HARMFUL INGREDIENTS IN MODERN SKIN CARE PRODUCTS PETROLATUM or mineral oil jelly, along with mineral oil, a carcinogenic by-product of the distillation of gasoline from crude oil.1 PARABENS , known to mimic estrogen and suspected of being carcinogenic.2 BHT, a carcinogenic preservative,3 which is also linked to allergic reactions, hyperactivity, rashes, asthma and toxicity to the liver and kidneys. TITANIUM DIOXIDE ,4 a carcinogen. TRIETHANOLAMINE (TEA),5 a carcinogen. DMDM-HYDANTOIN , a carcinogenic formaldehyde releaser.6 METHYLISOTHIAZOLINONE , which causes nerve damage.7 SODIUM HYDROXIDE , which is lye or drain cleaner. POLYSORBATE 80 and CETEARETH -20 are commonly contaminated with the highly toxic 1,4-dioxane.8 EDTA, a harsh detergent and hormone disruptor.9 PHENO XYETHANOL , which “can depress the central nervous system and may cause vomiting and diarrhea” in infants.10 DIAZOLIDINYL UREA , a preservative that releases carcinogenic formaldehyde11 and can cause dermatitis.12 (For skin care products, it is certainly ironic to find chemicals that cause dermatitis.) PROPYLENE GLYCOL , associated with irritant and allergic contact dermatitis as well as contact urticaria (hives).13 BUTYLENE GLYCOL along with propylene glycol is a component of antifreeze. HARMFUL INGREDIENTS IN "NATURAL" AND "ORGANIC" SKIN CARE PRODUCTS FRAGRANCE almost certainly synthetic, and such fragrances have been documented to be carcinogenic and toxic in other ways, causing headaches, dizziness, allergic rashes, skin discoloration, coughing, vomiting, and skin irritation as well as nervous system and behavioral effects.14 CHEMICAL PRESERVATIVES such as sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate. Sodium benzoate has many toxic effects on the body as outlined in its Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS), and when combined with ascorbic acid (vitamin C), it forms benzene, a known carcinogen. Potassium sorbate is fundamentally non-toxic but can cause skin irritation per its MSDS listing. In any case, it seems that synthetic preservatives that inhibit the growth of micro-organisms would also generally not be beneficial to other living organisms such as humans. VITAMINS, probably synthetic. Some studies published in Science, The New England Journal of Medicine, and other journals suggest that some synthetic vitamins are toxic, and some extracted vitamins have been found to be useless since they need to be in a whole food form because the whole vitamin is a complex, not just the one molecule identified as the principal component. POLYUNSATURATED OILS like safflower, sunflower, cottonseed, corn, soy, and canola. High heat is generally used in the production of these oils. Polyunsaturated oils are unstable, fragile, and susceptible to rancidity when subjected to heat, which causes the production of free radicals, associated with cell damage, aging and disease. Certainly, we do not want to be applying products high in free radicals to our skin, causing the very types of problems we are trying to relieve or prevent. And polyunsaturates would not seem to be conducive to skin health, extrapolating from the fact that the modern excess consumption of these types of oils leads to a host of health problems.15 1,4-DIOXANE: This shocking hidden ingredient is not listed on the label. A carcinogen and a known eye and respiratory tract irritant that readily penetrates the skin, it is also suspected to be a kidney toxicant, neurotoxicant, and respiratory toxicant, among others. There was a press release from the Organic Consumers Association (organicconsumers.org) on March 14, 2008 entitled, “Carcinogenic 1,4-Dioxane Found in Leading ‘Organic’ Brand Personal Care Products.” I believe this example could be considered the tip of a toxic iceberg, a discovery of the sort of thing that is probably happening with many of the other ingredients of skin care products. According to Mike Adams, “A cancer-causing compound called 1,4-dioxane has been found in some of the most commonly used petroleum-based cosmetics by a study commissioned by the Organic Consumers Association, including products from Kiss My Face, Nutribiotic, Jason, Ecover, Citrus Magic, 365, Alba, Lifetree, Giovanni, Seventh Generation, Method, Earth Friendly Products, Sea-Chi Organics and many other brands. The explanation for the presence of 1,4-dioxane is that ‘ethoxylation, a cheap short-cut companies use to provide mildness to harsh [harsh!?] ingredients, requires the use of the cancer-causing petrochemical ethylene oxide, which generates 1,4-dioxane as a by-product.’ There are many labeled ingredients that imply the presence of 1,4-dioxane. To avoid 1,4-dioxane, the OCA urges consumers to search ingredient lists for indications of ethoxylation including: ‘myreth,’ ‘oleth,’ ‘laureth,’ ‘ceteareth,’ any other ‘eth,’ ‘PEG,’ ‘polyethylene,’ ‘polyethylene glycol,’ ‘polyoxyethylene,’ or ‘oxynol,’ in ingredient names.”
Posted on: Wed, 02 Oct 2013 23:57:47 +0000
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