Saturday, June 28, 2008

"The Dirty Dozen" of Cosmetics

Now that I've shared some products that I believe are good for your skin, I want to share with my readers some of the chemicals that are not. Health advocates have identified twelve ingredients (known as "The Dirty Dozen") that consumers should try to avoid, whether they are found in an "organic" or "natural" product or not.

1. Antibacterials
Label alert: triclosan
Here's a simple fact about washing: you wash with soap and water to get dirt and germs off your hands. So why do you need to kill germs if they are no longer present? Antibacterial soaps can be harmful to the environment when overused. They kill non-resistant bacteria, leaving resistant strains to proliferate (think MRSA). Triclosan, the active ingredient in hand sanitizers, has been detected in breast milk, and one recent study found that it interferes with testosterone activity in cells.

2. Coal Tar
Label alert: FD&C Blue 1, FD&C Green 3Coal tar is a known human carcinogen, meaning it is "directly involved in the promotion of cancer or in the facilitation of its propagation" (according to Wikipedia). This is one ingredient you may not see listed on packaging, because it's often present in other forms. You want to look out for coal-tar-based dyes such as FD&C Blue 1, used in toothpastes, and FD&C Green 3, used in mouthwash. Coal tar is also used as an active ingredient in dandruff shampoos and anti-itch creams.

3. Diethanolamine (DEA)
Label alert: DEA, lauramide diethanolamine, coco diethanolamide, cocoamide diethanolamine or coconut oil amide of diethanolamine, lauramide DEA, lauric diethanolamide, lauroyl diethanolamide, lauryl diethanolamide
DEA and its chemical variants are common ingredients in cosmetics and shampoos, where they are used as to create a creamy texture and foaming action. DEA is a possible hormone disruptor, is a possible carcinogen, and depletes the body of choline (which is needed for fetal brain development).

4. 1,4-Dioxane
Label alert: ingredients that include the terms "PEG," "-xynol," "ceteareth," "oleth," and most other ethoxylated "eth" ingredients; sodium laureth sulfate
This is the same chemical I wrote about in my last blog entry, an ingredient that many "organic" companies are being sued for including in their products. 1,4-Dioxane is a known animal carcinogen and a possible human carcinogen that can appear as a contaminant in products containing the chemicals listed above. Manufacturers can remove dioxane through a process called vacuum stripping, but a small amount usually remains.

5. Formaldehyde
Label alert: diazolidinyl urea, imidazolidinyl urea, quaternium
You read that right. The same preservative we use to keep dead things from smelling can be found in baby soap, nail polish, eyelash adhesive, and hair dyes as a contaminant or break-down product of diazolidinyl urea, imidazolidinyl urea, and quaternium compounds. As you can imagine, formaldehyde has a long list of adverse health effects, including immune-system toxicity, respiratory irritation, and cancer in humans.

6. Fragrance
Okay, this one's tricky, because not all fragrance is bad. The problem is that the catchall term "fragrance" may mean phthalates, which act as endocrine disruptors and may cause obesity and reproductive and developmental harm. Look for essential-oil fragrances instead.

7. Lead and Mercury
Label alert: hydrated silica, lead acetate, thimerosol
Neurotoxic lead may appear as a naturally occurring contaminant of hydrated silica, one of the ingredients in toothpaste, and lead acetate is present in some brands of hair color. Brain-damaging mercury, from the preservative thimerosol, can be found in some mascaras and vaccines.

8. Nanoparticles
Label alert: zinc oxide, titanium dioxide
Microscopic nanoparticles, which may penetrate the skin and damage brain cells, are rising in popularity with manufacturers of cosmetics and sunscreens. Most problematic are zinc oxide and titanium dioxide nanoparticles, used in sunscreens to make them transparent. When possible, look for sunscreens containing particles larger than 100 nanometers. You'll probably have to call companies to confirm sizes, but a few manufacturers have started advertising their lack of nanoparticle-sized ingredients on labels.

9. Parabens
Label alert: methyl-, ethyl-, propyl-, butyl-, isobutyl-parabens
Parabens are common preservatives that appear in a wide array of toiletries. A study found that butyl paraben damaged sperm formation in the testes of mice, and a relative, sodium methylparaben, is banned in cosmetics by the European Union. Parabens break down in the body into p-hydroxybenzoic acid, which has estrogenic activity in human breast-cancer cell cultures.

10. Petroleum Distillates
Label alert: petroleum, liquid paraffin
Possible human carcinogens, petroleum distillates are prohibited or restricted for use in cosmetics in the E.U. However, you can find it in U.S. brands of mascara, foot-odor powder, and more. Remember that petroleum means oil, so eliminating these ingredients from your medicine cabinet helps us become a little less dependent on fossil fuels.

