- A Consumer’s Dictionary of Cosmetic Ingredients: Complete Information About the Harmful and Desirable Ingredients Found in Cosmetics and Cosmeceuticals, Ruth Winter, (Three Rivers Press, New York, 2005)
- Canadian Cancer Society: www.cancer.ca/css/internet/standard/0,3182,3172_30513490_507522061_langId-en,00.html
- Everyday Mysteries, The Library of Congress: http://www.loc.gov/rr/sictech/mysteries/grayhair.html
- CTPA: www.ctpa.org.uk/download.asp?d1=1389
- How Stuff Works: http://science.howstuffworks.com/hair-coloring.htm
- PubMed (A Service of the National Library of Medicine & the National Institutes of Health): www.pubmed.gov, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve/db=pubmed&doptAbstract&list_uids=15618488
- The Safe Shopper’s Bible: A Consumer’s Guide to Nontoxic Household Products, Cosmetics and Food, David Steinman & Samuel S. Epstein, (Wiley Publishing Inc, 1995)
© Manuela Hübner, 2007
Sunday, 12 August 2007
If you want to take further action...
... and find out more about toxic chemicals, then have a look at the following organisations:
Greenpeace:
http://www.greenpeace.org.uk/toxics and
http://www.greenpeace.org/international/press/reports/my-voice (click on link for downloadable document about taking action)
Chemical Reaction: http://www.chemicalreaction.org/
European Environmental Bureau: http://www.eeb.org/activities/chemicals/Index.htm
Friends of the Earth: http://www.foeeurope.org/safer_chemicals/Index.htm
Greenpeace:
http://www.greenpeace.org.uk/toxics and
http://www.greenpeace.org/international/press/reports/my-voice (click on link for downloadable document about taking action)
Chemical Reaction: http://www.chemicalreaction.org/
European Environmental Bureau: http://www.eeb.org/activities/chemicals/Index.htm
Friends of the Earth: http://www.foeeurope.org/safer_chemicals/Index.htm
Thursday, 14 June 2007
Facial Make-up & Foundations
Due to popular demand…
Facial Make-up and Foundations: what to watch out for
According to Steinman & Epstein’s consumer guide to nontoxic household products, cosmetics and food “The Safe Shopper’s Bible”, make-up including foundations is the third most frequent cause of contact dermatitis among its users. The many problem ingredients include:
- 2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol (formaldehyde releaser)
- quaternium 15 (formaldehyde releaser)
- fragrances/perfumes (potential allergens)
- propylene glycol (petroleum-based skin irritant and penetration enhancer)
- TEA/DEA triethanolamine/diethanolamine (irritant; can form carcinogenic nitrosamines)
- lanolin (possible allergen for sensitive skin due to contamination with pesticides)
- padimate-O (often used as a sunscreen; can form carcinogenic nitrosamines)
- parabens (preservatives that can mimic oestrogen)
Please refer to “Overview of Unsafe and Suspect Cosmetic Ingredients” for further details on all of the above.
Foundation is also the frequent cause of a condition called “cosmetic acne” (small and intermittently occuring spots and blemishes), which affects about one third of all women at some point in their life. Cosmetic acne has nothing to do with puberty-related acne from which many teenagers suffer. It is, in fact, caused by certain so-called acnegenic ingredients used in facial make-up, as listed below:
Ingredient/Cosmetic Acne Potential:
Butyl stearate/moderate to strong
Cocoa butter/strong
Corn oil/weak to moderate
Isopropyl myristate/weak
Lauryl alcohol/weak
Linseed oil/strong
Margarine/weak
Methyl oleate/weak to moderate
Mineral oil/weak to moderate
Oleic acid/strong
Olive oil/moderate to strong
Peanut oil/moderate to strong
Petrolatum/weak to strong
Safflower oil/weak
Sesame oil/moderate to strong
Stearic acid/weak
So if your face shows unsightly pimples, have a look at what your foundation is made up of. Foundations may also contain silica or talc, which are, however, said to represent a minimal risk as long as they are part of a cream or liquid and not in powder form that could be inhaled.
