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Take a toxic tour of your bathroom
What is lurking in your cosmetics and toiletries? Diane Taylor finds out
Tuesday February 25, 2003
The Guardian
Can your hairspray really play havoc with your hormones, or a pot of face cream cause cancer? There are a bewildering array of claims and counter-claims about the life-enhancing or toxic qualities of cosmetics that not only women but men and children, too, are using on a daily basis.
While a large number of substances commonly used in toiletries have been found to cause cancer in rodents, disrupt hormones, or damage mucous membranes, the cosmetics industry's publicists insist that the concentrations of such substances fall way below the levels needed to cause us harm.
No surprises there from an industry worth Ј4.5bn a year in the UK; but those who enjoy the profits insist that safety is tightly controlled by legislation both in the UK and the EU. They add that a new EU directive about cosmetics, due out by the end of this year, will tighten the rules up still further in relation to the testing of cosmetics on animals, labelling and shelf-life of products.
Liz Sutton of the Women's Environmental Network is less confident than the people who make them that our cosmetics are benign. She warns that the cocktail of synthetic chemicals we are exposed to every day may cause cumulative damage.
"We just don't know enough yet about the long-term effects of repeated daily exposure to say that the chemicals in cosmetics are safe," she says. "We are calling for a much more precautionary approach."
She urges people to go on a toxic tour of their bathroom to find out exactly what is in the wrinkle shrinkers and odour obliterators. WEN says that we have the right to know if the products we use are safe and that risky chemicals are phased out of use. Campaigners want to see clearer labelling in plain language rather than the current wording that seems designed to bamboozle the consumer.
Dr Vyvyan Howard, a toxicologist at Liverpool University, agrees that accountability for the products we slap on trustingly should be improved. "Some of the ingredients in cosmetics are trade secrets so we never get to know about them." he says. "It's rather unregulated and very secretive and it's very easy for chemicals to cross the skin and get into the bloodstream. Once someone has become sensitised to a substance it's a one-way trip and there's no going back."
In the panel below are some of the most common chemicals that crop up in the products which line the bathroom shelves.
The critics of the chemicals include scientists and environmental groups, while the fans are cosmetics manufacturers represented by the umbrella organisation Cosmetic, Toiletry and Perfumery Association.
The chemicals to look out for
Phthalates
Found in hairsprays, perfume, nail polishes. Listed as dibutyl phthalate di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate or butyl benzyl phthalate. Used to soften plastic, moisturise skin and enhance skin penetration of cosmetics.
Critics: these substances act as hormone disruptors leading to premature breast development in young girls and interference with reproductive development in male foetuses. Also they adversely affect fertility and have been banned from children's toys in the US as a result. A similar, temporary, ban is in place in the EU. They cause allergies, damage liver and kidneys and have been linked to allergies such as asthma. Their existence is not always clearly labelled on products.
Fans: many substances are phthalates but only two have been found to be weak hormone disruptors. Of these one is not used in cosmetics and the other is used in quantities millions of times lower than the required level to produce an adverse effect.
Parabens
Found in some deodorants, moisturisers and toothpaste. Listed as Alkyl parahydroxy benzoates - butyl/methyl/ethyl/propylisobutyl paraben. Used as a preservative.
Critics: parabens are oestrogen mimics which can penetrate the skin. Oestrogen-type chemicals have been linked to breast and testicular cancer and a reduction in sperm count. The long-term effects of repeated daily exposure is unknown. Dr Philippa Darbre, an oncology researcher at the University of Reading, has suggested that the parabens in anti-perspirant deodorants could cause breast cancer. She has expressed concern about the frequency with which some people apply these substances and their increasing use by children.
Fans: many deodorants are paraben-free. Other substances in them, such as aluminium, act as preservatives and make parabens unnecessary. Parabens in cosmetics do not penetrate the skin intact. They are metabolised into non-oestrogens. Allergic reactions to them are rare.
Xylene
Found in lacquers and nail polish. Listed as xytol or dimethylbenzene. Used as a solvent.
Critics: this substance irritates the skin and respiratory tract. It may cause liver damage and it is narcotic in high concentrations.
Fans: if you stuck your fingers in it the fat from the skin would dissolve and it could irritate the respiratory tract causing a cough. It is safe in the quantities it is used in - you would have to be exposed to a lot to cause liver damage.
