Parabens, Phylates & formadehyde, Beauty products unveiled

by Alice C Doyle

Lotions and potions, pampering and preening. Over the course of a lifetime an average female will spend £180,000 on beauty products. But in so doing, you could be accumulating a bucketful of poisins with a potential to cause cancer, disrupt hormones and accelerate ageing.

A Chemical Cocktail

The problem with many beauty products is that they contain a cocktail of chemical ingredients. From formaldehyde, parabens to bleach, the individual ingredients can vary tremendously in their ability to soak through the skin and can easily penetrate blood vessels and body tissue below.

Few individual ingredients used in isolation carry excessive risks. However, as an average adult uses 9 personal care products each day, with 126 unique chemical ingredients, the risks and health hazards start to mount up as the chemicals can react in combination or accumulate within the body.

Hidden Within

Here we discuss some of the nasties that are hidden within many well known and much loved brands that can be avoided by choosing certified organic body and skin care.

Parabens to Phthalates

All cosmetic products that contain large amounts of water need to be preserved from micro-organisms to stop them going mouldy. Parabens and other chemical preservatives work by directly poisoning the microbes they come into contact with. However as they mimic the effect of estrogen they can disrupt natural hormone levels. Also as they are harmful to micro-organisms, Parabens are entering the water courses in considerable amounts to the detriment of the environment.

Paraben regulation

The use of parabens in cosmetics is regulated by the cosmetic guidelines of the European Union and is in compliance with these legal regulations. Compared to other preservatives, the parabens have the great advantage that you only need to use extremely small concentrations to achieve excellent stability and durability. Furthermore this material is considered as well tolerated and the risk for allergic reactions can be classified as very low in comparison to other food additives.

In recent years their has been much discussion around the use of parabens as preservatives and some of the claims have been brought into disrepute. In 2004 British scientists (Dr. Philippa Darbre et al.) stated in a publication statement from the Federal Institute for risk evaluation, evaluating the connection between breast cancer and the use of parabens in deodorants. In this publication however no causal connection between deodorants and breast cancer could be proven. The Federal Institute for risk evaluation stated the clear conclusion that no causal connection between parabens and breast cancer is given.¹

Bleaching Agents

Many skincare products use agents to help lighten the skin with bleaching agents, such as hydroquinone and mercury. Highly toxic, hydroquinone can cause brown patches on skin and is an irritant, mercury can cause serious poisoning as well as cancer.

Detergents are alternatives to soap known for their foaming action, used in daily use products such as shampoo, conditioners, facial cleansers, hair dyes, lotions, soaps, baby shampoo, baby wipes, shaving cream and acne treatment. Detergents can dry skin and hair, cause irritations to eyes and skin, and can react with impurities and nitrate preservatives, some of which may cause cancer.

Phthalates are used as a plasticizer and a solvent and found in cosmetics such as nail varnishes, deodorants, fragrances, hair gels and sprays, hand and body lotions. Listed as dibutyl, dithylhexyl, DEHP, DBP to name a few, research has shown that DEHP is linked to adverse affects to male and female reproductive system.

Formaldehyde & Synthetics

Formaldehyde may be hidden within products such as various cosmetics, soap, nail hardeners and varnish. It is a proven neurotoxin, genotoxin, carcinogen and skin irritant and can be released when products break down or react with another product. Preservatives are the second most common cause of allergic and irritant reactions to cosmetics.

Retinol, natural vitamin A, is added to cosmetics, yet when exposed to large doses of retinol during pregnancy research shows that it may harm the development of the embryo. Side effects associated with topical tretinoin are skin irritation, dryness, peeling and sun sensitivity and with persistent use, skin damage and accelerate ageing.

Synthetic colours are entirely artificial in composition and added to makeup and other coloured products. These crude oil, coal tar and mineral derived dyes and lakes may contain carcinogenic arsenic and lead. Questionable synthetic colours are: FD&C blues 1(E133), 2(E132), 4; Green 3; Reds 4, 40(E129); Yellows 5(E102), 6(E110), D&C Reds 2, 3, 4, 8, 9, 10, 17, 19, 21, 27, 33; Green 5; Oranges 5, 17. Disperse Blue 1; Yellow 3. These ingredients are found in products such as lip glosses, children’s toothpaste and hair colours. Some synthetic colours have been linked to childhood hyperactivity disorders as well as cancers.

The Organic Choice

Perhaps the jury is still out on the debate but the only way to truly know that you are not adding harm to your body is to use organic products as they are completely healthy and natural.

Certified organic products are made with ingredients that are grown free of synthetic pesticides, herbicides and genetically modified organisms and are free from harmful additives. Kind to you and to the planet.

EcoChic Magazine highlights the importance of Natural Beauty with a review of Organic Ranges coming very soon in our forthcoming eBook.

Special thanks to the Women’s Environment Network for some technical content.

1. Statement of the “Federal Institute for risk evaluation” on the 13th of February 2004.