Your skin is your largest organ and it readily absorbs at least a little of anything you put on
it. Absorbs...meaning, allows some molecules to pass into your blood stream. It is precisely
why trans-dermal medication patches work so effectively.
Chances are if you are an
average consumer, you use at least 10 cosmetic or personal care products a day.
And like many consumers, you may believe that our government, namely the
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ensures the safety of the ingredients in
your products. Nothing could be further from the truth. The fact is, there
is no safety testing required for any cosmetics. The only policing the cosmetic
industry receives is through itself.
In June 2004, the Environmental
Working Group (EWG), a consumer watchdog, initiated a project called Skin Deep.
This report found that nearly one-third of cosmetic products contained at least
one ingredient linked with cancer AND of the 10,500 ingredients used in cosmetics
only about 11% have ever been tested for safety. This leaves plenty of room for
toxic ingredients to make their way into your body and ultimately into our
environment.
Finding truly natural, chemical free cosmetics can be difficult and time consuming.
Reading labels and cross referencing ingredients with a reputable cosmetics safety database
is a good start to determining what you are putting on your body, but consumers are often unaware that
the FDA does not require cosmetics manufacturers to fully disclose all ingredients in a product. Companies
that are committed to fully disclosing ingredients are more likely to formulate chemical free cosmetics.
Reducing and eliminating exposure to known toxic chemicals in cosmetics is the best way to reduce your
chemical body burden and get on the road to a natural beauty routine using only chemical free cosmetics.
Ingredients to Avoid
Below is a list of ingredients we feel are important to avoid in skin care products because of
suspected or known toxicity, carcinogenicity, inability to biodegrade or because of potential to
cause irritation and allergic reactions. So no matter what the front label of some cosmetics may say
about being natural, if any of these ingredients show up the back of the label then you they are definitely not
natural cosmetics.
Antibacterial cleansers (Triclosan, Benzethonium chloride)
- the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) states that
use of these may contribute to development of allergies by interfering with our
natural immune system antibodies and that their use may reduce resistance to
infections. What is worse, they don't
necessarily do a better job than regular soap and water. These are bioaccumulative--they
build up in wildlife and humans due to multiple exposures without breakdown--and
are found in treated water supplies. These
readily react with the chlorine in municipal water treatment to form
chlorinated byproducts like chloroform and are acutely toxic to aquatic life.
Click here for more information on
antibacterial soap.
Artificial colorants (FD& C Yellow 5, for
example) - found in anything from hair
dyes to toothpastes to food, these often contain heavy metals such as lead
acetate or "coal tar" chemicals. Many
are carcinogenic or contain impurities that are.
BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole) and BHT
(butylated hydroxytoluene) - this
group of antioxidants is used in everything from lipstick to toothpaste to baby
sunscreen--you can even find it in some foods. Its use in food is banned in many other countries.
These are toxic to the immune, respiratory,
liver and neurologic systems.
Cocamidopropyl - this
surfactant and emulsifier often contains impurities like nitrosamines (see DEA/TEA below) which can combine
with other ingredients to form carcinogenic compounds. It can cause some contact dermatitis.
DEA/TEA (Diethanolamine/Triethanolamine) - these are used as wetting and lathering agents in shampoos and
lotions. They can react with other
compounds in the products to form a carcinogen called nitrosodiethanolamine
(NDEA). In 1979, the FDA ordered the
cosmetic industry to eliminate NDEA from formulas, but when cosmetic products
were tested in 1980 for NDEA, 42% came up positive.
Dimethecone (silicone derived emollients) - used as an emollient because of its ability to "seal"
the skin, it does not allow the skin to breathe and can trap harmful
bacteria. It is derived from silicone,
the same infamous substance used in breast implants. It is non-biodegradable, so the impact on the
environment is negative.
Formaldehyde releasers [DMDM hydantoin diazolidinyl urea, Imidazalidol urea Sodium hydroxymethylglycinate,
N-(Hydroxymethyl) glycine, monosodium salt, and quaternium-15] -
some of these are used as preservatives, namely as a paraben replacement. They release formaldehyde as they break
down. Formaldehyde was classified as a human carcinogen in 2004. In addition, anything with "urea" in the name is
generally used as a "penetration enhancer" - something used to help active ingredients in a product penetrate the skin
more deeply. These also release formaldehyde as they break down and are suspected blood, neurologic and liver toxins.
Do we really want all these toxins getting pushed further into our epidermis?
Parabens (methylparaben, polyparaben, ethylparaben, etc.) -
these are widely used preservatives which mimic the
effects of the female hormone estrogen. Found in nearly all commercial body care products (liquid soaps, shampoos,
conditioners, toothpastes, lotions, diaper creams, etc.), it is extremely hard
to find paraben free products to avoid accumulating lots of micro-exposures as you use layers of these
products daily. Parabens have been found in breast tumor tissue, though a
causal relationship has not been determined.
PEG
ingredients (anything with PEG followed by a number representing molecular
weight) - these are used as detergents and
foaming agents. They are suspected
kidney and skin toxins and are often contaminated with volatile carcinogens dioxane and ethylene oxide.
Petrolatum (liquid paraffin) and mineral oil- - this one speaks for itself, but in case there is any
confusion...fossil fuel anyone? These substances are refined from crude oil. They do not allow skin to breathe and have
been banned from the EU since 2004 for probable carcinogenic impurities unless
the refining manufacturer can demonstrate that the product is free from
impurities.