Alternative recommendations:
Steinman & Epstein consider foundation by Dr. Hauschka and Logona as relatively safe (see “Suppliers of Natural & Organic Cosmetics”). Logona make-up fluid was also rated as “very good” by the German consumer magazine “Öko-Test”, which evaluates a range of consumer products every month (it is similar to the American publication “Consumer Reports”). But it's worth checking out other manufacturers’ products that are available in the UK – you can either do that online as almost all manufacturers of natural products list ingredients on their websites or by visiting your local health food store.
Steinman & Epstein’s health advisory ratings for many conventional foundations, including products by Avon, Chanel, Clarion, Clinique, Cover Girl, Estee Lauder, Max Factor, Maybelline and Revlon, ranged from “minimal risk” to “caution”.
© Manuela Hübner, 2007
Facial Make-up and Foundations: what to watch out for
According to Steinman & Epstein’s consumer guide to nontoxic household products, cosmetics and food “The Safe Shopper’s Bible”, make-up including foundations is the third most frequent cause of contact dermatitis among its users. The many problem ingredients include:
- 2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol (formaldehyde releaser)
- quaternium 15 (formaldehyde releaser)
- fragrances/perfumes (potential allergens)
- propylene glycol (petroleum-based skin irritant and penetration enhancer)
- TEA/DEA triethanolamine/diethanolamine (irritant; can form carcinogenic nitrosamines)
- lanolin (possible allergen for sensitive skin due to contamination with pesticides)
- padimate-O (often used as a sunscreen; can form carcinogenic nitrosamines)
- parabens (preservatives that can mimic oestrogen)
Please refer to “Overview of Unsafe and Suspect Cosmetic Ingredients” for further details on all of the above.
Foundation is also the frequent cause of a condition called “cosmetic acne” (small and intermittently occuring spots and blemishes), which affects about one third of all women at some point in their life. Cosmetic acne has nothing to do with puberty-related acne from which many teenagers suffer. It is, in fact, caused by certain so-called acnegenic ingredients used in facial make-up, as listed below:
Ingredient/Cosmetic Acne Potential:
Butyl stearate/moderate to strong
Cocoa butter/strong
Corn oil/weak to moderate
Isopropyl myristate/weak
Lauryl alcohol/weak
Linseed oil/strong
Margarine/weak
Methyl oleate/weak to moderate
Mineral oil/weak to moderate
Oleic acid/strong
Olive oil/moderate to strong
Peanut oil/moderate to strong
Petrolatum/weak to strong
Safflower oil/weak
Sesame oil/moderate to strong
Stearic acid/weak
So if your face shows unsightly pimples, have a look at what your foundation is made up of. Foundations may also contain silica or talc, which are, however, said to represent a minimal risk as long as they are part of a cream or liquid and not in powder form that could be inhaled.
Alternative recommendations:
Steinman & Epstein consider foundation by Dr. Hauschka and Logona as relatively safe (see “Suppliers of Natural & Organic Cosmetics”). Logona make-up fluid was also rated as “very good” by the German consumer magazine “Öko-Test”, which evaluates a range of consumer products every month (it is similar to the American publication “Consumer Reports”). But it's worth checking out other manufacturers’ products that are available in the UK – you can either do that online as almost all manufacturers of natural products list ingredients on their websites or by visiting your local health food store.
Steinman & Epstein’s health advisory ratings for many conventional foundations, including products by Avon, Chanel, Clarion, Clinique, Cover Girl, Estee Lauder, Max Factor, Maybelline and Revlon, ranged from “minimal risk” to “caution”.
© Manuela Hübner, 2007
Monday, 11 June 2007
What you can do to protect yourself
All of us use cosmetic and personal care products on a daily basis. And consequently all of us are exposed to many harmful chemicals contained in conventional cosmetic products. On average we use 9 different products a day, even if we limit ourselves to the absolute basics. It starts with toothpaste, face cream and deodorant in the morning. If you take a shower, then you are likely to use shower gel, shampoo, possibly conditioner and body lotion afterwards. That already makes it six. To style your hair, you might also dip into gel, wax or styling cream of some description. Most of us probably add a squirt of perfume or a splash of after-shave as well. Throughout the day you might wash your hands several times in different places, each time using a different soap, and maybe even hand cream. And if you are a woman, then you can add all your make-up bag contents on top of that.
