Donna Jackson Nakazawa
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 Cosmetic products are full of a disturbing number of chemicals. According to another study by the Environmental Working Group, in a test of fifteen thousand cosmetic products, almost 80 percent contained harmful impurities that include known or probable carcinogens, pesticides, endocrine disruptors, plasticizers, and degreasers. |
Mike Adams, the Health Ranger
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 Don't count on the Food & Drug Administration to protect you from parabens. For cosmetic products, safety testing is not required. It is up to consumers to research ingredients and their effects. The Washington, D.C.-based Environmental Working Group (EWG) reports "An average adult is exposed to over 100 unique chemicals in personal care products every day -- these exposures add up." The EWG has created a database of ingredients and safety ratings for more than 14,800 personal care products. |
Mike Adams, the Health Ranger
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 Many cosmetic products and personal care products contain cancer-causing chemicals.
There is no motivation for anyone in the cancer industry to teach cancer prevention. Preventing cancer means losing repeat customers.
Chemotherapy is only effective on 1% - 2% of patients. (Source: Ralph Moss)
Black men and women are being exploited by the cancer industry as lucrative profit centers for chemotherapy. See http://www.newstarget.com/Report_Breast_Cancer_Deception_9.html
See the CounterThink chemotherapy cartoon: http://www.newstarget.com/021462. |
Paula Begoun and Bryan Barron
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 Silicones are a remarkable, diverse, and ubiquitous group of ingredients that show up in over 80% of all cosmetic products being sold. Silicones may look, act, and have a feel reminiscent of oil, but these ingredients are not oils. Technically speaking, silicone as a chemical compound is related to fluid technology. Either way, regardless of the precise name, silicone is an elegant skin-care ingredient that has an exquisite, silky, somewhat slippery feel; it also has an affinity for skin and "dries" to an almost imperceptible finish. |
Bottom Line Health
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| Quaternium 15, a preservative that can be found in cosmetic products, such as self-tanners, shampoo, nail polish and sunscreen, as well as in industrial products, such as polishes, paints and waxes.
The study also confirmed that patch testing using a standard contact dermatitis series of substances is useful for identifying common contact allergens.
Avoiding allergens is the chief treatment for contact dermatitis. In some cases, corticosteroid creams can be used to treat rashes caused by contact dermatitis. |
Paula Begoun and Bryan Barron
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| Topical hydroquinone is available at a 2% concentration in cosmetic products and up to a 4% concentration that is available only from a physician or by prescription. Whether it is used alone or in combination with tretinoin 0.05% to 0.1%, it has an impressive track record. Research has repeatedly shown that hydroquinone and tretinoin are powerful tools against sun- or hormone-induced melasma (Source: Dermatologic Surgery, March 2006, pages 365-371). |
| BUZZWORDS
The following are a few of the more popular terms you may have seen or heard in marketing jargon for cosmetic products that get hyped and overhyped by the cosmetics industry. Although you might have heard them, you may not be aware that they have little to no meaning when it comes to what you will actually be putting on your skin or what is effective or a waste of your money. Here's what's behind the buzz. |
Devra Davis
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 The FDA pointed out to ATSDR that FDA had not recommended a limit for 1,4-dioxane in cosmetic products. (Italics added.)
This notice neglects to mention that the FDA has, in fact, set standards for 1,4-dioxane, but those are only for residues of this chemical that could get into food additives and adhesives. It also does not explain that European children are not exposed to this risk at all, and that EU regulatory agencies have recalled products from their shelves that have been found to have levels of 1,4-dioxane that are legally allowed in America and Canada today. |
Marshall Editions
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 Wait to see how the marks fade over time before considering using any of the cosmetic products designed to improve their appearance. If worried, consult your doctor, who may be able to refer you to a dermatologist.
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Stretch marks are not a disease and are harmless. The appearance of marks tends to improve with time, and almost all adolescent stretch marks fade significantly.
I' Retin A: Medical treatment involves applying tretinoin (Retin A) twice a day. This generally results in significant improvement. |
| Permanent hair loss can be concealed through the use of cosmetic products if it causes you distress.