Triclosan
Found in deodorants, toothpastes, vaginal washes, liquid soaps and mouthwashes. It's an anti-bacterial agent. Not always listed on labels but if it is may be referred to as 5-chloro2-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)-phenol.
Critics: toxic dioxins are produced during the manufacture or incineration of this chemical. It is stored in human breast milk and in fish. It may upset the functioning of normal bacteria which keep the body healthy. It can break down in water to create a member of the dioxin family.
Fans: during the production process this chemical should be made using a sealed system so that workers are not exposed to dioxins. Levels in the environment are steady and are possibly declining. It helps to protect against gum disease when included in toothpaste.
Formaldehyde
Used as a disinfectant, germicide, fungicide, defoamer and preservative in deodorants, shampoos, hand wash and nail varnish. Listed as formalin, formal and methyl aldehyde.
Critics: it is a suspected human carcinogen - it has been found to cause lung cancer in rats - and it may cause asthma and headaches. It irritates the eyes, upper respiratory tract and mucous membrane. It can damage DNA, and people can become sensitised to it after repeated exposure. It is banned in Sweden and Japan.
Fans: its use is restricted in cosmetics because it can be an irritant. It is an effective preservative in substances such as nail hardeners and the products in which it is used are labelled as containing formaldehyde.
Alkylphenol ethoxylates
Used in shampoos, hair colours and shaving gels as surfectants to lower the surface tension of liquids so they can foam or penetrate solids. Listed as nonylphenol or octylphenol.
Critics: research indicates that alkylphenol ethoxylates are hormone disruptors and are extremely toxic to fish. They may be carcinogens and cause damage to the central nervous system. They can also cause asthma, eczema and skin irritations. They build up in body fat faster than they can be broken down. Several alkylphenols are listed internationally to be phased out.
Fans: it has been almost entirely phased out in the cosmetics industry but still exists in one brand of shaving foam (the spokesman for the CTPA can't divulge which) and that too is being phased out. Thousands of tonnes a year of this chemical used to be produced for the cosmetics and other industries.
Now its production is down to a few kilograms. Its usage in the cosmetics industry will soon be zero.
Perfume/parfum
Thousands of different chemicals are permitted to be used in perfume and they do not have to be listed on the product label.
Critics: fragrances have been linked to breathing difficulties and allergies. A typical cosmetic can contain 50-100 chemicals in the perfume. About 2,600 chemicals are commonly used in perfume; 95% of chemicals used in perfumes and as fragrances in cosmetics are synthetic compounds derived from petroleum. Because perfumes are of low molecular weight they can easily penetrate the skin. Twenty-six of these chemicals are on an EU hit list, including isoeugenol, a floral-smelling compound in many high-street brands and oak moss, a lichen which grows on trees.
Fans: listing every chemical present in perfume would lead to a label far bigger than the bottle it was describing. A small number of chemicals which can prove problematic to people with allergies are to be clearly labelled under new EU rules. Listing every ingredient in perfume would also make it open season for counterfeiters.
Alpha hydroxy acids
Used as skin smoothers and sometimes labelled as triple fruit acids, lactic acid, sugar cane extract or glycolic acid.
Critics: the acids act as a mini-chemical peel, and the peel strips away some of the outer layers of the skin which help the body to protect itself against the sun. Just a few applications can decrease protection by 30% and increase the risk of damage by ultraviolet radiation and the absorption of chemical ingredients never meant to penetrate the skin.
Fans: a 30% change is quite small and the skin will only become slightly more sensitive to the sun. Discussions in the EU are under way about whether these products should include a sun filter or say on the label that people should use one.
Paraphenylenediamine
Used as black hair dye, and the only chemical which produces true black hair colour.
Critics: it is a powerful allergen which can cause a severe reaction on the scalp.
Fans: dark hair dyes are essential to many women. We know this chemical can cause problems, and the product contains warnings to discontinue use if allergy problems occur. People who get a severe allergic reaction have often already had a mild reaction to the product but have failed to heed the warning signs and continue to use it.
Contacts:
Women's Environmental Network:
www.wen.org.uk and 020 7481 9004
Cosmetic, Toiletry & Perfumery Association:
www.ctpa.org.uk and 020 7491 8891
Friends Of The Earth:
www.foe.co.uk and 020 7490 1555
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