THE DIRTY DOZEN COSMETIC CHEMICALS

Did you know that up to 60% of what we put on our skin gets absorbed? That means that the products we put onto our bodies affect our overall health and well-being.  Because the FDA does not regulate skincare, almost any ingredient can be incorporated in formula, some of them being super dangerous to your health. For example, many ingredients found in traditional skincare products like face washes, lotions, sunscreen, etc, have now been linked to health issues such as allergies, eczema, cancer, hormonal disruption, and reproductive problems. 

U.S. researchers report that one in eight of the 82,000 ingredients used in personal care products are industrial chemicals, including carcinogens, pesticides, reproductive toxins, and hormone disruptors. Many products include plasticizers (chemicals that keep concrete soft), degreasers (used to get grime off auto parts), and surfactants (they reduce surface tension in water, like in paint and inks). Imagine what that does to your skin, brain and body. 

According to the EWG (Environmental Working Group) “Although most chemicals in cosmetics pose little or no risk, some have been linked to serious health problems, including cancer, reproductive and neurological harm, and developmental delays. Cosmetic chemicals enter the body through the skin, inhalation, ingestion and internal use, and pose the same risks as food chemicals.  In addition to the risks posed by intentionally added ingredients, cosmetics can be contaminated with heavy metals, including arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury and nickel.

Some chemicals used in personal care products pose risks at very low doses and can interfere with the hormone system.   Research shows that “endocrine disrupting” chemicals such as parabens and phthalates may pose the greatest risk during prenatal and early postnatal development, when organ and neural systems form.   Exposure to these chemicals has been linked to endocrine diseases and some types of cancer.  For example, endocrine disruptors are known to affect how women’s bodies use estrogen and thus have been linked to breast cancer.  Research has also shown that endocrine disruptors can harm the immune system – an effect that makes us more susceptible to disease and viruses.”

While there are countless harmful chemicals found in personal care products, the following are the dirty dozen. If you see one of these on your label, use with caution (or toss it!).

ETHANOLAMINES (DEA, MEA and TEA)

Ethanolamine compounds are used as emulsifying agents, fragrances and pH adjusters in soaps, cosmetics, household cleaning products, and personal care products. These compounds are used to make cosmetics creamy or sudsy. They are typically Clear, colorless, viscous liquids with ammonia-like odors. These compounds have been banned in Europe for the increased risk of endocrine disruption, cancer, live tumors and organ toxicity.

PARABENS (Methyl, Butyl, Ethyl, Propyl)

These chemicals are used as preservatives in many personal care products.  You can find them almost everywhere, including skincare products such as moisturizers and deodorants. Parabens can act like the hormone estrogen in the body and disrupt the normal function of hormone systems affecting male and female reproductive system functioning, reproductive development, fertility and birth outcomes. Parabens can also interfere with the production of hormones. Unfortunately, they are not always labeled on our products.

PEG (Polyethylene glycol)

These are petroleum-based compounds that are widely used in cosmetics as thickeners, solvents, softeners, and moisture-carriers. PEGs are commonly used as cosmetic cream bases. This chemical compound can also alter and reduce the skin’s natural moisture factor. It functions as a penetration enhancer and can allow harmful ingredients to be absorbed more readily through the skin. When PEGs are found in formulations containing other toxic ingredients, those ingredients could more readily enter the body. PEG’s have been flagged in several countries as possible carcinogens.

They are also found in household products like baby wipes and cleaners.

MINERAL OIL

It’s created during the process of producing gasoline – yes, the stuff that powers your car or starts a fire! It’s colorless and odorless so it’s impossible to detect. The World Health Organization classifies untreated or mildly treated mineral oils as group 1 carcinogens to humans, though, the FDA has approved them for use in cosmetics. It is a petroleum by-product that coats the skin like plastic, clogging its pores (think Aquaphor). This is incredibly harmful because it interferes with skin’s ability to eliminate toxins, therefore increasing likelihood of acne and other disorders.

Mineral oil is commonly used in creams, lotions, ointments, and cosmetics. It won’t kill you but it’s not helpful either.

PARFUM (FRAGRANCES)

Fragrances have the ability to pass from the skin to the blood. They are linked to a staggering number of health risks. Across multiple research studies, chemicals used to make fragrances are classified as allergens, hormone disruptors, asthma triggers, neurotoxins & carcinogens. Shockingly, manufacturers are not required to list the specific chemicals in parfum. Often only one word, “fragrance”, is used on the label and can hide a cocktail of more than 100 toxic ingredients. This is because fragrances are considered to be “trade secrets”. Whether it’s in a cleaning product, deodorant, shampoo, or laundry detergent, fragrance chemicals aren’t actually making your product perform better – they are just giving you that perception. We’ve been trained to think that clean has a smell, when in truth that’s not the case. ( I still struggle with this!!)

