15
chemicals
common
chemicals
to avoid
Dawn Mellowship has the lowdown on
skincare ingredients you should steer clear of.
1
Aluminium compounds or
salts. Aluminium salts such as
aluminium chlorohydrate and
aluminium zirconium are commonly used
in antiperspirants. Some studies link the
use of aluminium-containing
antiperspirants with breast cancer.
Aluminium from a mother can enter her
unborn baby via the placenta and breast
milk. Exposure to high levels of aluminium
has been linked to Alzheimer’s disease. It
can also cause contact dermatitis.
2
Artificial colours. Some
artificial colours used in cosmetics
are carcinogens or contain
carcinogenic impurities. Others may cause
contact dermatitis, sensitisation or
irritation. Colours are identifiable by the
prefix CI (standing for colour index)
followed by a five-digit number relating to
its chemical structure e.g. CI12490.
3
Diethanolamine (DEA).
Diethanolamine compounds are used
as emulsifiers and foaming agents in
cosmetics and dishwashing detergents.
DEA can affect hormones, cell functioning
and development. It interacts with nitrite
preservatives or contaminants in a product
or with nitrogen oxide in the air to form the
carcinogen NDELA on the skin. It is readily
absorbed through skin and accumulates in
organs. DEA containing ingredients
include: cocamide DEA, cocamide MEA,
DEA-cetyl phosphate, DEA Oleth-3
phosphate, lauramide DEA, linoleamide
MEA, myristamide DEA, oleamide DEA,
stearamide MEA, TEA lauryl sulphate,
triethanolamine (TEA).
4
Formaldehyde. A suspected
carcinogen, contact allergen and
common skin and eye irritant. Some
ingredients used in cosmetics and other
12  nature&health  beauty guide
products degrade into formaldehyde, but
contaminants do not have to be listed on
cosmetic labels, so avoid the following
ingredients which are formaldehyde
releasers: diazolidinyl urea, imidazolidinyl
urea, DMDM hydantoin, quaternium-15,
2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol (bronopol),
sodium hydroxymethylglycinate, and
benzylhemiformal.
5 11
Fragrances. Around 95 per
cent of chemicals used in fragrances
are synthetic, petroleum derived
compounds. Many result in poor indoor air
quality and can potentially cause
neurological problems, respiratory and
skin irritation, migraines, asthma, cancer,
birth defects, central nervous system
disorders, allergic reactions and multiple
chemical sensitivities. The law does not
require a list of fragrance ingredients in
chemical products, merely the inclusion of
the term ‘parfum,’ ‘fragrance’, or ‘aroma,’
which could mean anything up to 200
different fragrance chemicals.
6
Hair dyes. In 2005, the Scientific
Committee on Consumer products
(SCCP), which advises the EU
Commission on questions related to the
safety of consumer products, concluded
that studies suggest increased risks for
hair-dye users of developing acute
leukaemia and chronic lymphoid
leukaemia and an increased risk of bladder
cancer for US women using hair-dyes
repeatedly over a prolonged period of time.
7
Parabens. Studies have found
parabens (commonly used in
cosmetic products and deodorants as
preservatives) to be oestrogenic (mimic
oestrogen in the body) and certain
parabens have been detected in the breast
tissue of women diagnosed with breast
cancer. Reportedly, the main influence in
the onset of breast cancer is exposure to
oestrogen over a lifetime. Parabens have
also been found in human blood and urine
and may cause contact dermatitis and skin
sensitisation in some individuals.
Alternative names for parabens include:
benzyl-parahydroxybenzoic acid
(p-hydroxybenzoic acid), butylparaben,
butyl-parahydroxybenzoic acid
(p-hydroxybenzoic acid)
Parahydroxybenzoic acid
(p-hydroxybenzoic acid), ethylparaben,
ethyl-parahydroxybenzoic acid
(p-hydroxybenzoic acid), methylparaben,
methyl-parahydroxybenzoic acid
(p-hydroxybenzoic acid),
parahydroxybenzoate (p-hydroxybenzoate),
propylparaben, propyl-parahydroxybenzoic
acid (p-hydroxybenzoic acid).
8
Petrochemical
compounds. Organic (carbon
based) compounds derived from
crude oil, petroleum or natural gas,
formed millions of years ago in the earth’s
crust from decayed plants and animals.
Some toxic ones include:
• Butylene glycol – skin and respiratory
irritant.
• Ethanolamines (look for suffixes MEA,
DEA and TEA) – can be contaminated
with the carcinogen NDELA.
• Glycol ethers – absorbed easily
through skin, dissolve the skin’s
protective oils. Can cause nausea and
anaemia when inhaled.
• Isopropyl alcohol – petrol additive that
can cause corrosion of the skin. Inhalation
can cause coughing and dizziness.
