10 Ingredients to Avoid in Your Personal Care Products
Chemicals are everywhere and are hard to avoid. They are in our personal care products, our sunscreens, and even in our food. It is hard to believe, but you may even be brushing your teeth and washing your hands with a pesticide! Check your hand soap and toothpaste labels – do they contain triclosan? If so, than yes, you are using a product that contains an ingredient used as a pesticide. There are many cosmetic ingredients that have never been tested; only 11% have ever been assessed for safety.
The effects of these chemicals can be especially harmful in children. They may be even more exposed to chemicals than we are: they play on the laminate floor, they put their fingers in their mouths, and they chew on toys that contain phthalates and other undesirable chemicals. Also, children’s bodies lack detoxification mechanisms and are more susceptible to the damaging effects of certain chemicals. Their cells are dividing quickly, and organs are developing. It is during this time of rapid growth that children’s bodies are more susceptible to damage or disruption by chemicals. Since children are exposed at a younger age, they also have a longer exposure time, resulting in an increased chance of harmful effects that may occur later in life.
We are literally bathing in and are exposed to thousands of chemicals, most of which we know nothing about. The average woman is exposed to 168 chemical ingredients in personal care products every day, and the average man is exposed to about 85 chemicals. We don’t know the effects of the combinations of the chemicals in our bodies, or even on developing fetuses. Is a combination of 15 different chemicals 15 times more likely to cause cancer or 100 times more likely? We don’t know.
There are things you can do to avoid or reduce exposure to these undesirable chemicals. Be sure to avoid the chemicals listed below. Of course, there are many more ingredients to avoid, but these are a good start. The internet is a great resource. You can search information about a suspicious ingredient online, or you can enter a product name into the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep Cosmetics Database ( http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ – be sure to bookmark this page to use often!). Also, check to see if the company has signed the Compact for Safe Cosmetics, in which companies pledge to not use toxic ingredients in their products.
Ingredients to Avoid
1. Phthalates
Pronounced “THAL-ates,” they are softening agents used in plastics. Exposure may cause immune suppression, endocrine disruption, reproductive and developmental harm, and even cancer. They are also linked to asthma and allergies. Exposure can occur through inhalation (perfumes and fragrance), ingestion, and through direct skin contact. Found in vinyl shower curtains and other products with PVC (labeled #3), automobile interiors (they are responsible for that “new car smell”), and many household products such as paint, laminate, wood flooring, and many more, including those soft, vinyl toys that babies and toddlers love to chew on.
2. Parabens
Used as a preservative, parabens can act as endocrine disruptors (a synthetic chemical that can mimic or block hormones, disrupting the body’s normal functions) and are also suspected of causing changes at the cellular level, possibly making our bodies more susceptible to cancer. Parabens have been found inside the tissue of breast cancer tumors.
3. BPA (bisphenol A)
Used to harden plastic, a large study has recently linked BPA to heart disease, Type II Diabetes, and liver enzyme abnormalities. Canada banned the use of BPA in 2008. Found in canned foods, especially acidic foods such as canned tomatoes (even in canned Muir Glen organic tomatoes!), single-use drink bottles, plastic food containers, food wrap, baby bottles, pacifiers, and teethers. Beware of the #7 code on plastic items, usually located on the bottom of the product.
4. Triclosan
Used as a pesticide, triclosan is linked to abnormalities of the endocrine system and thyroid signaling, weakening of the immune system, and birth defects. Found in soaps, toothpaste, hand sanitizers, socks, deodorant, cutting boards, and other antibacterial products. Click hereto view a triclosan fact sheet and a list of products containing it from Beyond Pesticides.
5. Hydroquinone
A skin-lightening chemical found in face, scar, and stretch mark creams. Ranked a 10 out of 10 on the EWG’s hazard scale, and the FDA has proposed a ban on the chemical in over-the-counter product sales, making it available by prescription only. It has also been linked to an irreversible skin condition called ochronosis in which the skin becomes dark and thick in areas, resembling a caviar-like appearance. Reports of abnormal function of the adrenal glands, high levels of mercury in those who have used hydroquinone-containing products, and the possibility of it being a carcinogen are the reasons why hydroquinone has already been banned in Japan, the European Union, and Australia.
6. Sodium Laurel Sulfate
A foaming agent used in many products such as soap, shampoo, and toothpaste; it is what causes the foaming and bubbling we are used to seeing when using these products. SLS is absorbed into skin and mimics estrogen. SLS and its chemical relative, sodium laureth sulfate, are usually contaminated with 1,4 dioxane (see below)*. Linked to causing hair loss, this substance can also prevent a baby’s eyes from developing normally and can cause glaucoma in adults.
7. Methylisothiazolinone (MIT)
A neurotoxin; an active ingredient in antimicrobial and personal care products (I also found it in Suave kids’ shampoos!) and is similar in function, purpose, and molecular structure to Agent Orange.
8. Phenoxyethanol
Used as a preservative and an anti-bacterial, and found to affect brain and nervous system in animals. It acts as an endocrine disruptor, and according to its safety sheet, it is “toxic to kidneys, nervous system, and liver. Repeated or prolonged exposure can produce target organs damage.” Found in many personal care products, and can be contaminated with 1,4 dioxane.
9. CoalTarColors (FD&C, D&C)
Derived from petroleum waste, research has suggested FD&C Blue No.1 and FD&C Green No. 3 are carcinogenic (cancer-causing), and D&C Red No. 33, FD&C Yellow No. 5, and FD&C Yellow No. 6 can contain impurities that may cause cancer when applied to the skin. Banned for use in Canada and the European Union. FD&C Yellow No. 5 is also used in foods and is known as tartrazine, and can worsen asthma and breathing problems.
10. Mineral Oil
A derivative of petroleum, this substance can clog pores and inhibit skin’s natural oil production, further increasing dehydration of the skin. Works as “plastic wrap” on the skin and disrupts its ability to breathe and absorb, while also hindering the release of toxins from the skin. Found in products such as baby oil, lotions, creams, and foundations.
By-Products of the Manufacturing Process (These are not required to be listed on ingredient labels):
Formaldehyde
A known human carcinogen. Avoid these formaldehyde-releasing ingredients: DMDM Hydantoin, Quaternium-15, imidazolidinyl urea, diazolidinyl urea. Other names for formaldehyde: formalin, methylene oxide, oxymethylene.
1,4 Dioxane
Listed as a probable human carcinogen, and the California EPA lists it as a suspected kidney toxicant, neurotoxicant, and respiratory toxicant. It is commonly found in products such as shampoo, toothpaste, bubble bath, etc., that create suds. Ingredients that can be contaminated with dioxane include sodium laurel (and laureth) sulfate, PEG (polyethylene glycol), phenoxyethanol, and other ingredients containing the words xynol, cetereth, andoleth.
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