Issue 6: Introduction to Toxic-Free Personal Care Products

I was first "red pilled" about toxic-free living through personal care products. And my first introduction was actually credit to Bow Tied Devil. I learned after we started dating that he didn't wear cologne and showered with vinegar instead of soap or shampoo. Huh? What on earth? I was confused about the vinegar thing (and am thankful to say he doesn't do that anymore). But it sparked an interest in me that lit a huge fire, and now our family follows a toxic-free lifestyle as much as possible. I started looking more closely at my products and questioning what was in them. I went to our local co-op and purchased what I thought were better products and started overhauling my personal care products. But I didn't know enough then and fell prey to "green-washing".Years later I was introduced to an MLM company that prides itself on selling completely clean personal care products. I am not affiliated with this company, but through my own research I learned an immense amount about what goes into our shampoo, soap, toothpaste, shaving cream, baby products, make-up, etc. And I was floored.The FDA does not require basic safety testing for any of our personal care products or cosmetics. So, do you know what you're putting on your skin, inhaling through your airways, or even ingesting through application close to your mouth and in your mouth?In this issue, I'm going to cover some of the basic toxic chemicals that go into our personal care products and what issues they cause. In upcoming issues, we'll talk about alternatives to what you may already have at home.

The Dirty Dozen

You can do yourself a huge favor and rid your beauty routine of many toxins if you simply read the labels. On average, a woman uses 12 separate beauty products in her morning routine, and a man uses six. Assuming each of those products has at least one of the items from the following list, that's a lot of chemicals going into our bodies and building up over time.

1. BHA (Butylated Hydroxyanisole) and BHT (Butylated Hydroxytoluene): synthetic antioxidants that are also used as preservatives. These are carcinogens and endocrine distruptors. Both of these have been linked to skin allergies, problems with reproductive organs, liver, thyroid and kidneys, cancer, irregular blood clotting, and lung tumors.

2. Coal Tar Dyes: also found on labels as P-phenylenediamine, FD&C, D&C, or “CI” followed by a number. Coal Tar Dyes have been banned from foods, but are still present in cosmetics and personal care products.  Coal Tar Dyes are linked to blindness, eye irritations, skin reactions, and cancer.

3. Diethanolamine (DEA) related ingredients: these are often found in skin care products and make them creamy or sudsy.  Studies have shown that DEA can lead to systemic toxicity and causes issues in the nervous system, liver, kidneys, bloodstream, and reproductive organs.

4. Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP): After animals studies showed developmental and reproductive problems with DBP, California's Proposition 65 listed it as a suspected teratogen. A teratogen is known to cause malformations in embryos. This chemical is a plasticizer which makes products softer and more flexible.

5. Formaldehyde-releasing preservatives: formaldehyde, a strong smelling, colorless gas, is not widely used in personal care products anymore, but the loophole with this ingredient is that many companies use formaldehyde-releasing preservatives instead, such as: quaternium-15, DMDM hydantoin, imidazolidinyl urea, diazolidinyl urea, polyoxymethylene urea, sodium hydroxymethylglycinate, 2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol (bromopol) and glyoxal.

The U.S. National Toxicity Program states that this carcinogenic preservative is linked to multiple forms of cancer.

These are used to prevent microbes from forming in water-based personal care products.

6. Parabens: avoid anything with ingredients that end with -paraben. This is a very common preservative found in a wide range of products including feminine care products.

These toxins are well known as endocrine disruptors and have been found in breast cancer tissues. They're also strongly associated with reproductive problems.

7. Fragrances. I've covered this in previous issues. See here or go back to Issue 2.

8. Polyethylene glycol (PEG) compounds: these compounds are used for thickening, emulsion, cleansing, and skin softening. They're often contaminated with ethylene oxide and 1,4-dioxan which the World Health Organization classifies as carcinogenic. They are linked to liver, lung, and breast cancers, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, multiple myelomas, and Non-hodgkin's lymphoma. 

9. Petrolatum: coming from refined petroleum, petrolatum itself isn't an issue. The issue lies from poor refining practices in the U.S. Because of these poor practices, petrolatum can become contaminated with Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) which the CDC classifies as carcinogenic.

Long exposure to PAHs is thought to cause skin and lung cancer, and reproductive issues.

10. Siloxanes: Avoid any ingredients that end in -siloxane or -methicone. These are endocrine disruptors. It's thought that about half of personal care products include one of these compounds.

11. Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLS): This ingredient has become more commonly known as a bad one. It's a foaming agent found in cleaning products and a huge variety of personal care products. It's danger is that it is sometimes contaminated with 1,4-dioxan, a carcinogen.

12. Tricolsan: This is an antibacterial agent that prevents bacterial contamination in products like soap, toothpaste, and cosmetics. It is known to cause a decrease in thyroid hormones and may cause cancer.

When cleaning up your hygiene and beauty routine, the Dirty Dozen is a good place to start. I will reference this list in coming issues as we go over healthier alternatives. In the meantime, head into your bathroom and read the labels. Check your kid and baby products. Maybe do those first.

Here's a fun little video. It's 11 years old but still rings true. I watched it when it first came out and thought you might find it useful as well.

I'll see you next week!

-Angel