By Sylvia Booth Hubbard
Cosmetics and other beauty products
are loaded with chemicals, many of which have been linked to numerous health
problems, including cancer. A survey by the Environmental Working Group (EWG)
found that the average American uses nine products every day that contain 126
unique ingredients, and a quarter of women apply 15 or more products daily.
That's a lot of chemicals that find their way into our bodies.
Most people don't think twice when using shampoo, toothpaste, body lotion, lip
balm, cosmetics, and other health and beauty products we're likely to use. But
they can — and do — contain dangerous ingredients that aren't overseen by the
government. According to the EWG, 10,500 unique chemical ingredients are used
in the manufacture of personal care products.
Some ingredients are suspected or known carcinogens, but regardless, the
government doesn't require health studies or pre-market testing of personal
care products. In fact, the FDA expects the cosmetics industry to regulate
itself, and during the past 40-odd years has only rejected 11 ingredients as
unsafe. In comparison. the European Union has banned hundreds of chemicals from
being used in cosmetics.
Many studies show that the chemicals from these products migrate into our
bodies. Some groups are more at risk than others. A study from the University
of Rochester found that prenatal exposure to chemicals called phthalates could
damage the reproductive organs of male babies. Other tests have found
phthalates in human urine, parabens in breast tumors, and components of
perfumes in human fat.
Teens girls could be especially at risk because they use more personal care
products than adult women, using an average of 17 each day with a total of 174
ingredients compared to the average adult woman's usage of 12. Also, the large
number of products containing damaging ingredients comes at a time when girls'
bodies are developing rapidly, and reproductive, immune, blood, and other
systems are maturing. Even more frightening, one study showed that 16 chemicals
were found in their blood and urine that have been linked to hormone disruption
and cancer.
According to the EWG, these chemicals should vanish from cosmetics:
• Phthalates. Phthalates are commonly used to soften plastic products,
but they're also used in some fragrances. They've been linked to reduced
testosterone and sperm quality in men and early puberty in girls as well as
reproductive abnormalities in baby boys. Since they don't have to be disclosed
as an ingredient, avoid them by buying unscented products.
• Parabens. Used as preservatives in some cosmetics, parabens are
hormone disrupters that can act as estrogens in the human body. One Harvard
study tied parabens to fertility problems in women. Avoid products containing
them by watching for the ingredients propylparaben, isopropylparaben, butylparaben
and isobutylparaben.
• Lead acetate. Lead is a powerful neurotoxin that can cause memory
problems and high blood pressure in adults. It's also a probable carcinogen,
and some men's hair dyes, such as "Grecian Formula" contain a version
of it called lead acetate. While the European Union and Canada have banned the
ingredient, our FDA allows its use.
• Triclosan and triclocarbon. These are chemicals used in toothpastes
(triclosan) and liquid hand soaps (triclocarbon) to kill bacteria. But studies
have shown they interfere with the thyroid as well as male and female hormones,
and many manufacturers have begun reformulating their products without
triclosan.
Labels that claim "antimicrobial protection" can contain triclosan,
and other manufacturers may replace it with a similar chemical called
triclocarban. A report by the FDA found that antibacterial soaps containing the
two ingredients weren't any more effective than washing with nonantibacterial
soap, but there was evidence they may pose health problems. Last May, the state
of Minnesota banned triclosan from soap beginning in 2017.
• Retinyl palmitate and retinoic acid. Retinyl palmitate is used in many
sunscreens, and retinoic acid is a common ingredient in anti-aging creams. Research
has found that both chemicals are easily absorbed by the skin, and studies show
that they spur the development of cancerous lesions of skin exposed to sun,
putting people at increased risk of skin cancer.
• Formaldehyde. Formaldehyde, which is considered a carcinogen, is used
as a preservative in many cosmetics. One study found that almost a fifth of all
cosmetic products contained a form of formaldehyde. It's also used in some hair
straighteners, and according to the EWG, they may contain as much as 10 percent
formaldehyde. Ingredients containing formaldehyde include DMDM hydantoin,
imidazolidinyl urea, diazolidinyl urea, and quaternium-15, and methylene
glycol.
The EWG has asked that the federal government set safety standards for cosmetic
and other personal care products. It has also asked for manufacturers to
reformulate products to remove potentially harmful ingredients.