Those average 9 personal care products we use daily contain an average of 120 ingredients, 90% of which have never undergone a full safety assessment as either individual substances or in combination with others*. Some substances have already been tested extensively and shown carcinogenic (cancer-inducing), neurotoxic (damaging the nervous system) or tetragenic (causing birth defects) effects. In spite of that evidence they are still allowed to be used and thus frequently incorporated into a wide range of cosmetics.
Your skin cannot defend itself against these untested and potentially hazardous or definitely dangerous chemicals, which penetrate the skin and are absorbed by the body.
Since legislation does not provide sufficient protection for consumers, you have to act yourself if you want to avoid unnecessary health risks.
Here are a few things you can do:
- Get informed and find out which ingredients and products to avoid.
- Read all labels and ingredient lists carefully and familiarise yourself with the terminology so that you fully understand them.
- Ask yourself before each purchase if you really need this product; if you already have five different perfumes or creams, another one seems unnecessary. On the whole, try to buy fewer products. The fewer products you use, the fewer chemicals you are exposed to and the smaller the likelihood of any adverse chemical reactions or interactions between different products and ingredients.
-When you buy cosmetics and personal care products, choose those with the shortest ingredients lists (obviously after having checked that the ingredients are safe). The longer the list, the higher the possibility of chemical interactions between the different ingredients and the higher the likelihood that you may suffer adverse reactions.
- Ignore hyped-up marketing campaigns for specific products or brands. Particularly statements like “scientifically proven” or “results in only 10 days” are to be treated with caution. To sell their products many manufacturers only emphasise the few beneficial ingredients, without mentioning the multitude of potentially harmful ones. Moreover, much of the product testing that is carried out by manufacturers themselves only spans a limited period of time and includes a relatively small and thus not really representative number of test people.
- Do a patch test before applying the product to your entire face or body to ensure you are not allergic to it. These days many shops offer testers or samples, so you could even carry out a patch test before actually buying the product. All you need to do is apply a small quantity of the product to the inside of your arm, cover it with a plaster and leave it for about 24 hours. If your skin becomes red, sore or itchy, you might be sensitive to the product.
- Try to use less of the products you buy. Quite often we use more than we actually need for a specific purpose. Take for example toothpaste: Most people squeeze up to an inch of toothpaste onto their toothbrush and cover the entire toothbrush head. Yet, only a fraction of that (a blob the size of a pea) is sufficient to clean your teeth properly. And it’s worth remembering that the cleanness of your teeth depends less on the amount and type of toothpaste you use than on the thoroughness and regularity of the brushing. Another product which is often used too generously is shower gel. Again you only need a small amount and sometimes you can even forego it altogether: Unless you have a physically demanding job where you sweat profusely or work with soiling materials, you are not really dirty – especially if you shower every day. You can easily wash off that little bit of “office grime” with pure water and a good loofah! It’s also better for your skin’s ph-level.
- If you know how, make your own cosmetic products (a good source of raw materials is available from Aromantic, see www.aromantic.co.uk).
- Since many alternative products use natural, plant-based ingredients und milder preservatives, their shelf-life might not be as long as that of synthetic products. This also means that you might have to handle them with more care to prevent bacterial contamination, e.g. by keeping the containers securely closed, not sharing your products and using applicators instead of your fingers. Natural products should always be stored in a cool place because heat and direct sunlight encourage the proliferation of bacteria. The good thing is that unlike most conventional cosmetics many natural products have use-by dates.
- If you suffer adverse reactions to any products you use, inform the manufacturer accordingly.
- If your local stores stock unsafe products, you might want to bring this to their attention and challenge them to offer safer alternatives.
- Make other people aware of the dangers of many conventional cosmetic products and encourage them to protect themselves and inform others. If more and more people demand and buy safer products, stockists and ultimately manufacturers will have to react and increase the safety of their products.
