Chemicals in your Cosmetics

CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE

By Baan Al-Shalchi

As women we start experimenting with different cosmetics from a very young age and continue to use many products in attempts to revive our younger looking selves. However, all this “stuff” we put onto our faces and bodies leads to allergies, eczema, cancer and endocrine (i.e. hormone/metabolic system) disruption. Mascara, anti-aging creams, sun screens, eye shadows and deodorants all contain a cocktail of chemicals that can harm your health. Your daily routine from showering with a fragranced shower gel to applying your moisturizer and make-up involves the use of more than 300 chemicals a day. The North American woman uses between 10-12 cosmetic and personal care products every day. While their daughters aged 14-19 use around 17 products daily (Sutton, 2008). The combination of different products allows for a mélange of chemicals to pass through and sometimes settle in our lungs, bloodstream and tissues.

Health Canada does not require companies to perform “patch-tests” on individuals before they launch a new product. Even if allergy tests were conducted in their laboratories, cosmetic companies do not need to show Health Canada the results. Many products produce a rash, flaking of the skin and itching, yet they still stock up your local drugstore shelves.

Cosmetics and your health

A single spritz of your perfume releases its custom “fragrance”; which contains more than 100 different chemicals (Bickers et al., 2003). You won’t find all the chemicals in a perfume listed on a bottle because cosmetic companies are not required to provide a detailed list of all the chemicals used to create a fragrance due to “trade secrets” (Steinmann, 2008).

Fragranced products aggravate those with asthma and can also be the cause of asthma, recurring headaches as well as allergic reactions such as rashes and eczema. Buying “scent –free” cosmetics does not mean that you are cutting down on the chemicals in your cosmetics. Shockingly, “unscented” products are not always free of “fragrance”. This is because chemists mix in a “masking fragrance” in order to hide its scent (Steinmann, 2008).

Cosmetic products such as: skin lotion, bronzer, blush, mascara, lipstick, eye liner and deodorants all contain Parabens. Parabens are so widely used in cosmetic industry because they act to prevent microbial growths within products, resulting in a longer shelf life. Often times two forms of this chemical, methyl and propyl-paraben, are used together in a product in order to increase its preservative strengths. The problem with parabens is that once they are absorbed through the skin, they remain intact and linger in breast tissue. Parabens mimic estrogen activity and are linked to breast cancer as well as hormone disruption and male reproductive disorders.  Although many cosmetic companies try to dismiss the suggestion that underarm cosmetics are linked to breast cancer, it is still a concern.

Ptahlates are found in anti-aging products, moisturizers, lip balms, hair gels, nail polish and perfumes. Scientific studies have found that persistent and long-term exposure to phthalates lead to:

• breast cancer
• pre-mature sexual development in girls
• weight gain in women
• uterine fibroids
• cause pre-term births
• reduce male fertility during fetal exposure

Formaldehyde is used in hair sprays, facial creams, hair dyes, nail polish and perfumes. For instance, hair dyes are made up of many different formaldehyde- releasing chemicals. The compounds used in hair dyes cause bladder cancer, acute leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma (D. Belpomme et al, 2007). Furthermore, formaldehydes cause skin rashes, eczema and lung irritations.

It is important to note that we are not born chemical free, as fetuses in the womb we are exposed to many chemicals and continue to pollute our bodies throughout our lifetime. In a 2009 study conducted by the Environmental Working Group, approximately 358 different chemicals were detected in the cord blood of infants in the United States (EWG-report, 2009).  Shockingly, carcinogens and hormone disruptors were found residing in the cord blood of the infants tested. Some of the chemicals found include: Bispehnol A, Lead , Mercury, Brominated Fire retardants, Perchlorate and Polycylicmusks.

What you can do?

Read labels carefully and avoid the chemicals listed in the table

Choose one moisturizer that you can use on your feet, hands and body, limiting the number of products you use.

If you are pregnant or planning on having a baby, avoid wearing perfume and dying your hair with harsh chemicals.

Be sceptical of products claiming to be:

• “all natural”
• “organic”
• “pure”
• “fragrance free”
• “gentle and safe”

Do not share your make-up or moisturizer with anybody else to avoid transfer of bacterial growths.

Visit the skin deep webpage to search for information on your favorite product (http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/).

Download our poster

Download this backgrounder in PDF format

References:

1. Darbre, P.D. Underarm Cosmetics and Breast Cancer.  Review Article for the Journal of Applied Toxicology. 23, 89-95 (2003)  DOI: 10.1002/jat.899

2. Komori, S et al. Case Report: A long-term user of cosmetic cream containing estrogen developed breast cancer and endometrial hyperplasia. Menopause: The Journal of the North American Menopause Society. Vol. 15, No. 6, pp. 1191/1192

3. Daughton, C. and Ternes, T. Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products in the Environment: Agents of Subtle Change? Environmental Health Prospective. Vol. 107. Supplement 6, December 1999.

4. Darbre, P. and Harvey, P. Paraben esters: review of recent studies of endocrine toxicity , absorption, esterase,  and human exposure , and discussion of potential human health risks. Journal of Applied Toxicology. 28: 561-578. April 2008DOI: 10.1002/jat.1358

5. Va’zquez, G. and Redondo, F. and Toribio, J.  Allergic Contact eczema / dermatitis  from cosmetics.  Allergy Net. November 2002

6. Belpomme, D. et al The multitude and diversity of environmental carcinogens. Environmental Research. 105 (2007) 414-429. July 2007

7. El Hussein, S. et al. Assessment of principal parabens used in cosmetics after their passage through human epidermis- dermis layers (ex-vivo study).  Experimental Dermatology 2007; 16: 830–836.

8. Boberg, J. et al. Possible endocrine disrupting effects of parabens and their metabolites. Reproductive Toxicology 30 (2010) 301–312

9. Draelos, Z. Active Agents in Common Skin Care Products. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. February 2010. DOI: 10.1097/PRS.0b013e3181c83192

10. Crinnion, W. Toxic Effects of the Easily Avoidable Pthalates and Parabens. Environmental Medicine-Alternative Medicine Review. Volume 15, Number 3 pp.190-196

11. Potera, C. Pthalate Linked to Lupus in Mice. Environmental Health Perspectives. Environmental Health Perspectives. Vol. 113, No. 12 (Dec., 2005), p. A809

12. Api, A. Toxicological profile of diethyl phthalates: a vehicle for fragrance and cosmetic ingredients. Food and Chemical Toxicology. 39 (2001) 97-108.

13. Steinmann, A. Fragranced consumer products and undisclosed ingredients. Environmental Impact Assessment Review. 29 (2009) 32–38

14. Quach, T. et al. A preliminary Survey of Vietnamese Nail Salon Workers in Alameda County , California. J Community Health (2008) 33:336–343

15. Bonner M, Wristen KG. The National Sewage Report Card(Number Two): Rating the Treatment Methods and Discharges of 21 Canadian Cities. Sierra Legal Defence Fund Report. August 1999. Sierra Legal Defence Fund, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Available: http.//www.sierralegal.org/reports.htm

16. Sutton, R. 2008 Adolescent exposures to cosmetic chemicals of concern. Environmental Working Group. http://www.ewg.org/reports/teens

17. EWG-report. 2009. Pollution in People: Cord Blood Contaminants in Minority Newborns. http://www.ewg.org/files/2009-Minority-Cord-Blood-Report.pdf