The problem with Skin care products: (Information extracted from www.grinningplanet.com)
According to the US agency that regulates cosmetics—the FDA's Office of Cosmetics and Colors—"a cosmetic manufacturer may use almost any raw material as a cosmetic ingredient and market the product without an approval from the FDA". Testing of product ingredients is not only controlled by the manufacturers but is also voluntary. Not surprisingly then, many ingredients in cosmetics, skin care products, and other personal-care products are not tested for safety at all, and most have not been evaluated for safety by the FDA. This means that companies can market ingredients that are known to pose potentially serious health risks, including some found in moisturizers.
Once believed to be a barrier, we now know that skin is permeable and that ingredients used in skin care products can be absorbed. These include irritants; possible and known carcinogens; and ingredients that may be hormone disruptors .
Artificial Colors
Moisturizers with artificial colors present a particular hazard in skin care products. FD&C Blue 1 and FD&C Green 3 are carcinogenic, and D&C Red 33, FD&C Yellow 5, and FC&C Yellow 6 have been shown to cause cancer when applied to the skin. Some artificial coal-tar colors contain heavy-metal impurities, including arsenic and lead, which are carcinogenic (and toxic in other ways as well). Since moisturizers lie on large areas of the skin for extended periods of time, exposures are increased.
Fragrance
Phthalates, a family of chemical plasticizers that are used in personal care products to moisturize skin and as a solvent, are almost synonymous with fragrance. Phthalates have been shown to cause birth defects, reproductive impairments, and liver damage in lab animals. Manufacturers are not required to list the ingredients used in "fragrance," but common ingredients also include methylene chloride, toluene, methyl ethyl ketone, methyl isobutyl ketone, ethyl alcohol and benzyl chloride, all of which are hazardous. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, fragrance is the number one cause of allergic reactions in cosmetics. Look for "fragrance-free" skin care products or ones scented with essential oils.
Preservatives: Parabens and Formaldehyde
Preservatives used in skin care products ensure that the products do not become contaminated with bacteria; however, consumers should note the choice of preservatives, since many can have adverse effects. Parabens, including methyl-, butyl-, ethyl-, and propyl-, often cause skin irritation, and there is concern that parabens may be linked to the development of breast cancer. According to study published in 2004 in the Journal of Applied Toxicology, parabens have been found in tissue samples from human breast tumors.
Some preservatives release small amounts of formaldehyde, which the EPA classifies as a probable human carcinogen. Avoid the following ingredients, all of which contain formaldehyde, release formaldehyde, or break down into formaldehyde:
- bronopol (often listed as 2-brono-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol);
- diazolidinyl urea;
- DMDM hydantion;
- imidazolidinyl urea;
- quaternium 15.
Glycols
Derived from hydrocarbons, glycols are often used as humectants in moisturizers. The glycol family includes:
- propylene glycol;
- glycerin;
- ethylene glycol;
- carbitol;
- diethylene glycol.
The FDA warns that glycols can cause adverse reactions in users. A Consumer's Dictionary of Cosmetic Ingredients warns that "ethylene glycol, carbitol, and diethylene glycol are hazardous in concentrations exceeding 5%, even in preparations for use on small areas of the body" and advises that in sunscreens and lotions, which are applied all over the body, they not be used at all.
Glycol ethers are often used as solvents in cosmetics. Some glycols can affect the reproductive system or cause birth defects, and overexposure can result in kidney damage and liver abnormalities. Glycols may also cause contact dermatitis. Avoid the following: EGPE, EGME, EGEE, DEGBE, PGME, DPGME; and those with methyl in their names
Hypoallergenic
(also Dermatologist Tested, Allergy Tested, Non-Irritating)
For consumers with sensitive skin, moisturizers with any of these labels may seem like the safest option, but claims that these products produce fewer allergic reactions are unfounded. The FDA warns, "there are no federal standards or definitions that govern the use of the term 'hypoallergenic'. The term means whatever a particular company wants it to mean." There are no organizations behind these claims, and manufacturers are not required to provide evidence that these products do, in fact, produce fewer allergic reactions. The FDA also cautions that nearly all cosmetic products will cause an allergic reaction in some sensitive individuals.