Don't want to look like this?
Then stop using products containing harmful chemicals. Sent in by
Style Cafe reader Dianne, the following article contains some
important beauty information. 'Cause, sure, we all want to look
gorgeous, but we don't want to poison ourselves while doing so! (Tip:
If you want to look good, wear pearl jewelry. They make you look
instantly sophisticated and, if the ancients are to be believed,
promote health to boot.)
Makeup, perfume and moisturizer may contain harmful chemicals
- Beth Greer
By the time women walk out the door in the morning, after slathering,
spritzing or smearing themselves with toner, moisturizer, eye cream,
foundation, blush, eye shadow, eyeliner, mascara, lipstick, gloss and
perfume, they may have put enough chemicals onto their bodies to be
hazardous to their health. Many of the chemicals in makeup have been
linked to cancer, hormone imbalances and skin irritation.
According to the Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit
environmental research organization, which conducted an assessment of
more than 1,000 cosmetic brands, less than 1 percent are made from
ingredients that have all been evaluated for safety. "Some products
contain carcinogens, reproductive toxins and other chemicals that may
pose health risks," notes the group's Web site.
The Food and Drug Administration does not review cosmetic ingredients
for their safety before they come to market, nor does it have the
authority to recall hazardous products.
According to the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, a program of the Marin
Cancer Project that helps raise awareness about cancer-causing
chemicals in cosmetics, the average consumer (including teens) uses 15
to 25 cosmetic and personal-care products a day. These products will
contain about 200 chemicals that have been added to preserve, dye and
emulsify the products. Some are the same chemicals used in industrial
manufacturing to soften plastics, clean equipment and stabilize
pesticides.
One widely used group of synthetic chemicals, parabens (alkyl-p-
hydroxybenzoates), are used as antimicrobial preservatives in more
than 13,000 cosmetic products. The Environmental Protection Agency
states that all parabens -- methyl, propyl, butyl--have been proved to
interfere with the function of the endocrine system, and these
endocrine disruptors are stored in our body's fatty tissues. The
Center for Children's Health and the Environment at Mount Sinai School
of Medicine in New York says endocrine disruptors have been suspected
of contributing to reproductive and developmental disorders, learning
problems and immune system dysfunction in children.
This is especially alarming considering that young girls are starting
to use cosmetics earlier and more often. According to a 2004 cosmetic
industry report by market research firm Mintel International Group, 90
percent of 14-year-old girls say they use makeup. The survey revealed
that 63 percent of 7- to 10-year-olds now wear lipstick; more than 2
in 5 girls in that same age group wear eye shadow or eyeliner, and
almost 1 in 4 uses mascara.
The European Union recently passed a law banning the use of suspected
CMRs -- carcinogens, mutagens or reproductive toxins -- in any
cosmetics sold in the 25-member EU. The major U.S. cosmetics companies
that sell abroad have had to reformulate their products to conform to
EU safety guidelines, but most haven't changed the formulas they sell
here. Avon, the self-proclaimed "company for women," hasn't signed the
Compact for Safe Cosmetics, a pledge to remove carcinogens and other
harmful ingredients from beauty products.
However, on Sept. 5, bowing to pressure from environmental groups and
European lawmakers, Orly International and OPI Products, two top
beauty-salon brands, started selling reformulated nail polishes
without the chemicals dibutyl phthalate (DBP, a plasticizing
ingredient used to increase flexibility in nail polishes),
formaldehyde and toluene, which have been linked to cancer and birth
defects. These chemicals are banned by the EU but have not been
targeted for removal in this country by the FDA. Avon has removed DBP
from its polish formula, and Sally Hansen, the No. 1 nail polish brand
sold in drugstores, plans to start selling similarly reformulated
products in 2007.
"We are reacting here to changing consumer trends and a changing
regulatory environment," said Bruce MacKay, vice president for
scientific affairs/R&D of Del Laboratories, the maker of Sally Hansen.
"In high concentrations in lab experiments, these materials may be of
concern, but there is no body of evidence that says this particular
ingredient is not safe in the concentration in which it is used in
nail products." Health advocacy groups say that when it comes to
chemicals that affect human health and the environment, better safe
than sorry should be the guiding principle.
Reading labels won't always help you avoid these chemicals because the
beauty industry doesn't always disclose every ingredient in its
products. For example, phthalates (pronounced tha-lates) are rarely
mentioned on labels, so there's no way to tell whether they've been
used. Phthalates keep your mascara from running, stop your nail polish
from chipping and help fragrances linger. There's evidence that
exposure to phthalates can harm the development of fetuses and
children. According to the Breast Cancer Fund, hundreds of animal
studies have shown that phthalates can damage the liver, kidneys,
lungs and the reproductive system, primarily of male offspring.
Health Care Without Harm, an umbrella organization of dozens of
environmental and health groups, lab-tested 72 cosmetics by major
brands such as Revlon, Calvin Klein, Christian Dior and Procter &
Gamble and found phthalates in 52 of their products.
The best way to protect yourself is to read labels (use a magnifying
glass if necessary) and be suspicious: Words like "natural" or
"hypoallergenic" look reassuring, but they're basically meaningless.
The FDA has no control over these labels. Products called "natural,"
for instance, may include synthetic dyes and fragrances.
"Hypoallergenic" just means that the most common irritants are left
out, but other problematic chemicals might still be in the mix.
"Fragrance-free" or "unscented" means a product has no odor, but
synthetic ingredients are often added to mask odors. Products without
the word "fragrance" on their label should be OK. Cosmetics labeled
"organic" must contain 70 percent or more organic ingredients (grown
without the use of pesticides), but read the ingredient list
carefully. It's important to choose products from trusted cosmetic and
body care companies that use natural, certified organic, nontoxic and
nonsynthetic ingredients.
While chemicals in any one product are unlikely to cause harm, here's
the bottom line: We are repeatedly exposed to synthetic chemicals from
many sources each day. So even a small change, like switching to a
nontoxic lipstick, might make a difference in your health.
According to the Safe Cosmetics Campaign, avoid the following
chemicals in cosmetics whenever possible:
Butyl acetate
Butylated hydroxytoluene
Coal tar
Cocamide DEA/lauramide DEA
Diazolidinyl urea
Ethyl acetate
Formaldehyde
Parabens (methyl, ethyl, propyl and butyl)
Petrolatum
Phthalates
Propylene glycol
Sodium laureth/sodium laurel sulfate
Talc
Toluene
Triethanolamine
Source: Safe Cosmetics Campaign/Marin Cancer Project
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