Striving4Zen

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand wants the feds to test commonly used baby shampoos and cosmetics, after a study revealed that many popular brand-name items contain cancer-causing substances.

"It's important to me because I'm a mom with two young kids," the state's junior senator told The Post. "When I read this report, it basically talked about products that I have in my bathroom and I've been using for years."

The report, issued by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, found that products including Baby Magic Soft Baby Scent Baby Lotion, and CVS and Johnson & Johnson brand baby shampoos contain the chemicals formaldehyde and 1.4-dioxane.

Gillibrand's proposed legislation, the Safe Baby Products Act, would require the FDA to investigate by testing the products and report its findings. The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics study tested 28 products and found the presence of both chemicals in 61%.

Dr. John Bailey, a former FDA cosmetics analyst now with the trade group Personal Care Products Council, said the agency had already determined that levels of the two chemicals in child bath products were safe.

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Labels: 1.4-dioxane, beauty, cosmetics, FDA, formaldehyde, toxic, toxins

The NaTrue-Label provides guidance and reassurance to consumers worldwide.

It is:

• Quality driven: Highest standards in naturalness and performance
• Comprehensive: Distinction between Natural & Organic Cosmetics
• Open to all: Membership in NaTrue is not a condition for certification
• Not for profit: NaTrue’s sole interest is to provide guidance to consumers
• Transparent: Criteria are clear & publicly accessible

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Labels: certification, cosmetics, NaTrue Label, natural products, news, organic beauty, organics, personal care

France’s health minister is planning a checkup for cosmetics to assess the health risks they pose for children and pregnant women, and may introduce a logo for products that are considered toxic to reproduction.

Roselyne Bachelot said during a conference focusing on chemicals, reproduction and child development Tuesday that she’s instructing government agencies to research the toxicity of certain chemical substances, particularly with respect to reproductive issues. AFSSAPS, or the French Health Products Safety Agency, will be called upon to evaluate the risks posed by cosmetics during pregnancy and for children, for example.

“I’m thinking notably of cosmetics distributed in maternity wards,” said Bachelot, according to a copy of her speech posted on a government Web site. She added she aims to make information on the potential risks of using products containing certain chemicals available to pregnant women and women planning to have children.

“I would like to study, in partnership with industry [bodies], the possibility of putting a logo on products that are toxic to reproduction, indicating they are not recommended for pregnant women and for young children,” she said.

The Fédération des Entreprises de la Beauté, a French trade association that represents the 300 companies with 97 percent of the beauty sector’s turnover, said it is willing to work with health authorities on the issues raised.

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Labels: cosmetics, France, health and safety, toxic, toxins

Extracts from human and cow placenta: Placenta produces estrogen and progesterone and other hormones that can interfere with the body's normal hormone functions and can lead to serious health issues, like breast cancer in women and girls. Sometimes used in hair relaxers, moisturizers, and toners.

Lead: A known human reproductive and developmental toxin. When scientists recognized that lead harms the developing brain of a child, the government demanded its removal from gasoline and house paint — but not hair dye.

Petroleum Products: A byproduct of crude oil and appears on labels as petrolatum, mineral oil, and paraffin. Petroleum has been linked to cancer, developmental and reproductive damage, immune system toxicity, endocrine disruption, neurotoxicity, and environmental harm. Sometimes found in hair relaxers, shampoos, anti-aging creams, mascaras, perfumes, foundations, lipsticks, and lip balms.

Mercury: With 30 years' of knowledge that mercury has the ability to damage brain function at low levels, it is still used in cosmetics. As importantly, this is the controversial ingredient used in vaccines that is blamed as the cause for autism in children. It is sometimes found in ointments, mascaras, and eye drops.

Fragrance. This ingredient is so unregulated that cosmetics companies don’t even have to list what is in their fragrances. Many fragrance ingredients are chemically-based, neurotoxic, and allergenic. Sometimes found in everything from shampoos to deodorants to lotions.

Formaldehyde: A preservative that has been linked to cancer, cell changes, neurotoxicity, and developmental and reproductive harm. It is primarily used in nail polishes and hair bleach.

Mink and Emu: If fat scraped from the back of the hide of mink and emu isn't something you'd like to lather on your legs for shaving, you might want to avoid some shaving creams, sunscreens, and hair sprays.

Hydroquinone: Trying to lighten those pesky age spots? There has been media coverage recently on the FDA's warning to avoid skin lighteners with hydroquinone. "This skin bleaching chemical can cause a skin disease called ochronosis, with disfiguring and irreversible blue-black lesions that in the worst cases become permanent." Sometimes found in skin care lighteners and moisturizers.

Nanoparticles: These minute little particles are capable of being directly absorbed into the bloodstream and can slide up the optic nerve to the brain or burrow inside red blood cells. Sadly, companies don't have to list that they're in beauty products, though Skin Deep found that more than one-third of all products contain ingredients now commercially available in nano forms. Sometimes found in eye shadows, bronzers, sunscreens and lotions.

