| The majority of shampoos and other body care | | | | products. |
| products do not have their ingredients tested for | | | | The family of preservatives known as parabens, |
| safety before being used. According to the FDA | | | | which includes methyl-, ethyl-, propyl-, and butylparaben, |
| Office of Cosmetics and Colors, 1995, the "FDA | | | | has recently been identified as xenoestrogens which |
| cannot require companies to do safety testing of their | | | | mimic the sex hormone estrogen. They are widely |
| cosmetic products before marketing." It is unlikely that | | | | used in shampoos and cosmetics for adults as well as |
| individual applications of one product are causing | | | | children, even in many so-called "natural" products. |
| immediate harm, however, most of us use many | | | | However, Dr. S. Oishi of the Department of |
| products per day, such as shampoo, conditioner, | | | | Toxicology, Tokyo metropolitan Research laboratory |
| make-up, skin care like facial cleanser, moisturizers, etc., | | | | of Public Health, Japan, reported that the daily sperm |
| and all these exposures may add up. | | | | production in lab tests of animals was significantly |
| Did you know that pharmaceutical companies have | | | | lower in those receiving a dose of parabens that is |
| investigated putting drugs into shampoos because the | | | | "similar to the lower level of acceptable daily intake for |
| scalp is so thin that it readily absorbs substances that | | | | parabens in the European Community and in Japan." |
| are put on it? Many other personal care products are | | | | Diethanolamine (DEA) is often used as a foaming |
| put on our skin and stay there and are absorbed all | | | | agent and emulsifier in shampoos. However, a federal |
| day long. Do you ever wonder about their safety? | | | | National Toxicology Program completed a study in |
| According to the Environmental Working Group, in the | | | | 1998 that found an association between cancer in lab |
| United States, the FDA has banned or restricted nine | | | | animals and the topical application of DEA and other |
| (9) ingredients out of 1,175 that are used in personal | | | | DEA-related ingredients. DEA can also lead to the |
| care products. The European Union, in contrast, has | | | | formation of nitrosamines, which are known |
| banned 450 ingredients for use in cosmetics. Hmm! | | | | carcinogens. In response, many manufacturers |
| Some further food for thought: Cancer rates are now | | | | switched to cocamide MEA. However, the FDA says |
| approaching 1 in 2 American men and 1 in 3 American | | | | that cocomide MEA is one "of the most commonly |
| women. This is up from 1 in 4 Americans in the 1950s | | | | used ingredients that may contain DEA." Other |
| despite huge expenditures on the "War on Cancer." Dr. | | | | ingredients that include other types of MEA or TEA |
| Samuel Epstein from the University of Illinois says that | | | | may also contain DEA. |
| cancer rates have gone up about 60% from 1950 to | | | | Polyethylene glycol (PEG), including PEG-6, PEG-150 |
| 1998. A lot of us think that these rising cancer rates | | | | and other similar ingredients can be found in shampoos, |
| are at least in part due to our increasing exposure to | | | | lotions and other personal care products. However, a |
| carcinogenic chemicals, often in small amounts that | | | | report in the International Journal of Toxicology |
| accumulate in our bodies over time. These come from | | | | routinely found many impurities in PEG, including |
| our food, our air and water, household furnishings and | | | | ethylene oxide and 1,4-Dioxane. Ethylene oxide |
| building materials, cleaning products and personal care | | | | increases the risk of uterine, breast and other cancers. |
| products. | | | | 1,4-Dioxane is a suspected human carcinogen. Testing |
| Commonly Used Chemicals in Personal Care Products | | | | commissioned by the Doctors' Prescription for Health |
| That May Be Toxic: | | | | Living showed that around 50 percent of personal |
| Artificial fragrances are derived in large part from | | | | care products with PEG contain significant amounts of |
| petrochemicals, not flower essences or other herbal | | | | 1.4-dioxane. PEG is also found in some "natural" body |
| products as many imagine. These petrochemicals | | | | care products. |
| release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that often | | | | High Quality Natural Body Care Products |
| cause headaches, skin irritation, nausea and allergies. | | | | If you are serious about reducing the amount of |
| Some are carcinogenic, contain or release | | | | chemicals you are exposed to on a day to day basis, |
| formaldehyde or are toxic to the nervous system. | | | | you need to search out truly natural body care |
| Many artificial fragrances contain phthalates, which are | | | | products that are free of the above mentioned |
| linked to birth defects in the male reproductive system. | | | | chemicals, as well as other toxins and carcinogens. A |
| Phthalates were found in a 2002 study by a coalition | | | | good place to start is to go to a health food store |
| of environmental and public health organizations in | | | | either online or a physical store, and make sure and |
| deodorants, fragrances, body lotions, hair gels, | | | | read all the ingredients on the labels. Many products |
| mousses and sprays. Artificial fragrances in general | | | | that call themselves "natural" contain questionable |
| are found in many cosmetic and personal care | | | | ingredients that you will be absorbing on a daily basis. |