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Cosmetics and chemicals..... 

Just because it's legal, does that make it safe?

You may have heard it argued that all the cosmetics on sale in the UK are safe - this claim seems to be made simply on the basis that all the ingredients in these products have been approved under European Regulation.  

Incredibly, certain banned substances can creep in due to certain loop holes in the law which allows products to contain traces of these chemicals if they cannot be "reasonably removed before or after manufacture".

It is also true to say that many of the chemicals commonly used in skin care products are known to be carcinogenic or cause hormone disruption when tested on animals.  It is also true to say that there is no conclusive evidence that these harmful effects occur in humans when exposed to the same chemicals in skincare and household products.

However, as long ago as 2003 Dr Vyvyan Howard, a toxicologist at Liverpool University was quoted thus in the Guardian newspaper - "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."

With a growing number of reported cases of allergy, skin irritation, dizziness, dermatitis and other unpleasant effects experienced by people using products containing a wide range of chemicals, caution seems a sensible approach.  

Many organisations have expressed concern at the lack of regulation in the cosmetics industry and you can read more by using these links:

Women's Environmental Network:
www.wen.org.uk 

Greenpeace
www.greenpeace.org.uk 
Friends Of The Earth:
www.foe.co.uk 

Our position at Nature's Recipe is this... Why take the risk? Especially when nature provides us with perfectly good, and usually superior, alternatives.  Another question we have asked ourselves is... Just because it's legal does it make it safe?  It seems to us that modern history is peppered with substances that were once legal and considered safe until long-term research pointed up difficulties. 

In the opposite column are just some of the ingredients over which a large question mark is hovering - check your own products and especially those of your children - we're sure you won't have to look very far to find some if not all of them!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our Mission: Natural, Sustainable, Affordable

 

 

 

Here's a list of ingredients you WON'T find in Nature's Recipe formulas and why....

Artificial colours

As with artificial fragrance, artificial colours are commonly linked with skin irritation and allergic reactions.  There are also some artificial colours that have been linked with attention deficit disorder (ADD) and hyperactivity in children.

 

Artificial fragrance aka parfum

These are present in a huge majority of products and are listed under the term 'parfum'.  Children are particularly sensitive to these substances and can easily develop allergies to them.  They contribute nothing to the effectiveness of a product except the smell. There are over 700 chemicals which can be used to make a fragrance ingredient. A typical shampoo fragrance is created by mixing up to 100 of these chemicals together. You can avoid these chemicals by choosing products fragranced with pure essential oils which are often chosen for their therapeutic properties as well as their wonderful natural aroma.

 

DEA, MEA or TEA

This is a colourless liquid or crystalline alcohol which is used as a solvent, emulsifier or wetting agent and can also be used as an emollient in personal care products.  The problems occur when this combines with an ingredient that acts as a nitrosating agent, such as 2-bromo-2-nitro-propane1,3-diol.  There is evidence showing that they are carcinogenic in animals although there is no proven link in humans.

 

Formaldehyde aka formalin, formal and methyl aldehyde, DMDM Hydantoin and Urea-Imidazolidinyl.

This is a toxic, colourless gas that is an irritant and a carcinogen.  It is used, when combined with water, as preservative, fixative or disinfecting agent.  It is found in many cosmetic products including deodorants, shampoos and hand-washes.  The US Environmental Protection Agency states that formaldehyde can irritate the eyes, nose and throat and may also trigger asthma in sensitive individuals.  It's use is restricted in many countries.

 

Lanolin

Lanolin is fatty substance extracted from wool and is often used in cosmetics for its skin soothing and softening properties.  However lanolin is a known skin sensitiser and can often be found to contain inorganic substances such as sheep-dip.  This low level of sheep-dip would most probably be accepted under EU legislation as being a trace chemical that cannot be "reasonably removed before or after manufacture".  Organophosphates, which are used in sheep dip, have been linked to excessive tiredness, headaches, limb pains, disturbed sleep, poor concentration, mood changes, and suicidal thoughts.

 

Methylisothiazolinone aka MIT

MIT is a preservative/bactericide.  Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh have expressed concern after their research has shown that MIT can effect the growth of developing nerve cells.  Of particular concern is the effect on foetuses and young humans coming into contact with this chemical through the use of personal care products.  It is as yet inconclusive whether the amounts found in cosmetics is potentially harmful.

 

Parabens

Used as a preservative in a huge number of cosmetics and toiletries, this group of chemical work by inhibiting enzyme activity.  Traces of parabens have been found in tumours in human breast tissue although a link with breast cancer has not been proven.  

 

Parabens have been shown to have an estrogenic effect - that is to say that they mimic hormones earning them the name 'gender benders. One of the group, propyl paraben has been shown to adversely affect male reproductive function by decreasing sperm production - this at the daily intake level deemed acceptable under EC law!! (S Oishi "Effects of propyl paraben on the male reproductive system" 2002)

 

Mineral Oils and Petroleum derived ingredients

This group of chemicals are all derived from crude oil and are used, in the main, to form an oily film over the skin to lock in moisture.  Unfortunately these substances also inhibits normal respiration of the skin and may trap toxin, that would otherwise be naturally expelled.  Mineral oils are found in a vast array of products, most worryingly perhaps, in baby oils and balms.

 

Petrochemicals used include compounds such as propylene glycol, (known to cause contact dermatitis), SD alcohol and benzene.  Benzene is used as a solvent and is present in nail polishes.  It is a highly toxic substance even in tiny quantities and has carcinogenic properties.  

 

Phthalates aka DBP, DMP, DEP

There have been links made between decreased fertility, hormone disruption and faulty reproductive development as highlighted by the Women's Environmental Network (link is opposite column).  They are found in lipstick, nail varish and hairspray to add flexibility.  Phthalates are often not listed on the ingredients panel as they can be listed under the umbrella term 'parfum'.

 

Sodium Lauryl Sulphate aka SLS

SLS is found in around 90% of commercial shampoos including those marketed specifically for babies, as well as in toothpastes, bubble baths and shower gels. 

 

It is a caustic cleanser that can cause irritation to the scalp, eyes and skin.  More worrying still, according to the Woman's Environmental Network there is evidence to suggest that SLS causes detrimental effects to the reproductive system and damage to the liver, lungs and immune system.