Phthalates: "Whether it's sperm damage, feminization of baby boys, or infertility, a growing number of studies link phthalates to problems in men and boys," according to Skin Deep. Pregnant women should avoid it in nail polish. Sometimes found in hair products, nail polishes and hairsprays.

Labels: cosmetics, toxic, toxins

Putting chemicals on your skin is actually far worse than ingesting them, because when you eat something the enzymes in your saliva and stomach help break it down and flush it out of your body. When you put these chemicals on your skin, however, it is absorbed straight into your blood stream without filtering of any kind, so there's no protection against the toxin.

The five pounds of toxic chemicals per year you may be absorbing from the use of toiletries and beauty products are largely going directly to your delicate organs. It's no wonder that they have been linked to deadly side effects like cancer.

Parabens, which may be listed on the label as methyl paraben, ethyl paraben, propyl paraben, butyl paraben, isobutyl paraben or E216, have shown particularly troubling links to cancer. The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health stated nearly 900 of the chemicals used in cosmetics are toxic. Women are becoming more aware of this issue, and there are more natural cosmetics available today than in years past. But remember that labels do not tell the whole story. For more on how to select natural products, see Not All Natural Beauty Products are Natural.

There are no federal certifications or official guidelines for beauty products, so anyone can claim that such a product is natural or organic. Some "organic" beauty products contain only a single-digit percentage of organic ingredients.

If you want to stay beautiful, it is much better to do it by keeping yourself fit and healthy, rather than covering yourself with toxic chemicals. There are many great natural and safe cosmetic products out there. I hope to highlight some later this year, but in the meantime many of your health food stores are a good start to find them.

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Labels: beauty, cosmetics, dry skin, Mercola, natural products, personal care, toxins

Here are a few of the most common suspicious ingredients:
Mineral Oil, Paraffin, and Petrolatum – Petroleum products that coat the skin like plastic, clogging pores and creating a build-up of toxins, which in turn accumulate and can lead to dermatologic issues. Slows cellular development, which can cause you to show earlier signs of aging. Suspected cause of cancer. Disruptive of hormonal activity. By the way, when there’s an oil spill in the ocean, don’t they rush to clean it up – fast? Why put that stuff on your skin?
Parabens – Widely used as preservatives in the cosmetic industry (including moisturizers). An estimated 13,200 cosmetic and skin care products contain parabens. Studies implicate their connection with cancer. They have hormone-disrupting qualities – mimicking estrogen – and interfere with the body’s endocrine system.
Phenol carbolic acid– Found in many lotions and skin creams. Can cause circulatory collapse, paralysis, convulsions, coma and even death from respiratory failure.
Propylene glycol – Used as a moisturizer in cosmetics and as a carrier in fragrance oils. Shown to cause dermatitis, kidney or liver abnormalities, and may inhibit skin cell growth or cause skin irritation.
Acrylamide– Found in many hand and face creams. Linked to mammary tumors in lab research.
Sodium laurel or lauryl sulfate (SLS), also known as sodium laureth sulfate (SLES)– Found in car washes, engine degreasers, garage floor cleaners… and in over 90% of personal care products! SLS breaks down the skin’s moisture barrier, easily penetrates the skin, and allows other chemicals to easily penetrate. Combined with other chemicals, SLS becomes a “nitrosamine”, a potent class of carcinogen. It can also cause hair loss. SLES is sometimes disguised with the labeling “comes from coconut” or “coconut-derived”.
Toluene – Poison! Danger! Harmful or fatal if swallowed! Harmful if inhaled or absorbed through the skin. Made from petroleum or coal tar, and found in most synthetic fragrances. Chronic exposure linked to anemia, lowered blood cell count, liver or kidney damage, and may affect a developing fetus. Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) contains toluene. Other names may include benzoic and benzyl.
Dioxane– Found in compounds known as PEG, Polysorbates, Laureth, ethoxylated alcohols. Common in a wide range of personal care products. The compounds are usually contaminated with high concentrations of highly volatile 1,4-dioxane, easily absorbed through the skin. Dioxane’s carcinogenicity was first reported in 1965 and later confirmed in studies including one from the National Cancer Institute in 1978. Nasal passages and liver are the most vulnerable. Dioxane is easily removed during the manufacturing process by “vacuum stripping”.
Warning: It is a synthetic derivative of coconut. Watch for hidden language on labels, such as “comes from coconut”.

Labels: chemicals, cosmetics, skincare

Speaking of brand names, head to Cosmetics Warehouse (250 W 39th St between Seventh and Eighth Aves, 212-302-5799) for a Sephora-like experience with cheaper prices. The discounter takes 40 to 60% off the sticker price of overstocked beautifiers like Revlon Super Lustrous Lipgloss, selling for $3.59 instead of $7.99.

Labels: bargain, cosmetics, on the cheap, sephora