TIdentify the type and cause of hair loss: Treatment of this condition depends on identifying the type and cause of the hair loss. The most common type is male pattern hair loss, which is hormonal, dependent on androgens, and can occur in both men and women. Age and genetic 'r make up are the primary factors in the appearance of this type of hair loss. |
David Steinman
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 Lily Organics
An upstart organic cosmetics company, Lily Organics keeps it real and grows their own certified organic herbs for their cosmetic products on their certified organic farm in Henderson, Colorado—and their products are growing in popularity. Lily Morgan, the company founder, is a sixth-generation farmer, and she says Lily Organics sustains family farms in a profitable economic model that also curtails our dependency on oil. www. lilyorganics . |
Paula Begoun and Bryan Barron
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| To be clear about the difference, the exfoliation from chemical peels performed at a doctor's office using concentrations of more than 40% has been compared to laser resurfacing, and each method has its pros and cons. But cosmetic products are not related to those procedures. Comparing Dr. Brandt's "Laser in a Bottle" to a laser procedure is like comparing a canoe to a speedboat.
If you want to consider an 8% to 10% AHA product you don't need this kit. |
Mike Adams, the Health Ranger
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 The safety of chemicals used in these products is utterly ignored by the FDA in much the same way that perfumes and cosmetic products containing cancer-causing chemicals are routinely ignored by the agency. The FDA makes virtually no effort to protect American consumers from cancer-causing or hormone-disrupting chemicals in tens of thousands of consumer products, and were it not for the efforts of consumer advocacy groups and environmental protection groups like the NRDC, no one would be protecting consumers at all. (U.S. |
Paula Begoun and Bryan Barron
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| Although both of these ingredients have research about their benefit for varicose veins (especially when consumed orally), the research does not study the effects of the small amounts contained in cosmetic products like this (Sources: Pharmacological Research, September 2001, pages 183-193; Phytotherapy Research, March 2002, number SI, pages 1-5; and Archives of Dermatology, 1998, volume 134, pages 1356-1360). Although this product has no discernible effect on veins, it is a lightweight, water-based serum that can be helpful for normal to oily or blemish-prone skin. |
Mike Adams, the Health Ranger
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 They are not made with things like transmission fluid and brake fluid, which are the chemicals found in most other cosmetic products. This is an exceptional product line, and I'm going to discuss these products in more detail in future articles.
Even though I have tested the Lluvia product line for this article, I don't use them on a regular basis, because as a general guideline, I don't use any skin care or cosmetic products at all. I don't put anything on my skin. My strategy is to create healthy skin from the inside, through outstanding nutrition. |
| None of those harmful ingredients found in most other skin care and cosmetic products are found in this line. The line is called Lluvia, and it's the first line of personal care products that I have been willing to stand up and talk about as being healthy. These products contain potent rain forest botanicals, but more importantly, they have no artificial fragrance, no fillers and no sodium laureth sulfate. They are not made with things like transmission fluid and brake fluid, which are the chemicals found in most other cosmetic products. |
Mike Adams, the Health Ranger
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 Also, you won't be financially tied to some line of cosmetic products that really just cover up the signs of aging and put on a fake presentation for the world around you.
If you're going to go for some cosmetics, definitely use the natural cosmetics. There are organic products. There are high-end natural cosmetic products made with really healthy ingredients. Stay away from the artificial petroleum stuff. Stay away from the brand-name cosmetics and go with the small, natural companies that have products that can really make a difference. |
Stacy Malkan
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 When one follows the numbers — Step 1 "straightforward skin care" through Step 9 "nail care and polish" — one is overwhelmed with how-to tips for an elaborate makeover that recommends no less than 25 cosmetic products. Step 9, at least, recommends selecting a nail polish without formaldehyde, which "increases dryness and yellowing," according to the website. But it does not mention that formaldehyde is also a known carcinogen. |
| In her searches at the US patent office, she found patents proposing to use phthalates in a broad range of cosmetic products, from shampoos to deodorant — even gum, candy and pharmaceutical drugs. Procter & Gamble had the highest number, 37 out of the 100 patents she analyzed.
Jane wrote up the results in a report she called Beauty Secrets: Does a Common Chemical in Nail Polish Pose Risks to Human Health?5 "We purposefully phrased the subtitle of the report as a question," Jane explained. |
| As in the US, it was legal for companies to put unlimited amounts of phthalates and other toxic chemicals into cosmetic products.