Propylene glycol - this solvent is used in anti-freeze, de-icing chemicals, nail polish,
latex paints, artificial smoke (as used in theatrical productions), deodorant
and adhesives. The process for making
this chemical is heavily fossil fuel dependent.
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
(almost anything containing the words "lauryl" or "laureth") - this
is a surfactant and foaming agent that is found in most soaps, shampoos and
laundry detergents. Can be extremely
irritating to skin and is a leading culprit in exacerbation of eczema.
Synthetic fragrances - many are petroleum derived and contain phthalates, a
group of bioacculmulative industrial chemicals linked
to endocrine and hormone disruption, prostate cancer, liver, kidney and lung
damage and male reproductive defects. The European Union (EU) has banned most phthalates and there are
proposed bills banning certain phthalates in California.
Talc - this
is used in powders and as a filler in pharmaceutical tablets. Can be toxic if inhaled and was found in up
to 75% of ovarian cancer tumors in one study.
Reducing Your Chemical Burden: Good For You and
Your Environment
So...what is a consumer to do? These materials are ubiquitous in
commercial cosmetics and body care products. By making
consumer choices to avoid purchasing and using products which
contain chemicals such as these and choosing truly natural products,
you can protect yourself AND your environment.
These chemicals are not only environmentally harsh to manufacture but
also contain certain contaminants (in the cosmetic world, namely those in chemical
sunscreens and synthetic fragrances) that are so heavily used in our eco-system
that they become bioaccumulative and biopersistent. That
means that you can find them even in "clean" treated drinking water supplies.
In addition, numerous studies show that as we
wash these contaminants down the drain or flush them into the toilet, they
wreak havoc on the hormonal systems of wildlife, for example feminizing the
reproductive systems of males in a population.
"The fact that pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PCCPs)
can be introduced on a continual basis to the aquatic environment via treated
and untreated sewage essentially imparts a quality of 'persistence'
to compounds that otherwise may not possess any inherent environmental
stability -- simply because their removal/transformation (by biodegradation,
hydrolysis, photolysis, etc.) is continually countered by their
replenishment, establishing a pseudo-steady-state in a manner analogous to a
bacterial chemostat."1
Want to reduce your personal
toxic burden but can't wean yourself completely? Consider simply reducing the number of
products you use or reducing the frequency with which you use them. Start
slowly, read labels and pick your battles if going cold turkey seems a task.
In the Bath
Begin by replacing those products which remain
on your skin for an extended period of time (like lotions and creams) or
those which you may accidentally ingest (like lipstick or toothpaste) with
truly natural cosmetics and organic skin care. Try our
body lotion or a
sea salt scrub. Our massage
oils are perfect moisturizers. Consider using baking soda for teeth brushing and purchasing a
beeswax and vegetable oil based lip conditioner free of sunscreen if you
will be indoors.
Use a sunscreen only when you have to be in the
sun for more than 15-30 minutes. First
and foremost, avoid the sun completely at midday. Second, use your clothes, sunglasses and
a hat or umbrella to protect your skin. When you will be in the sun for an extended period, choose a
mineral based sunblock (look for one that does
not contain nanoparticles) over those with bio-persistent
chemicals such as oxybenzone or octyl methoxycinnamate. Re-applying products after 2 hours or
after swimming is also important as further cell damage can occur from
formation of free radicals on the skin as the chemicals are absorbed.
Wash your hair less often and let the natural
oils in your scalp do their job to help condition the hair. Use a natural
bristle brush daily to distribute the oils.
Our soaps can double as shampoos. Try
shampooing less often and using a baking soda and water paste at least every
other time in the shower. When
paired with a pre-"shampoo" hot oil treatment and post "shampoo" herbal
vinegar rinse, you can often do without conventional shampoo and conditioner. Some hair types do well with just a dab
of avocado, coconut or jojoba oil for static-frizz control.
Replace your vinyl shower curtain with organic cotton or hemp cloth. It is
washable, reusable and hemp is naturally antimicrobial. Who wants to inhale
PVC's and phthalates while in the shower?
In the Home
Most surfaces can be cleaned with vinegar and/or
baking soda. Mountain Girl Botanics EcoSprinkle is a versatile cleaning product with
the benefits of pure essential oils.
Forget about those synthetic fragrances in room
sprays. Our Essential Spritz
contains pure essential oils blended for aromatherapeutic
purposes.
Try an old fashioned liquid castile soap with a
little borax as an all purpose cleaner and mopping solution.
Watch for the development of our line of
liquid soaps.
Try vinegar wiped off with newspaper for cleaning
glass and mirrors.
Lemon juice and sun will take out many stains.
Hydrogen peroxide will disinfect many surfaces
as well as help fade stains.
In a nutshell, if the ingredients list takes up half of the bottle and you can't pronounce most of
the ingredients, maybe you shouldn't be putting it on your body. Something to think about the next time you
reach for a bottle of your favorite body care product...exactly what is in
it?
Resource sites for this
article and for further thoughts:
1
Excerpt from "PPCPs as Environmental Pollutants
Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products in the Environment: Overarching
Issues and Overview" by Christian
G. Daughton, Chief, Environmental
Chemistry Branch, ESD/NERL, Office of Research and Development, Environmental
Protection Agency.
http://www.epa.gov/esd/chemistry/pharma/book-summary.htm
