Is your body absorbing these harmful chemicals commonly found in cosmetics?
- Parabens are used as a low-cost synthetic preservative in cosmetics,
and are estrogen mimickers, are known to cause breast tumors in humans by the EPA. (Daughton, Christian G., and Thomas A. Ternes. "Pharmaceuticals and personal care products in the environment: agents of subtle change?." Environmental Health Perspectives 107.Suppl 6 (1999): 907.)
Look on the label of your skincare items, you're bound to run into
ingredients labeled as Methylparaben, Propylparaben, IIsoparaben, Butylparaben.
- You might also find phthalates in your skincare products. These are commonly named as Dibutylphthalate (DBP, DEP, also butyl ester), used to help the skin absorb the product. The Department of Health and Human Services classified these chemicals as "possible carcinogens."(Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). 2002. Toxicological profile for Di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP). Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service.)
- Petrochemicals are another commonly used ingredient in the cosmetic industry. It may seem like a fancy name, but put simply, petrochemicals are synthetic chemicals made from petroleum. Almost all skincare items use ingredients such as these! Some are commonly called FD & C Blue No. 1, Behentrimonium Chloride, Guar Hydrosypropyltrimonium Chloride, Linoleamidepropyl PG-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate.(Rey, Louis. "Are Petrochemicals Safe?" Are Petrochemicals Safe? State of Alaska, 28 Sept. 1992.
- Take a look at your soap, toothpastes and shampoo. Do you see Sodium Lauryl/Laureth Sulfate on the ingredient listing? It's likely the first or second ingredient. This ingredient is used in concrete floor cleaners, engine degreasers, and car wash detergents. The same ingredient that dissolves car grease is also being put onto your scalp or in your mouth in a high concentration. According to the Journal of the American College of Toxicology, Vol. 2, No. 7, l983, SLS is a mutagen. In large amounts, it can change the information in genetic material found in cells. It is known to damage the immune system and it can separate skin layers if reaction occur with a nitrogen ingredient. Do you still want to put this onto your scalp or in your mouth?
- Another commonly used chemical in many cosmetic products is Diazolidinyl Urea or Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate. You're sure to have seen this ingredient in some of the products you've bought. This ingredient, by nature, is a Formaldehyde releaser, and it's commonly used as a preservative. The EPA has released official studiesrelating formaldehyde to lung and nasopharyngeal cancer, and repeated contact has known to cause contact dermatitis in humans. (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Health and Environmental Effects Profile for Formaldehyde. EPA/600/x-85/362. Environmental Criteria and Assessment Office, Office of Health and Environmental Assessment, Office of Research and Development, Cincinnati, OH. 1988.)
These are only some of the chemicals that regularly make it on the skin of uninformed consumers. It's not our fault that these corporations decide to make a buck off of prolonged shelf life or attractive color in products, but much information is available for us to make better decisions as consumers.
Whether it's Genetically Modified Organisms that make it into 90% of our food supply, or these artificial ingredients, it's up to us to make better choices, but with the growing Organic Movement, we're getting closer and closer.