• Mineral oil – mixture of hydrocarbons
iSTOCK images
obtained from petroleum. Untreated
and mildly treated mineral oils are
carcinogens. Mineral oil can be
contaminated with carcinogenic
polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH).
• Petroleum jelly – mixture of semi-solid
hydrocarbons. May be contaminated.
• Petroleum distillates – extracted
during refining of crude oil, e.g. paraffin
wax. Suspected blood and cardiovascular
toxicants, neurotoxins and respiratory
toxicants. Can cause skin irritation.
• Phenol – Toxic to brain and kidneys,
may promote skin cancer.
• Polyethylene glycol (PEG) –
Polyethylene glycol (PEG) compounds
can become contaminated with the
probable carcinogen 1,4-dioxane, along
with other toxic impurities such as
ethylene oxide, polycyclic aromatic
hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heavy metals,
including lead, iron, cobalt, nickel,
cadmium and arsenic. They are readily
absorbed through damaged skin.
• Propylene glycols – Can cause skin
and eye irritation, contact allergies,
central nervous system depression.
• Solvents (e.g. acetone, isopropyl
alcohol, toluene, xylene) – Neurotoxic,
respiratory irritants, linked with kidney
and reproductive damage.
9
Phenylenediamines. Dye
intermediates used in permanent
and semi-permanent hair colourants.
Para-phenylenediamine (p-phenylenediamine)
is a cause of allergic contact dermatitis.
Permanent hair dyes containing
phenylenediamines are also associated
with an increased risk of various types of
cancer in hairdressers, particularly dark
brown and black hair dyes.
10
Phthalates. Phthalates,
used as plasticisers and fixatives
in cosmetic products and
ubiquitous in consumer products, have
displayed endocrine (hormone) disrupting
properties in animal studies. Research
shows that they block the male hormone
testosterone. They are also linked in some
research studies with male reproductive
disorders such as cryptorchidism
(undescended testes), hypospadias (where
the urethra is abnormally positioned on the
underside of the penis), testicular atrophy
(shrinking of the testes), low sperm counts
and testicular cancer.
Sodium lauryl
sulphate (SLS). An anionic
surfactant used in a range of
household products including bath and
shower products. It is a frequent cause of
eye irritation and contact dermatitis. SLS
is an industrial floor cleaner and
degreasant that is a known skin irritant
and modifies the structure of the skin’s
outer layer, enabling easier absorption of
other more toxic chemicals. Sodium
laureth sulphate (SLS), touted as a milder
alternative, can be contaminated with the
probable carcinogen 1,4-dioxane.
12
Sunscreen agents.
Many chemical sunscreens can
cause irritant reactions. Some
are associated with the production of free
radicals, which harm DNA and cause
endocrine disruption. Sunscreen
ingredients such as para-aminobenzoic
acid (PABA), avobenzone (parsol 1789),
oxybenzone (benzophenone 3) padimate O
(octyl dimethyl PABA) cause
photosensitivity and phototoxicity (cellular
damage under UV or sunlight). Various
sunscreen ingredients have been found to
be mildly oestrogenic, increasing the
proliferation of breast cancer cells in
petri dishes.
13
Talc. Used to help products
stick to skin and for
spreadability and translucency.
beauty guide
“Some artificial colours
used in cosmetics are
possible carcinogens;
others may cause contact
dermatitis or irritation.”
Can become contaminated with toxic
asbestos fibres. The US government
National Toxicology Program did a rat
study and the cosmetic grade talc caused
a range of inflammatory lung disorders
and rare adrenal cancers. Research
published in the journal Cancer
Epidemiology, Biomarkers and
Prevention in 2008 suggests that women
should not use talcum powder around
their genitals as particles of talc may
travel to the ovaries, instigating an
inflammatory process that promotes the
growth of cancer cells.
14
Toluene. Added to
California’s Proposition 65 list of
substances toxic to reproduction
because it was found to cause spontaneous
abortions or offspring with birth defects.
Highest levels occur indoors from paints,
paint thinners, fragrance and nail polishes
according to the US Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA). According the
US Department for Health and Human
Services, toluene targets the central
nervous system, when inhaled, with low to
moderate levels being found to cause
fatigue, confusion, colour vision loss,
sleepiness, headaches and nausea.
15
Triclosan. Found in
toothpastes, deodorants, liquid
soaps, mouthwashes. Stored in
human breast milk and fish. May promote
resistance to certain antibiotics. Breaks
down in water to produce a dioxin.
Although the dioxin generated is not one of
the ones that have prompted safety
concerns, repeated exposure to chlorine in
the wastewater treatment process could
chlorinate triclosan, which might then be
converted to more dangerous dioxins
under sunlight when released from the
treatment facility.
beauty guide  nature&health  13