But in Europe, that was just about to change. The European Union (EU) was getting ready to pass a new amendment to the Cosmetics Directive, the law that regulates cosmetics in all EU countries (15 countries at the time). |
| Unfortunately for CTFA, the FDA was at that time considering a petition to require labeling of cosmetic products. "Not wanting to appear to oppose both the consumer's right to know with regard to ingredient labeling and the perceived pro-consumer provisions of the Eagleton bill, CTFA decided to work with FDA to develop a regulation on ingredient labeling both sides could agree on," according to the CTFA website. Partial product labeling for cosmetics (with a huge loophole exempting fragrance ingredients) was thus achieved. |
| Nobody in the entire multi-billion-dollar cosmetics industry had a comprehensive list of ingredients in cosmetic products — or if they did they weren't sharing it.
Jane put staffers to work searching for ingredient lists. They pulled product ingredients from websites like drugstore.com and alta.com which specialize in online cosmetics sales. For some brands not sold online (such as Estee Lauder and Avon), they bought products and entered ingredients by hand or contacted the companies. |
| One in every 50 people may suffer immune system damage from fragrance and become sensitized, according to the EU's
Scientific Committee on cosmetic products and Non-food Products.17 Once sensitized to an ingredient, a person can remain so for a lifetime, enduring allergic reactions with every subsequent exposure.
As far back as 1986, the US National Academy of Sciences identified fragrance ingredients as one of six categories of neurotoxins (chemicals
Sick of Scents
People tell her fragrance is a personal choice, but Carolyn Wysocki doesn't buy it. |
Jack Challem
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 Abkit manufactures and distributes a variety of excellent supplements and cosmetic products. Its alphabetic is a well-rounded once-a-day supplement for people who are prediabetic or who have diabetes. The company's extensive CamoCare line of cosmetics is designed around the venerable antioxidant herb chamomile. For more information, call (800) 226-6227 or go to www.abkit.com or www.alphabetic.com.
Bioforce
Bioforce, also known as A. Vogel, is a venerable Swiss manufacturer of herbal products, with a strong commitment to product consistency and quality. |
Bottom Line Health
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| Fragrance mix, a group of the eight most common fragrance allergens that are found in foods, cosmetic products, insecticides, antiseptics, soaps, perfumes and dental products.
•Formaldehyde, a preservative that is used in paints, medications, fabric finishes, paper products, household cleaners and cosmetics.
•Cobalt chloride, a metal that is found in medical products, hair dye, antiperspirant and metal-plated objects, such as snaps, buttons and tools. Also found in cobalt blue pigment.
•Bacitracin, a topical antibiotic. |
Marshall Editions
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| There are some cosmetic products that conceal vitiligo well, such as Dermablend™, which can be applied to lighter areas of skin to blend them with darker areas. Some covering agents, such as Dy O Derm™, actually stain the skin. Psoralen phototherapy (PUVA), taken orally or applied topically with subsequent UVA therapy for one to two years, is effective. There is also a repigmentation technique that involves the activation and migration of skin cells containing melanin from hair follicles. This is only effective on areas of vitiligo that have hair. |
Mark Schapiro
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 FDA's legal authority over cosmetics is different from other products regulated by the agency, such as drugs, biologies, and medical devices," reads a statement by the agency's Bureau of Colors and Cosmetics. "Cosmetic products and ingredients are not subject to FDA pre-market approval authority. . . . Cosmetic firms are responsible for substantiating the safety of their products and ingredients before marketing."9 The FDA makes one exception to this open door: it does require premarketing review for color additives.
The closest U.S. |
David Steinman
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| Experts for the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Board, composed of cosmetic industry scientists who are paid by the cosmetic industry to oversee the safety of its cosmetic products, have long concluded that topical uses of phthalates are safe.26 Given the potential conflicts of interest, however, their remarks are not very reassuring.
According to a report by Molly M. |
| I first became aware of 1,4-dioxane when researching The Safe Shoppers Bible and interviewing high-ranking FDA officials, one of whom, Stanley Milstein, PhD, of the FDAs Division of Cosmetics, told me of his own and other public officials' concern that high levels of this contaminant were being found in children's cosmetic products. He said that the FDA "was working with manufacturers so that they would reduce the amount of contamination in their products." He also mentioned that "removal of this contaminant from the final raw material was relatively simple and inexpensive. |
| I started buying brands of personal-care and cosmetic products at Rite-Aid and other stores and sending them to the analytical laboratory. Each test cost $275.
But I knew what to look for. I knew from interviews with top-level FDA officials and published reports that many brand-products contained the undisclosed contaminant 1,4-dioxane. But there is nothing like finding things out using your own original field research. The first product I purchased was Johnson's Baby Shampoo because that was a type of product of "high concern" at FDA. My test revealed that it contained 5. |
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