Just because it’s on a store shelf, doesn’t mean it is safe

It will most probably disturb you greatly to know that:

• Fifty four percent of the personal care products violate safety recommendations.
• Nearly 70% of all products reviewed were found to have products tainted with impurities that may be linked to cancer and other health problems.

Top 3 Toxic Ingredient Culprits 

1. Endocrine disruptors – any substance that could alter your natural hormones
2. Phthalates – plasticizing ingredients that have been linked to birth defects and low sperm count in men
3. Parabens – substances in personal care products like shampoos, soaps and underarm deodorants that mimic estrogen.

• Endocrine Disruptors:    ”Endocrine disruptors are chemicals that may interfere with the body’s endocrine system and produce adverse developmental, reproductive, neurological, and immune effects in both humans and wildlife. A wide range of substances, both natural and man-made, are thought to cause endocrine disruption, including pharmaceuticals, dioxin and dioxin-like compounds, polychlorinated biphenyls, DDT and other pesticides, and plasticizers such as bisphenol A.”  (U.S. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences)  Toxipedia Endocrine Disruptors
• Phthalates:    ”Phthalates are a class of high-volume chemicals that are ubiquitous in the environment. They are Plasticizers that, when added to plastics, impart a softening characteristic lending flexibility to the plastic. Phthalates are used as plasticizing agents to make rigid plastics into flexible vinyl.  These water-insoluble, synthetic organic chemicals are usually added to polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastics and have a wide expanse of uses, including in many common household items, cosmetics, and medical devices. As phthalates are not chemically bound to the plastics in which they are used, they can leach out into the environment.   Human exposure to phthalates begins in utero, and some levels of exposure are nearly unavoidable. Each year, more than 18 billion pounds of phthalates are used worldwide.”  Toxipedia.   “Fetal and infant exposures are of special concern because some phthalates are considered developmental toxicants. Phthalates cross the placental barrier and are excreted in breast milk. Premature infants undergoing hospitalization are exposed to phthalates through medical devices as i.v. tubes, which contain high levels of phthalates. (Matsumoto 2008, Younglai 2007).

In laboratory animals, phthalates and their metabolites produce reproductive and developmental toxicities.   Major toxic effects include:  Testicular effects, Reduced anogenital distance in males, Embryolethality, Fetal malformations such as cleft palate, Abnormal sexual differentiation

• Parabens:  Parabens are found in nearly all urine samples fromU.S.adults of a variety of ethnic, socioeconomic and geographic backgrounds.  EWG’s Skin Deep database, which compares cosmetic ingredients to over 50 international toxicity databases, indicates that parabens are linked to cancer, endocrine disruption, reproductive toxicity, immunotoxicity, neurotoxicity and skin irritation (v). Since parabens are used to kill bacteria in water-based solutions, they inherently have some toxicity to cells.   A 2004UKstudy detected traces of five parabens in the breast cancer tumors of 19 out of 20 women studied (vii). This small study does not prove a causal relationship between parabens and breast cancer, but it is important because it detected the presence of intact parabens – unaltered by the body’s metabolism – which is an indication of the chemicals’ ability to penetrate skin and remain in breast tissue.  Of greatest concern is that parabens are known to disrupt hormone function, an effect that is linked to increased risk of breast cancer and reproductive toxicity. Parabens mimic estrogen by binding to estrogen receptors on cells. They also increase the expression of genes usually regulated by estradiol (a form of estrogen); these genes cause human breast tumor cells to grow and multiply in cellular studies.  http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/

WASHINGTON, July 14, 2005 (Reuters)

“If ever we had proof that our nation’s pollution laws aren’t working, it’s reading the list of industrial chemicals in the bodies of babies who have not yet lived outside the womb,” Slaughter, a Democrat, said.

“Cord blood reflects what the mother passes to the baby through the placenta.”

“Of the 287 chemicals we detected in umbilical cord blood, we know that 180 cause cancer in humans or animals, 217 are toxic to the brain and nervous system, and 208 cause birth defects or abnormal development in animal tests,” the report said.

