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The Dirty Dozen - Ingredients in Cosmetics to Avoid
By now, everyone has heard that it’s in one’s best interest to eat as organically as possible and to avoid toxic cleaning products in the home to reduce the risk of illness and disease. But what about the personal care products you use each day? Are you reading those product labels as carefully as food labels, and if so, do you really know what those ingredients are or what they do?
The average person uses nine cosmetic products each day, from lotions and soaps to deodorant, shampoo, conditioner, skincare, makeup, hairspray and perfume-with roughly 120 chemicals spread among them.
But whether you hardly use anything or if you’re a product junkie like me, chances are you’re putting something on your body. Our skin is our body’s largest organ and chemicals absorbed into the skin can definitely affect us. A one-time use of a small amount of a certain chemical may not do noticeable harm, but the cumulative effect of using harmful ingredients over months and years can really have a negative impact on our bodies and our health.
Here are 12 ingredients to avoid, courtesy of The National Geographic’s Green Guide:
1. Antibacterials–Overuse of antibacterials can prevent them from effectively fighting disease-causing germs like E. coli and Salmonella enterica. Triclosan, widely used in soaps, toothpastes and deodorants, has been detected in breast milk, and one recent study found that it interferes with testosterone activity in cells. Numerous studies have found that washing with regular soap and warm water is just as effective at killing germs.
2. Coal Tar–Coal tar is a known human carcinogen used as an active ingredient in dandruff shampoos and anti-itch creams. Coal-tar-based dyes such as FD&C Blue 1, used in toothpastes, and FD&C Green 3, used in mouthwash, have been found to be carcinogenic in animal studies when injected under skin.
3. Diethanolamine (DEA)–DEA is a possible hormone disruptor, has shown limited evidence of carcinogenicity and depletes the body of choline needed for fetal brain development. DEA can also show up as a contaminant in products containing related chemicals, such as cocamide DEA.
4. 1,4-Dioxane–1,4-Dioxane is a known animal carcinogen and a possible human carcinogen that can appear as a contaminant in products containing sodium laureth sulfate and ingredients that include the terms “PEG,” “-xynol,” “ceteareth,” “oleth” and most other ethoxylated “eth” ingredients. The FDA monitors products for the contaminant but has not yet recommended an exposure limit. Manufacturers can remove dioxane through a process called vacuum stripping, but a small amount usually remains. A 2007 survey by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics found that most children’s bath products contain 10 parts per million or less, but an earlier 2001 survey by the FDA found levels in excess of 85 parts per million.
5. Formaldehyde–Formaldehyde has a long list of adverse health effects, including immune-system toxicity, respiratory irritation and cancer in humans. Yet it still turns up in baby bath soap, nail polish, eyelash adhesive and hair dyes as a contaminant or break-down product of diazolidinyl urea, imidazolidinyl urea and quaternium compounds.
6. Fragrance–The catchall term “fragrance” may mask phthalates, which act as endocrine disruptors and may cause obesity and reproductive and developmental harm. Avoid phthalates by selecting essential-oil fragrances instead.
7. Lead and mercury–Neurotoxic lead may appear in products as a naturally occurring contaminant of hydrated silica, one of the ingredients in toothpaste, and lead acetate is found in some brands of men’s hair dye. Brain-damaging mercury, found in the preservative thimerosol, is used in some mascaras.
8. Nanoparticles–Nanoparticles, which may penetrate the skin and damage brain cells, are appearing in an increasing number of cosmetics and sunscreens. Most problematic are zinc oxide and titanium dioxide nanoparticles, used in sunscreens to make them transparent. When possible, look for sunscreens containing particles of these ingredients larger than 100 nanometers. You’ll most likely need to call companies to confirm sizes, but a few manufacturers have started advertising their lack of nanoparticle-sized ingredients on labels.
9. Parabens–(methyl-, ethyl-, propyl-, butyl-, isobutyl-) Parabens, which have weak estrogenic effects, are common preservatives that appear in a wide array of toiletries. A study found that butyl paraben damaged sperm formation in the testes of mice, and a relative, sodium methylparaben, is banned in cosmetics by the E.U. Parabens break down in the body into p-hydroxybenzoic acid, which has estrogenic activity in human breast-cancer cell cultures.
10. Petroleum Distillates–Possible human carcinogens, petroleum distillates are prohibited or restricted for use in cosmetics in the E.U. but are found in several U.S. brands of mascara, foot-odor powder and other products. Look out for the terms “petroleum” or “liquid paraffin.”
11. P-Phenylenediamine–Commonly found in hair dyes, this chemical can damage the nervous system, cause lung irritation and cause severe allergic reactions. It’s also listed as 1,4-Benzenediamine, p-Phenyldiamine and 4-Phenylenediamine.
12. Hydroquinone–Found in skin lighteners and facial moisturizers, hydroquinone is neurotoxic and allergenic, and there’s limited evidence that it may cause cancer in lab animals. It may also appear as an impurity not listed on ingredients labels.
So start reading those labels, and be aware that brands that advertise themselves as “natura,l” “botanical,” and even “organic” have been known to include some of these. If you see any of the listed ingredients, toss it — your body and health is at stake! If you’re not sure, go to http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/index.php, and you can search for a specific product, ingredient or company. Kind of brings a whole new meaning to drop-dead gorgeous, doesn’t it?
Sarah MaHannah moved to the North State with her husband in 2000. They live on 166 acres with their cat and two dogs. She is a licensed esthetician and has a passion for skincare as well as the environment. Sarah has combined those two interests with her eco-approach at Glow Skincare Boutique, where the focus is on using only organic and non-toxic products. The boutique is in downtown Redding at 1348 Market Street suite 203 and online at glowskincareboutique.com.
