Originally published October 24 2005
Safety of cosmetics becoming an issue of public health
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
The FDA has issued warnings to the cosmetics industry about labeling their products with warnings, but the public remains unaware of the dangers that lurk in many personal care products.
It issued an unprecedented warning to the cosmetics industry that it was time to inform consumers that most personal care products have not been safety tested.
Such "safety" testing as exists looks for reactions, such as skin redness, rashes or stinging, but does not investigate potential long-term problems for either humans or the environment.
Yet the chemicals that go into products such as shampoos and hand creams are not trace contaminants.
Cosmetics companies complain of unfounded hysteria, but scientists are finding industrial plasticisers such as phthalates in urine, preservatives known as parabens in breast-tumour tissue, and antibacterials such as Triclosan and fragrance chemicals like the hormone-disrupting musk xylene in human breast milk.
Medical research is proving that fragrances can trigger asthma; that the detergents in shampoos can damage eye tissue; and that hair-dye chemicals can cause bladder cancer and lymphoma.
What they claim: Instantly improves the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
But watch out: To work, the product needs to be well absorbed, so Regenerist contains penetration enhancers like disodium EDTA.
Watch out for hormone disrupters such as ethylparaben, methylparaben and propylparaben and potential carcinogens such as polyacrylamide, triethanolamine (which can form cancer-causing nitrosamines), and the artificial colours CI 16035, CI 19140 and PTFE (Teflon).
What they claim: A totally organic experience.
But watch out: It looks and smells appealing because it is coloured using four potentially cancer-causing dyes (CI 17200, CI 15510, CI 42053, CI 60730) and perfumed with synthetic fragrances that are known neurotoxins and skin irritants.
Among its detergents, sodium lauryl sulphate can irritate skin and permanently damage eye tissue, and sodium laureth sulphate and cocamide MEA can be contaminated with 1,4-dioxane, a hormone disrupter associated with breast cancer.
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