The Ugly Side of Beauty Products

Would you eat oven cleaner or slurp down a glass of antifreeze? Of course not! But you may be ingesting some of the most harmful and potentially fatal ingredients of those substances every day without realizing it.

Anything that is applied to the skin – such as moisturizers, lipsticks, deodorants, and other cosmetics– is absorbed into the body just as if you’d eaten it. Many, perhaps most, of the commercially marketed beauty products contain dozens of toxic chemicals.

If you think government regulations protect the consumer from these poisons, think again! The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not require safety testing of cosmetics and personal care products. According to the FDA, “Neither cosmetic products nor cosmetic ingredients are reviewed or approved by FDA before they are sold to the public.”

There are literally thousands of toxic chemicals in the products we use to keep ourselves youthful and beautiful. A mere handful of these are listed below. Check this list against the ingredients in the products you use every day to see how much danger lurks in your home.

Ingredients to avoid and why

• Diazolidinyl Urea

Dangers: possible carcinogen; aggravates asthma and allergies; the American Academy of Dermatology has determined that Diazolidiynl urea is a primary cause of contact dermatitis

Found in: skin and hair products, antiperspirants, nail polish

• Diethanolamine (DEA) Highly Toxic

Dangers: causes skin irritation and is a possible carcinogen; especially risky for small children.

Found in: A solvent often found in degreasers and antifreeze; also found in liquid soaps and shampoos, as well as hair color and some moisturizers.

• Dimethylamine Highly Toxic – Banned for use in personal care products in Europe

Dangers: Known carcinogen; skin and respiratory irritation;

Found in: pesticides, soaps, hair color, conditioners

• Formaldehyde, aka DMDM hydantoin, formalin

Dangers: known carcinogen; skin irritation, dermatitis, headache, blurred vision; especially dangerous for asthma sufferers

Found in: moisturizers, shampoos, body wash, baby shampoos, baby soaps,

• Mercury (Thimerosal) Highly Toxic – Banned for use in personal care products in Europe and the state of Minnesota

Dangers: Skin irritation, vomiting, known carcinogen

Found in: mascara and eye liner, soaps, lip gloss and liner, moisturizer, baby shampoos

• Parabens – Highly Toxic – Banned for use in personal care products in Europe

Dangers: possible contributor to breast cancer; skin irritation; damages endocrine system and organs

Found in: shampoos, styling gels, toothpaste, bath oils, moisturizers

• Petroleum products (petrolatum, mineral oil, liquidum paraffinum, paraffin oil or wax)

Dangers: clogs pores and reduces skins ability to eliminate toxins from the body; promotes acne, contributes to premature aging of skin

Found in: Moisturizers, baby oil, facial cleansers, lipstick, lip balm, mascara, foundation

• Phthalates – (DEP, DBP, DEHP) Highly Toxic – Banned for use in personal care products in Europe

Dangers: carcinogen; may harm developing fetus, eye, nose and throat irritation; According to an article in Environmental Health Perspectives, “Prenatal phthalate exposure impairs testicular function….”

Found in: nail polish, insect repellents, and perfumes

• Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) / Propylene glycol (PG)

Dangers: known to damage DNA cells; damage to internal organs; increases the appearance of aging

Found in: shampoos, conditioners, moisturizers, perfumes, toothpaste, hair products, antiperspirants, deodorants lip gloss, and most other cosmetic and personal care products, antifreeze, solvents

• Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Lauryl Sulfate, Sodium laureth Sulfate, Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate HIGHLY TOXIC

Dangers: suspected carcinogen; skin irritation, immune system damage; may damage central nervous system; in extreme cases, may cause death

Found in: hair and bath products, toothpaste

• Toluene Highly Toxic

Dangers: carcinogen; may cause harm to developing fetus; skin irritant, respiratory irritant, organ damage

Found in: solvents, nail polish removers, nail treatment products,

Where to find more information

There are many consumer protection groups that offer additional information about these and the thousands of other toxic chemicals in our beauty and personal care product, including:

Cosmetic Database (www.cosmeticdatabase.com)

Safe Cosmetics (www.safecosmetics.org)

The Green Guide (www.thegreenguide.com)