SILOXANES

Siloxanes are silicone-based compounds that are generally used for their softening, smoothing, and moistening action. They make products like deodorants slide on more easily, and leave hair and skin more soft and silky. They also help hair products dry more quickly. They are used extensively in moisturizers and facial treatments. Look for ingredients ending in “-siloxane” or “-methicone.” This chemical is a suspected endocrine disrupter, reproductive toxicant (cyclotetrasiloxane) and possible carcinogen.

SODIUM LAURYL SULFATE (SLS) & SODIUM LAURETH SULFATE (SLES)

Companies use SLES as an ingredient in personal care and cleaning products because it is an extremely cheap and effective surfactant and foaming agent — basically what goes into your soap or shampoo to make it foam. In fact, 90% of foaming products use SLS/SLES and it has been a controversial ingredient for a long time. The highest risk of using products with SLS and SLES is irritation to your eyes, skin, mouth, and lungs. For people with sensitive skin, sulfates may also clog pores and cause acne.

TRICLOSAN

Triclosan is an antibacterial and antifungal agent present in some personal care products, including antibacterial soaps and body washes, toothpaste, soaps, cosmetics and detergents. It’s original use was in hospital settings in 1972. According to the Mayo Clinic, it might contribute to the development of antibiotic-resistant germs and could potentially be harmful to the immune system. Exposures come mainly by absorption through the skin or through the lining of the mouth. These exposures have resulted in contact dermatitis, or skin irritation, and an increase in allergic reactions, especially in children.

DMDM HYDANTOIN & UREA (Imidazolidinyl)

Preservatives found in many personal products that have been found to release formaldehyde. You can find it in cosmetics, shampoos and conditioners, bubble baths, baby wipes, skin care products and detergents. Exposure to formaldehyde may cause joint pain, depression, headaches, chest pain, ear infections, chronic fatigue, dizziness and loss of sleep.  In case you didn’t know, formaldehyde, has been categorized by the U.S. government and World Health Organization  as a known human carcinogen.

ALUMINUM

Something most of us might not be aware of is the fact that a large amount of the products we come into contact with on a daily basis may contain small amounts of aluminum. This includes  most of the personal care products we use such as deodorants, shampoos, conditioners and especially cosmetics. In cosmetics, they function as pigments and thickening agents.

Aluminum is an endocrine disruptor. There is evidence that aluminum powder can lead to organ-system toxicity.  It is even being linked to neuro-toxicity over time, since it can accumulate within the body. Some even claim that the ingestion of aluminum powder can result in the formation of Alzheimer’s disease due to a build up of the element in our bodies.

BHA & BHT

Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) are used as preservatives in a variety of personal care products such as lipsticks, lips balms, face care (creams, eye contours, masks, oily serums …), soaps (especially “soap-free” or “oil-enriched” soaps), make-up (foundations, mascara, powders and blush …), shaving gels and creams, moisturizing lotions, deodorants, body oils, make-up removers, some shower gels (mainly when oil-enriched) or depilatory creams. BHT and BHA may be stored in the body for up to two weeks after only one contact and since many of the products are used daily, it can lead to toxic build-up over time. These chemicals can cause allergies, they are known endocrine disrupters and they are toxic to the liver, kidney and lungs. 

DIBUTYL PHTHALATE (DBP)

DBP is used mainly in nail products as a solvent for dyes and as a plasticizer that prevents nail polishes from becoming brittle. Phthalates are also used as fragrance ingredients in many other cosmetics but you won’t find them listed on the label since fragrances are considered “trade secrets”. DBP is absorbed through the skin and It can enhance the capacity of other chemicals to cause genetic mutations, specifically in developmental defects, changes in the testes and prostate, and reduced sperm counts. Evidence has shown exposure to phthalates may cause health effects such as liver and kidney failure in young children when products containing phthalates are sucked or chewed for extended periods.

This list is not meant to scare, but to inform. In many countries across the globe, most of these chemicals are banned due to the potential for adverse health effects. Unfortunately, in the US, the cosmetic industry is loosely regulated and for some reason, these toxic chemicals are allowed to continue to be used in personal care products. Please keep in mind that just because something is “FDA approved” it doesn’t mean that it isn’t toxic or harmful.