Unit 4: And What Should I Avoid?
'Dirty Dozen' COSMETIC chemicals to avoid are listed below; avoid them like the plague. Why? Well, some of the ingredients in beauty products aren't that pretty. 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, and to the environment.
Researchers surveyed most OTC products to see how many of the Dirty Dozen ingredients below appeared in their cosmetics, and their findings show that 80 percent of entered products contained at least one of these toxic chemicals. You can avoid harmful chemicals when you use our shopper's guide, and audit your bathroom cupboard using this list of harmful ingredients.
Assignment: Go throughout your house and read the ingredients of, well, everything - shampoos, conditioners, moisturizers, cosmetics, make-up, deodorants, detergents, and other household cleaners. Look for these chemicals and if found, dispose of the noxious product and replace, if necessary, with a healthier product.
1. BHA and BHT
Used mainly in moisturizers and makeup as preservatives. Suspected endocrine disruptors and may cause cancer (BHA). Harmful to fish and other wildlife.
2. Coal Tar Dyes
p-phenylenediamine and colours listed as "CI" followed by a five digit number
In addition to coal tar dyes, natural and inorganic pigments used in cosmetics are also assigned Colour Index numbers (in the 75000 and 77000 series, respectively). Look for p-phenylenediamine hair dyes and in other products colours listed as "CI" followed by five digits. The U.S. colour name may also be listed (e.g. "FD&C Blue No. 1" or "Blue 1"). Potential to cause cancer and may be contaminated with heavy metals toxic to the brain.
3. DEA-related ingredients
Used in creamy and foaming products, such as moisturizers and shampoos. Can react to form nitrosamines, which may cause cancer. Harmful to fish and other wildlife. Look also for related chemicals MEA and TEA.
4. Dibutyl phthalate
Used as a plasticizer in some nail care products. Suspected endocrine disruptors and reproductive toxicant. Harmful to fish and other wildlife.
5. Formaldehyde-releasing preservatives
Look for DMDM hydantoin, diazolidinyl urea, imidazolidinyl urea, methenamine and quaternium-15. Used in a variety of cosmetics. Slowly release small amounts of formaldehyde, which causes cancer.
6. Parabens
Used in a variety of cosmetics as preservatives. Suspected endocrine disruptors and may interfere with male reproductive functions.
7. Parfum (a.k.a. fragrance)
Any mixture of fragrance ingredients used in a variety of cosmetics — even in some products marketed as "unscented." Some fragrance ingredients can trigger allergies and asthma. Some linked to cancer and neurotoxicity. Some harmful to fish and other wildlife.
8. PEG compounds
Used in many cosmetic cream bases. Can be contaminated with 1,4-dioxane, which may cause cancer. Also for related chemical propylene glycol and other ingredients with the letters "eth" (e.g., polyethylene glycol).
9. Petrolatum
Used in some hair products for shine and as a moisture barrier in some lip balms, lip sticks and moisturizers. A petroleum product that can be contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which may cause cancer.
10. Siloxanes
Look for ingredients ending in "-siloxane" or "-methicone." Used in a variety of cosmetics to soften, smooth and moisten. Suspected endocrine disruptors and reproductive toxicant (cyclotetrasiloxane). Harmful to fish and other wildlife.
11. Sodium laureth sulfate
Used in foaming cosmetics, such as shampoos, cleansers and bubble bath. Can be contaminated with 1,4-dioxane, which may cause cancer. Look also for related chemical sodium lauryl sulfate and other ingredients with the letters "eth" (e.g., sodium laureth sulfate).
12. Triclosan
Used in antibacterial cosmetics, such as toothpastes, cleansers and antiperspirants. Suspected endocrine disruptor and may contribute to antibiotic resistance in bacteria. Harmful to fish and other wildlife.
13 (Baker’s Dozen). “Natural Ingredients”
Used in almost everything and can range from “natural” hormones to “natural” gluten and everything else you can, naturally, imagine.
And Consider This:
It’s been well-speculated and debated in the scientific community for decades, but it looks like the USA will likely soon be following suit with every other major country in the world banning Fluoride as a known carcinogen.
You heard that right: For decades, fluoride has been banned in almost every other country in the world, because of its link to cancers and other toxicity issues, but here is the USA we keep encouraging that we provide it to us and our children in “dental treatments” once or twice annually.
And now they speculate that the Fluoride they are putting in our water may also be causing cancers across the population and poor brain-development during pregnancy (https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2019/08/19/752376080/can-maternal-fluoride-consumption-during-pregnancy-lower-childrens-intelligence).
We recommend that you consider the following to lower your familial fluoride consumption:
FLUORIDE FREE WATER:
Try to invest into a reverse osmosis and whole house filtering system so you can skip this whole situation of perpetually purchasing bottled water. If you decide to purchase bottled water, we recommend Crystal Geyser. And we recommend both the AquaTru and Burkey end-user filtering systems.
FLUORIDE FREE TOOTHPASTE:
When it comes to household toothpaste we recommend Thieve’s Fluoride Free toothpaste by Young Living. Most fluoride-free toothpastes in your local grocery store will do just fine. Be sure to check the bottle thoroughly because not every bottle is fluoride-free.
Additional Resources:
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