How can you tell if you are using non toxic skin care or personal care products?Below are the top harmful ingredients found in personal care products. Look below to see if any of these harmful or carcinogenic ingredients are in your skin care products:
Phthalates: Found in 72% of all personal care products, often listed as "fragrance". This harmful toxin is used so widely that one million tons are produced each year. Yet phthalates are known to cause birth defects and reproductive mutations, particularly in males. Phthalates disrupt the production of testosterone critical for the masculinization of the male species which results in low sperm counts, testicular atrophy and possibly testicular cancer, undescended testicles and birth defects such as hypospadias, where the opening of the urethra occurs on the underside of the penis. Phthalates also mimic estrogen which may affect breast tissue, causing breast cancer in women. Phthalates have been banned in the European Union but are still allowed in American cosmetics and skin care products. Pregnant women should avoid it in nail polish ("dibutyl phathalate") and everyone should avoid products with "fragrance" on the label, chemical mixtures where phthalates often hide.These can cause infertility.
Diethanolamine (DEA),Triethanolamine (TEA) and Monoethanolanine (MEA): Found in moisturizers, shaving cream, shampoo, body washes and bubble bath. They are hormone disrupting chemicals that can form cancer-causing nitrates. Dr Samuel Epstein (Professor of Environmental Health at the Univ. of Illinois) says that repeated application of DEA-based detergents result is major increase in liver and kidney cancer.
Sodium Laural Sulphate (SLS) & Sodium Laureth Sulphate: Found in 90% of products that foam such as shaving foam, hair mousse and foam bath products. Animals exposed to SLS experience eye damage, depression, labored breathing, diarrhea, severe skin irritations, and even death. Young eyes may not develop properly if exposed to SLS. May damage skin's immune system. Can be transformed into nitrosamines, a potent class of carcinogens. Your body may retain SLS for up to five days and maintain residual levels in the heart, liver, lungs and brain. It is also common source of children eczema and skin irritation, and when found in toothpaste, it may be related to mouth ulcers.
Polyethylene and Propylene Glycol is a chemical found in personal care products that acts as a penetration enhancer that keeps products from melting in heat and/or freezing when it is cold. It is considered a carcinogenic petroleum ingredients that reduce skin's natural moisture. It is like anti freeze for your car radiator.You will find this in many every day personal care products such as shampoo, conditioner, soap, acne treatment, moisturizer, hand sanitizers and shaving creams as a thickening agent, toothpaste, deodorant, nail polish, mascara;
basically anything you could possibly use on your body, propylene glycol is in it. But why should you avoid propylene glycol?
it alters the skin structure by allowing chemicals to penetrate deep under the skin while increasing their ability to reach the blood stream. Now this will not be such a good thing for optimal health especially not for your liver, if the product you use contains other toxic or carcinogenic ingredients.
Propylene Glycol has been shown to contribute to cancer, developmental/reproductive issues, allergies/immunotoxicity, neurotoxicity and endocrine disruption.
It has been found to provoke skin irritation and sensitization in humans as low as 2% concentration. It is found in Jergens Natural moisturizing product and in many other product but if you most use a natural product containing many herbal ingredient and propylene glycol i recommend reducing your usage. Propylene Glycol is also identified under these other names 1,2-Dihydroxypropane; 2-Hydroxypropanol; Methylethy Glycol; 1,2-Propanediol; Propane-1,2-Diol.
Isopropyl Alcohol (SD-40): Found in toners, moisturizers and cosmetics. Is a drying, irritating solvent that strips skin's moisture and immune barriers, making you vulnerable to bacteria and viruses. Made from petroleum derivatives found in shellac and antifreeze. May promote brown spots and skin premature aging. The Consumer Dictionary of Cosmetic Ingredients says it is an eye and respiratory irritant, which may cause headaches, flushing, dizziness, mental depression, nausea, vomiting and coma. Fatal ingested dose is one ounce or less. Benzyl Alcohol, found in many skin care products is also a severe eye and respiratory irritant.