* Figures from: The Ecologist http://www.theecologist/archive_detail.asp?content_id=527
© Manuela Hübner, 2007
Tuesday, 5 June 2007
Overview: Unsafe and Suspect Cosmetic Ingredients
The good news is that there are alternative products for most cosmetics, which contain any of the chemicals listed below - see article "Suppliers of Natural and Organic Cosmetics & Personal Care Products".
NB: Recent additions to the original text will be highlighted in blue. If you would like further information on an ingredient not listed here, feel free to contact me via the comments function and I'll be happy to consult my collection of literature and get back to you.
Note that talc in powder form is particularly dangerous, as it can be inhaled; if talc is part of a cream or lotion, i.e. not loose but solid, it is said to be relatively safe. There are alternative body powders, which use corn starch and oat flour instead of talc and are thus talc-free. But always check the ingredients list because sometimes these alternative body powders contain silica (see Silica above).
Sources:
- “The Safe Shopper’s Bible”, Steinman & Epstein
- "Wenn das Shampoo krank macht" by J. Harmening & Gabriela Haas, http://www.zeitschrift.com/magazin/40-kosmetik.ihtml
- Organic Consumers Association, http://www.organicconsumers.org/bodycare/paraben011304.cfm
- US Food and Drug Administration, www.fda.org
- US Environmental Protection Agency, http://www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/hlthef/phenylen.html
- Canadian Cancer Society, http://www.cancer.ca/ccs/internet/standard/0,3182,3172_1706523966__langId-en,00.html
- The Ecologist, http://www.theecologist.org/archive_detail.asp?content_id=870
- Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phthalates (for chemical definitions only)
© Manuela Hübner, 2007
Sources of Information about Cosmetics & Health
Weblinks
- http://www.fda.org/ (US Food and Drug Administration; gives information and research results about cosmetics amongst other subjects)
- http://www.ctpa.org/ (this is an organisation representing cosmetic and personal care companies in the UK so it is bound to be slightly "biased" but a good source of information about cosmetic regulations in the UK)
- http://www.theecologist.org/ (monthly periodical with regular beauty product reviews)
- http://www.preventcancer.com/ (the Prevent Cancer Coalition aims to stop the rise of cancer as the biggest killer in the world by providing free information to consumers; here you will find a list of carcinogenic cosmetic ingredients you should avoid)
- http://www.safecosmetics.org/ (US organisation)
- http://www.cosmeticdatabase.com/ – The working group "Skindeep" offers excellent online search facilities for ingredients and products.
- http://www.mindfully.org/ – Covers a range of subjects from climate, food and health to nuclear energy, plastics and sustainability.
- http://www.greenpeace.org.uk/ – under “Toxics”, “The Problems”, “Hazardous Chemicals”
Publications:
- A Consumer's Dictionary of Cosmetics Ingredients, Ruth Winter (Three Rivers Press, 2005)
- Beauty to Die For, Judi Vance
- Don’t Go to the Counter without Me, Paula Begoun
- Dying to Look Good: The Disturbing Truth About What’s Really in Your Cosmetics, Toiletries and Personal Care Products, Christine Hoza Farlow
- Ökotest: If you speak German, you might want to look into subscribing to this most excellent German consumer magazine, which regularly tests, compares and reviews a variety of consumer products. See http://www.oekotest.de/ for details.
- The Ecologist: Environmental affairs magazine, which reports on a multitude of ecological and also health-related issues. Particularly interesting is the regular feature "Behind the Label".
- The Safe Shopper's Bible, A Consumer's Guide to Nontoxic Household Products, Cosmetics and Food, David Steinman & Samuel S. Epstein (Wiley Publishing, Inc., 1995)
NB: This book was written as a guide for the US-American consumer and consequently reviews products which are available on the US market. A large number of these goods are, however, international brands, which are also distributed in the UK. The book also contains a lot of universally valid information on ingredients and health risks. - Skin Care and Cosmetic Ingredients Dictionary, Natalia Michalun
To be extended.
When Skincare becomes Skinscare
Here’s a question for you: What is the body’s largest organ?