11. P-Phenylenediamine
Label alert: 1,4-Benzenediamine; p-Phenyldiamine, 4-Phenylenediamine
Commonly found in hair color, this chemical can damage the nervous system and cause lung irritation and severe allergic reactions. That's why the instructions on hair color always tells you to do a patch test first. Now you know why I'm no longer a redhead!

12. Hydroquinone
Found in skin lighteners and facial moisturizers, hydroquinone is neurotoxic and allergenic, and there's limited evidence that it may cause cancer in lab animals. Unfortunately, It may also appear as an impurity not listed on ingredient labels.

I found this information in The Green Guide, a magazine from National Geographic. They offer a wallet card that you can download and carry in your purse for quick reference at the drug store. You can also visit Skin Deep to check the other hard-to-pronounce ingredients in your favorite products.

Thanks again for reading, and stay healthy!
Jenny

Saturday, June 14, 2008

Companies I Love: Arbonne International

When it comes to skin care, the label "organic" doesn't always mean what you might expect. Avalon Natural Products, Whole Foods Market California, Beaumont Products, and Nutribiotic are currently being sued by the Attorney General of California for containing 1,4-Dioxane, a known carcinogen. Jason, Kiss My Face, Nature's Gate, Juice, Giovanni, Head, Dessert Essence, and Ikove are also facing a lawsuit for incorrectly using the word organic to describe their products.

I recently became an Arbonne International independent consultant. I want my readers to know that right up front. But the reasons I decided to become involved are the same reasons I'm featuring the company and its skin care products in my sustainable living blog.
  • Arbonne products are botanically based.
  • None of their products are tested on animals, and everything is 100% vegan. There are no animal products or by-products in any of the formulas.
  • Arbonne products do not contain dyes or chemical fragrances. As my sponsor and best friend Ashley Fuchs explains, "If the product smells like a lemon, it's because it has lemon in it."
The company's motto, "pure. safe. beneficial." really means that. And as the lawsuits I mentioned earlier demonstrate, skin care companies misuse labels all the time. "People get really caught up in words like organic and chemical-free, but even plants contain chemicals. A store-bought product may be pure, but not beneficial or safe," Ashley points out. The Arbonne website adds, "Many botanical ingredients used in Arbonne’s products are organic, from the perspective of having been grown without harmful chemicals or pesticides. Not all ingredients are available as organic which is why we cannot make such a claim. Know that we always choose organic when it is available."

The more I find out about Arbonne, the better I like it. I did have one question for Ashley, though. Why are the products so expensive? "They're actually less expensive than you think," she answered, "because they last for months. There are no fillers; it's pure ingredient." Apparently, many companies use filler ingredients to increase the volume. Ashley explains, "A large bottle of your average lotion may contain a small percentage of pure ingredient, but the rest is waxes and mineral oils, so you have to use a ton of it."

On a personal note, Ashley continues, "I believe in paying for quality. My body is not the place for me to cheap-out. You have to make a conscious choice to honor your body as a precious machine. The skin is the largest organ in your body, so you're saving money in the future by keeping it healthy."

I have to agree. If anyone wants to know more, feel free to email me. I enjoy promoting companies whose products I believe in.

Namaste,
Jenny

Friday, June 6, 2008

Update on Mosquitoes and Cats in the Garden

I finally procured a copy of the "Request for Exemption from Adult Mosquito Control Services" form. It's rather anti-climactic in that there is no essay question asking you to explain why you don't want your area sprayed. (Okay, maybe I'm the only one who would actually want to write that essay.) You simply fill out your name, address, and phone numbers, add your signature, and then mail it to the Department of Agriculture.

The form is supposed to include a page that explains what the Maryland Department of Agriculture's policy is toward people like me who don't want our yards sprayed with adulticides. Of course, this page is missing. According to the Department's website, however, "an individual may have his/her owned or leased property excluded from nuisance mosquito control. This exclusion will include a buffer of approximately 300 feet around the property."

As for getting my neighbors involved, I haven't taken that step yet. But the website does say that "if the number of individual objectors and/or the location of the excluded property precludes an effective mosquito control adulticide service for a community, the service will be suspended." In other words, if I convinced enough people to object, our entire neighborhood would be excluded from spraying.

By myself, I cannot cover the entire development, which contains approximately 3700 homes. So I have decided that my next step will be to contact my homeowner's association board of directors and ask them to address it. I hope to find someone on the board who agrees with my point of view. Again, I'll update my blog with what happens next.

As for the cats in the garden, I've found that if I refresh the orange peels once a week or so, the felines stay away. Now if only citrus worked to repel the slugs and snails who are eating my purple dragon. But I have some tricks up my sleeve for them as well.

Thanks again for reading!
Jenny

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Odenton, Maryland, United States