Mineral Oil: Petroleum by-product that coats the skin like plastic, clogging the pores. Interferes with skin's ability to eliminate toxins, promoting acne and other disorders. Slows down skin function and cell development, resulting in premature aging. Used in many products (baby oil is 100% mineral oil!) Any mineral oil derivative can be contaminated with cancer causing PAH's (Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons). Manufacturers use petrolatum because it is unbelievably cheap.
Quaternary Ammonium Compounds (Quats): chemical preservatives which may be a primary cause of contact dermatitis. They will be listed as benzalkonium chloride, cetrimonium bromide, quaternium-15, and quaternium 1-29.
Formaldehyde-Producing Preservatives: (hydantoin, imidazolidinyl urea, and diazolidinyl urea): These preservatives can become formaldehyde donors, in that they release small amounts of formaldehyde into the skin which can become cellular toxins. Formaldehyde can cause many health issues including joint discomfort, chest pains, and chronic fatigue.
Silicone Derived Emollients: chemicals that coat your skin like plastic wrap-and even worse, can accumulate in your liver and lymph nodes, which can promote tumor growth. These emollients include dimethicone, dimethicone copolyol, and cyclomethicone.
Paraaminobenzoic acid (PABA): found in sunscreens and skin ointments such as for dermatomyositis. Has been associated with liver problems and anorexia. May cause breathing problems, tightness in throat or chest, chest pain, skin hives, rash, or itchy or swollen skin, upset stomach or fever. Vitiligos (patches of white skin) have also been reported with using PABA.
Mercury: Known to damage brain function at low levels, it may be listed as the mercury preservative "thimerosal." If you get a little bit of mascara in your eyes or face when it clumps or as you wash it off, you may also be getting a little dose of mercury.Eye drops may contain mercury, check ingredients before you use.
Lead: When scientists recognized that lead harms the developing brain of a child, the government demanded its removal from gasoline and house paint — but not from hair dyes. Lead is a known carcinogen and neurotoxin. Can be found in dark colored hair dyes.
Nanoparticles: This ingredient can slide up the optic nerve to the brain or burrow inside red blood cells. They're found in cosmetics in forms ranging from tiny wire cages called "buckeyballs" to minisculenano forms. Found in some sunscreens and skin creams. It is displayed as a green and sexy makeup product ingredient, beware when buying!Other names used for nanoparticles is "Nanometals" , "Buckeyballs".
Hydroquinone skin lightener: This skin bleaching chemical can cause a skin disease called ochronosis, with "disfiguring and irreversible" blue-black lesions that in the worst cases become permanent, intensively black bumps the size of caviar all over the skin.
Fragrance: It may smell great, but do you know what's in it? Fragrances are the great secrets of the cosmetics industry, in everything from shampoo to deodorant to lotion, and falling straight into a giant loophole in federal law that doesn't require companies to list on product labels any of the potentially hundreds of chemicals in a single product's secret fragrance mixture. Fragrances can contain neurotoxin and are among the top 5 allergens in the world. It is best to buy fragrance free products.
Petroleum byproducts: These ingredients are carcinogens. It is usually found in baby shampoo (and petrochemical waste called coal tar in scalp treatment shampoos.
Animal extracts: 1. mink and emu oil found in conditioning agents in sunscreen, shaving cream, hair spray and more. If you're a vegan or toxic free activist like me you would want to avoid this one. 2.Placenta are vital to a growing baby in the womb however, some cosmetic companies has a way of implementing extracts from human and animal (cow) placenta into cosmetic products used for conditioning the hair and skin. It contains hormones that may disrupt the body's normal functions and cause it to develop tumors or breast growth.
We are occssionally updating this list; stay in touch.
Environmental working group research database
1 comments :
Aloe Vera gels are good for soothing the skin, but you need to choose non-toxic products.
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