Blog

It is often hard to know these days which products are good for us and which are not. It takes a lot of time and research to find out about many of the ingredients listed in body products and it seems like you need a PH.d in chemistry to understand what they are. Cosmetics Data Base is Environmental Working Group's Cosmetic Saftey Database. It is a place to check out information on many beauty and body products. This is a group that evaluates the saftey of the ingredients of products, rates them and posts them in their data base  providing you with information to make healthy product choices. Have a look at their website (cosmeticdatabase.com). I was quite surprised about many of the products I have been using.

 I have included here some basic information found on their frequently asked question pages.

 Q. Doesn’t the government certify that personal care products are safe and healthy before they can be sold to consumers?

A. No. Major loopholes in federal law allow the $50 billion cosmetics industry to put unlimited amounts of chemicals into personal care products with no required testing, no required monitoring of health effects, and  inadequate labeling requirements.

Neither cosmetic products nor cosmetic ingredients are reviewed or approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) before they are sold to the public.  FDA cannot require companies to do safety testing of their cosmetic products before marketing.

Q. Is the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics saying that my lipstick or my deodorant can give me cancer?

A. No, we’re not. The chemicals present in any one cosmetic product are unlikely to cause harm. But none of us use just one product. Think about how many products you use in a single day—from toothpaste to soap, shampoo, hair conditioner, deodorant, body lotion, shaving products and makeup—and how many products you use in a year, and over a lifetime. Small amounts of toxic chemicals add up and can accumulate in our bodies through cosmetic use and through other chemical exposures in food, water and air. Chemicals linked to cancer and birth defects do not belong in personal care products, period.

Q. What are phthalates?  Where are they found?

A. Phthalates (pronounced THA-lates) are plasticizing chemicals that are probable human reproductive or developmental toxins and endocrine disruptors. Phthalates cause reproductive birth defects in laboratory animals, particularly males.

Two phthalates often used in cosmetics (dibutyl and diethylhexyl) have been banned in the European Union. Unfortunately, phthalates are still found in some nail polishes and hair sprays, and are commonly hidden on ingredient labels under the term “fragrance.”  We recommend that consumers steer clear of products with fragrance, especially pregnant women, babies and pubescent young adults.

For more information, please read our report Not Too Pretty (2002).

Q. I’ve been reading a lot about parabens and companies going “paraben-free.” What does that mean?

A. Parabens are a group of compounds widely used as anti-microbial preservatives in food, pharmaceutical and cosmetics products, including underarm deodorants. Parabens are absorbed through intact skin and from the gastrointestinal tract and blood. U.K. researchers found measurable concentrations of six different parabens in 20 human breast tumors. The study highlights the need for more research on the potential link between products containing parabens and increased breast cancer risk.

Many companies, including Compact signers, have begun phasing out parabens from their lines by marking their products as “paraben-free.” Parabens are commonly listed on product ingredient labels as methylparaben, propylparaben, ethylparaben and butylparaben.

Q: Are parabens among the list of chemicals that Compact signers do not use?

A: Companies that sign the Compact for Safe Cosmetics must demonstrate compliance with the European Union (EU) directive on personal care products. While the EU directive is far more comprehensive than what we have here in the United States, it does not ban parabens and many other potentially harmful ingredients. So, while the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics would like to see paraben-free products, and a lot of our Compact Signers are headed in that direction, a company that has signed the Compact isn't necessarily a company that is paraben-free.

Q:  What is 1,4-Dioxane? How can I avoid it?

A: 1,4-Dioxane is a petroleum-derived carcinogenic compound that is used intentionally in dry cleaning solvents, lacquers and automotive coolant. 1,4-Dioxane also shows up in personal care products because it is the byproduct of some chemical ingredient manufacturing processes, including the process by which sodium lauryl sulfate becomes sodium laureth sulfate.

Independent lab results released in February 2007 revealed 1,4-Dioxane contamination in kids’ bath products, as well as some adult products. 1,4-Dioxane is a known animal carcinogen and probable human carcinogen as well as a skin and lung irritant. It is strongly suspected to be toxic to the kidneys and nervous system. It also appears on California’s Proposition 65 list of substances known to cause cancer or birth defects.

Although 1,4-Dioxane can be vacuumed-stripped out of personal care products for pennies, this step is often not taken by manufacturers. And because it shows up in many sudsing products, an individual may be exposed multiple times each day through different products.

Since it is an impurity, not an intentional ingredient, 1,4-Dioxane does not appear on ingredient labels. For consumers, that means having to go one step further to avoid any products containing petrochemical ingredients that often come along with 1,4-Dioxane contamination. These include the ingredients or partial ingredient names: “PEG,” “polyethylene,” “polyethylene glycol,” “polyoxyethylene,” “-eth-” (such as sodium laureth sulfate), “oxynol” "ceteareth" or "oleth."

An easier way is to use the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep database. Use the "shopping requirements" feature of the advanced search to limit your results to products that do not contain known impurities, including 1,4-Dioxane.