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Wow!! Great article & so true! I just became a consultant for Ava Anderson Non-Toxic — all her products are ZERO on the Cosmetics Database Scale!
Thanks for the info!
Linda
http://www.avaandersonnontoxic.com/discovering-family-wellness
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I agree with Linda! Great article & will share with friends. I too joined Ava for these reasons! Check out her journey & great products…
http://www.NonToxicBelle.com
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Thanks for putting this important information out. I also joined Ava Anderson Non-Toxic as a way to educate the public and provide them with truly safe personal care products. More people need to know what they are putting on their bodies!
Regina Bell
Founding Consultant
Ava Anderson Non-Toxic
http://nontoxicbeauty.info
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Great article. You might consider making it a baker’s dozen in the future emphasizing that for those who choose to eat organic, yet still slap on petrochemical sunscreens, they might as well not bother because exposure to the petrochemicals found in sunscreens leads to bodily contamination at levels thousands to millions of times higher than the petrochemical residues found in food.
Consider the simple math:
Sunscreen actives are easily 30% of formula weight for an SPF 30 product.
American Academy of Dermatology recommends 1 ounce applied if wearing a swim suit - that’s 30g.
30% of 30g is 9g of petrochemicals applied to the skin
60-80% depending upon the study gets absorbed through the skin into bodily fluids/tissue/blood, so conservatively that’s 60% of 9g = 5.4g of systemic exposure to compounds that have been well substantiated to have estrogenic activity and are fundamentally toxic benzene-based hydrocarbons. Even if these compounds have estrogenic activity only 0.01% that of estrogen, (1/10,000th) a single dose of sunscreen has the same estrogenic potential of a single dose of estrogen prescribed for menopause, (0.6 mg) which is pretty shocking! And parents put this junk on their developmentally-sensitive children!
In terms of toxic compound exposure levels - petrochemical sunscreens are Public Enemy #1 precisely because the relative amounts are not measured in nano, micro or miligrams, but GRAMS! FDA regulates these compounds as drugs because they are toxic and have significant side effects. This is not opinion, it’s fact, and something the public needs to know.
The safest sunscreen that’s approved by FDA is non-nano zinc oxide.
Erik Kreider MS MBA
Founder and Chief Formulator
Kabana Skin Care
http://www.kabanaskincare.com
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I do not think this is a great article. The things you have listed important fr people to know about but cosmetics companies do not list”antibacterial” or “1,4 Dioxane” on their ingredient statements. There are probably hundreds of anti-bacterials but you have not told anyone the names of this ingredients to look for on the product.
Siz if things you listed are categories of problematic ingredients, not the names that would actually tell people what to look for.
This is why we need better info on these products. Most people are not chemists and won;t even know if they are buying something with a “petroleum distillate” in it. Sorry, more work!
Sincerely -
Gay Timmons
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Most of us don’t read the ingredients on our “beauty” products. This list is awesome, but I probably won’t remember it all.
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Thank you for this helpful list Sarah. I have been working hard on using only organic products on my skin. A list like this with key ingredients that I need to watch out for is fantastic. I just printed off your list and will keep it in my wallet along with my good fish bad fish list.
I appreciate the hard work it took to give us this information, your articles are great!
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Thanks for this list and for the article. I checked my cosmetics but came away clueless. Are there certain brands to avoid or are there more common names for these ingredients? How wide spread is this? Thanks for more info if possible.
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Sarah, once again you are helping me fine tune my health. I appreciate the list and I need to read ALL ingredients, not just what’s in my food or on my face but also my hair, teeth,body, nails and on and on…. I am still using many harmful ingredients it seems
So, at tomorrows appointment lets talk more about it.. Can’t wait to see you.
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Great article. I hope this really gets people to start checking their ingredients. SIRCUIT Cosmeceuticals is another great line that does not use any of the items of this list and also uses chiral ingredients which purifies the molecules achieving a product quality and purity a level above organic. It’s especially great for the more mature set looking to address aging, skin conditions, acne and more.
http://www.sircuitskin.com
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Gay and Judy,
If you check the cosmetic database that Sarah links to, you can enter the ingredient, the product or the company. I just now entered Loreal and came up with 1,359 entries, some with a hazard rating of 3 (so-so) and some with 7 or 8 (more hazardous). “Dioxane” listed 117 entries.
Click here: cosmetic database
Renee Harris
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Oh dear, I just read the ingredients on my hair color, and it’s got Phenlenediamine. Are there safe hair coloring products out there, and if so, what brand? I’m sure not ready to go grey. The problem I’m having with cosmetics is allergies. I became allergic to Clinique eye makeup, so I tried Physicians Formula, and Almay with the same results. I’ve heard that mica may be the culprit, so I ordered some mica-free eye liner on line. Hope it works. Thanks for the info!
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Thank you so much for the feedback, I really appreciate it! It’s great to receive more information from all of you, I love learning about other product lines out there (and just learning in general.) I realize that this information can be overwhelming and it can seem a bit daunting to check each label of every product you buy, especially when the ingredients are unfamiliar to us. I think the above list demonstrates the lengths at which manufacturers are willing to go to in order to hide what is really being put in things–obviously if the label said, “coal tar” people might think twice about purchasing it, but if it says, “FD&C blue 1″ it almost sounds like food coloring or something. For skin care, I use an amazing line called Starflower Essentials (which I also carry and use at my boutique) that is made in the U.S.A., all of the ingredients are food grade instead of cosmetic grade, there’s no chemicals of any kind, it’s all packaged in glass instead of plastic to preserve the integrity of the product, and most importantly–nothing toxic and I can read and understand every single ingredient that’s in each product. I’m also a fan of some Burt’s Bees products and you can pick those up in almost any drugstore.
http://www.starflower.com
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