No, not the heart. Nor the kidney or the liver. Look back at the title of the article, there’s a clue!
The body’s largest organ is, in fact, the skin. It has a mass of 4-5 kg and a surface area of 1.2 - 2.2 square metres – obviously depending on your size. Most of us take great care of our skin: we nourish it with creams and lotions and try to embellish it with decorative cosmetics in the hope of improving its condition, appearance and health. So we go out and buy personal care products which claim to contain beneficial ingredients, and yes, they may indeed contain one or two substances with proven beneficial effects, yet most mainstream cosmetics also contain at least the same number of ingredients which can cause anything from allergies, eczema and irritation of the eyes and mucous membranes to respiratory problems, malfunctions of the nervous system and in some cases even cancer.
The majority of conventional cosmetics and skincare products we use on a daily basis (body lotions, face creams, deodorants, talcum powder, lipstick, perfumes, basically the lot!) contain so-called petrochemicals. These are synthetic chemicals derived from mineral oil, which no one would voluntarily apply if they knew what they were actually slapping on their skin and – since skin is permeable – feeding into their body’s system.
If you think you are less at risk because you are a man and don’t use half of the products listed above, think again! Even shampoo and shower gel or toothpaste and mouthwash contain potentially harmful substances.
Unfortunately, the cosmetics industry is one of the least regulated industries, not just in the UK but world-wide, which explains why certain chemicals are still being used despite scientific evidence of their adverse effects. So what can you do to ensure real skincare since regulatory bodies fail to do their job?
You can start by getting informed about which substances to avoid. There are countless sources of information, both online and in print, which are dedicated to educating consumers and guide them through the jungle of ingredients and products (see list below).
It is quite a scary and frustrating experience to go through your bathroom and discover that your most cherished products are in the true sense of the word “poison”. Yet, not everything needs to be binned straightaway. The best approach is to check the ingredients lists for the so-called carcinogens (cancer-inducing substances) and discard products containing those. Cosmetics which contain allergens (allergy-causing chemicals) can be used up, provided you don’t show any allergic reactions to them, although a continued use might increase your body’s tolerance level for such substances.
Long-term it is probably safest to change to healthier and natural alternatives, which you can find in your local health food stores or buy directly online from the manufacturers.
Wise up and take care of yourself because no one else is going to do it for you. And if you care about your nearest and dearest, raise their awareness too. This is an avoidable health risk and, to put it in the words of one of the main culprits, you’re worth it!
DROP DEAD GORGEOUS? HIDDEN CARCINOGEN CHECK LIST
Contaminants
DIOXANE (in PEG, POLYSORBATE, LAURETHS, ETHOXYLATED ALCOHOLS)CRYSTALLINE SILICA (in AMORPHOUS SILICATES)
Nitrosamine Precursors
DEA, TEA, BRONOPOL, PADIMATE O
Formaldehyde Releasers
BRONOPOL, QUATERNIUM 15, DIAZOLIDINYL or IMIDAZOLIDINYL UREA, DMDM HYDANTOIN
Overt Carcinogens
DEA, TALC, FLUORIDE, SACCHARIN, CRYSTALLINE SILICA, COAL TAR DYES, BLUE 1, GREEN 3PHENYLENEDIAMINE
Useful sources of information:
Websites:
- www.preventcancer.com – The Prevent Cancer Coalition
- www.safecosmetics.org – The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics
- www.cosmeticdatabase.com – Skindeep
- www.greenpeace.org.uk – see Toxics, The Problems, Hazardous Chemicals
- www.theecologist.org – a monthly periodical (also available in print)
Publications:
- A Consumer's Dictionary of Cosmetics Ingredients, Ruth Winter
- Beauty to Die For, Judi Vance
- Don’t Go to the Counter without Me, Paula Begoun
- Dying to Look Good: The Disturbing Truth About What’s Really in Your Cosmetics, -Toiletries and Personal Care Products, Christine Hoza Farlow
- The Safe Shopper's Bible, A Consumer's Guide to Nontoxic Household Products, Cosmetics and Food, David Steinman & Samuel S. Epstein
© Manuela Hübner, 2007
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