“Blood tests did not show how the chemicals got into the mothers’ bodies.”

By law, the ingredients in the fragrance portion of products do not have to be revealed on product labels.

We generally perceive scented products as pleasant; a harmless means of self-expression and certainly not a significant health concern, yet many of them very much are a major health concern.  We have created a world some would call a toxic minefield.  How can you safely navigate around all these chemicals?  First, become educated as to what is in your products, and what those ingredients really are…. toxic!

List of the 59 Most Toxic Ingredients in Cosmetics

I have complied a list for you of some of the worst offenders in the arena of toxic chemicals found in ingredients of products we all use daily. You may want to compare the products you have in your home right now against this toxic ingredient list. Each item on the list is linked to a MSDS, or Material Safety Data Sheet database and contains additional information on the hazards of these ingredients.

1. 1,4-dioxane
2. 2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol (Bronopol)
3. Alcohol, Isopropyl (SD-40)
4. Ammonium Laureth Sulfate (ALES) 
5. Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate (ALS) 
6. Anionic Surfactants 
7. Benzalkonium Chloride 
8. Butylated Hudroxyanisole (BHA)
9. Butylated Hydroxytoluene (BHT) 
10. Cationic surfactants
11. Cetalkonium chloride
12. Cetrimonium chloride 
13. Chloromethylisothiazolinone 
14. Isothiazolinone
15. Cocoamidopropyl Betaine
16. Cocoyl Sarcosine 
17. Cyclomethicone
18. DEA (diethanolamine), MEA (Monoethanolamine), & TEA (triethanolamine) 
19. Diazolidinyl urea
20. Dimethicone 
21. Dimethicone Copolyol
22. Disodium Dioctyl Sulfosuccinate
23. Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate
24. Disodium Oleamide Sulfosuccinate
25. DMDM Hydantoin
26. Ethoxylated surfactants 
27. FD&C Colour Pigments
28. Formaldehyde
29. Fragrance
30. Hydrolysed Animal Protein
31. Imidazolidinyl urea
32. Lanolin 
33. Lauryl dimonium hydrolysed collagen
34. Lauryl or Cocoyl Sarcosine
35. Lauryl Sarcosine 
36. Liquidum Paraffinum
37. MEA compounds
38. Methylisothiazolinone and Methylchloroisothiazolinone
39. Mineral Oil 
40. Nitrosating Agents 
41. Paraben preservatives (methyl, propyl, butyl, and ethyl)
42. Paraffin wax/oil 
43. Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) compounds
44. Potassium Coco Hydrolysed Collagen
45. Propylene/Butylene Glycol
46. PVP/VA Copolymer
47. Quaternium-7, 15, 31, 60, etc
48. Rancid Natural Emollients
49. Silicone derived emollients 
50. Sodium Cocoyl Sarcosinate
51. Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES) Ammonium Laureth Sulfate (ALES)
52. Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate
53. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate (ALS)
54. Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
55. Stearalkonium Chloride
56. Talc 
57. TEA (Triethanolamine) Laureth Sulfate
58. TEA compounds
59. Toluene

Although there are 59 commonly used cosmetic chemicals on this list, this list is by no means inclusive.  Every day more chemicals are going into the products we use on our body, even though the EPA has labeled them as toxic and not for human consumption.  Please check your products often, as formulas can change with no notice to you.

Further information on Multiple Chemical Sensitivity

See my series of articles on common household toxins, and toxic air fresheners

This article is intended for informational purposes only.  It is not intended to diagnose or treat any medical condition.

~~ THERE IS NO PRICE ON HUMAN LIFE AND HEALTH ~~

~~ BECOME AN EDUCATED CONSUMER ~~

~~ READ LABELS, ASK QUESTIONS ~~

~~ DON’T USE OTC CLEANING PRODUCTS THAT DON’T LIST WHICH TOXIC CHEMICALS SPECIFICALLY ARE IN IT ~~

~~ DON’T TAKE “NO” FOR AN ANSWER IF YOU FEEL SICK ~~

~~~ Get the wisdom to know the truth ~~~

~~~ Live chemical free ~~~