Ingredients to be aware of in our personal care products and their possible effects

60% or more of what we apply to our skin will end up in our bloodstreams according to medical research.  We're able to prevent pregnancies, relieve pain, lower blood pressure and so much more now with the use of patches applied to the skin.  It shouldn't be surprising to any of us that what we put on the outside will end up on the inside.

Our choices for safer products are growing.  For hair and body care, consider using Burt's Bees (with the exception of their Poison Ivy soap which contains coal tar).  Their line is affordable, easy to find, and does not contain many of the potentially harmful chemicals found in most products.  For the face, a preservative-free skincare line that uses both nutrient and bacteriostatic water is best. 

EWG.org is an excellent site to learn more about products and ingredients to be aware of. 

Shampoos
Diethanolamine (DEA or TEA), Propylene Glycol, Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLS), Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES), Benzyl/Benzene.

Conditioners
Diethanolamine (DEA or TEA), Propylene Glycol.

Toothpastes
Flouride, Sodium Flouride, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS), Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES).

Mouthwashes
Alcohol, Flavoring, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS).

Deodorants
Aluminum, Butane, Propane, Propylene Glycol, Talc.

Shower Bars/Gels, Soaps
Diethanolamine (DEA or TEA),
Bentoic/Benzyl, Sodium Luryl Sulfate (SLS),
Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES).

Shaving Cremes/Gels
Diethanolamine (DEA or TEA), Propylene Glycol,
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS), Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES).

Bubble Bath
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS), Sodium Laureth Sulfate
(SLES), Bentoic/Benzyl, Diethanolamine (DEA or TEA).

Cosmetics & Fragrances
Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP)

Feminine Products & Color Cosmetics
Talc, Toulene.

Nail Polish
Toulene

Ingredients by Name ...

Sodium Laurel Sulfate (SLS)
It's cheap...It foams a lot...It thickens with salt.

Industrial Uses:  Harsh Floor Cleaners, Engine Degreasers, Car Wash Detergents, Laundry Detergents.

Personal Care Products:
Toothpaste, Shampoos, Body Gels, Bubble Baths, Facial Cleansers,
Baby Wipes, Baby Shampoos & Bubble Baths.

SLS can damage the immune system; causing separation of skin layers
and inflammation of skin.
-Journal of the American College of Toxicology; Vol. 2, No. 7, 1983

SLS penetrates into the skin and into the eyes, and is also held in the brain,
heart and liver. A single drop stays in the brain and body for a few days -   
       Doctor's worry: Is your baby safe?
-By David L. Kern, New health and longevity

SLS is a mutagen. It is capable of changing the information in genetic material
found in cells. SLS has been used in studies to induce mutagen in bacteria.
-Higuchi, Araya and Higuchi, school of medicine, Tohoku University: Sendai 980 Japan

SLS is a potent carcinogen when contaminated with a nitrosamines.
-FDA Report 1978

Propylene Glycol
Industrial Uses:
Anti-Freeze, Brake and Hydraulic Fluid, Paint, Floor Wax.

Personal Care Products:
Shampoos, Hair Conditioners, Hand and Body Lotions,
Skin and Beauty Creams, Deodorants.

Implicated in contact dermatitis, kidney damage and liver abnormalities;
can inhibit cell growth in human tests and can damage membranes causing
rashes, dry skin and surface damage.
-From Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)

Propylene Glycol causes significant number of reactions and was a
primary irritant to the skin in low levels of concentrations.
-The American Academy of Dermatologists Inc, Jan 1991

May be harmful by inhalation, ingestion or skin absorption. May cause eye irritation. Exposure can cause gastro-intestinal disturbances, nausea, headache and vomiting, central nervous system depression.
-From Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)

Fluoride
Flouride is linked to 10,000 cancer deaths yearly.  Flouridation is also
responsible for 40 million cases of arthritis, dental deformity in 8 million
children and allergic reactions in 2 million people.
-Dr. Dean Burke and Dr. John Yiamouyiannis, National Cancer Institute, USA, 1997

Research from St. Louis University, the Nippon (Japan) Dental College and
the University of Texas show that fluoride has the ability to induce tumors,
cause cancers and stimulate tumor growth rates.
-from Spotlight, May 1992

The NTP (National Toxicology Program) tests comfirmed what the Burke -
Yiamouyiannis tests showed - fluoride is carcinogenic. Flouride causes
bone cancer and increases the rate of oral cancer.
-from Spotlight, May 1992

Alcohol
Mouthwash Danger
Mouthwashes with an alcohol content of 25% of higher have been
implicated in mouth, tongue and throat cancer.
- Winn DM et al. Mouthwash in the etiology of oral cancer in Puerto Rico.
        Cancer Causes Control 2001 Jun;12(5):419-29.

Alcohol acts as a solvent in the mouth making tissues more vulnerable to carcinogens.
- Blot WJ et al. Oral Cancer and Mouthwash.
  Journal of the National Cancer Institute. 70. 1983.

Men had a 60% higher risk and women a  90% higher risk of these cancers
compared to those not using the mouthwash.
- National Cancer Institute 4/22/91

Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP)
Phthalates were found in every fragrance tested and approximately 70% of all cosmetics tested. A study by the CDC, Centers for Disease Control, discovered that phthalates were present in every single person tested for the compound.  Phthalates are believed to cause major reproductive damage to women and especially to the male fetus of pregnant women.  Kidney and liver damage can also be the result of exposure to phthalates.

Talc
Talc is a very fine substance, so fine it can be used as a "dry" lubricant.Talc is a chemical similar to asbestos, a known cancer causing substance. Talc is found in many "baby and body" powders, feminine powders and many cosmetics. It's also used as a lubricant on condoms! While it makes your skin "feel" slippery smooth, talc does so much more.How does talc keep babies and your private parts so "fresh"? Presumably by clogging the pores that secrete those necessary fluids. Also, those fine little particles manage to get into the system. And being similar to asbestos is not comforting, especially when used on babies and genital areas.Talc's harmful effect on human tissues has been known for quite some time. Long ago, its dry lubricating properties were used as a glove-donning powder (easy to slide on) for surgical gloves. As early as the 1930's, talc was linked to post-operative granulomatous peritonitis and fibrous adhesions.
-from Candace Sue Kasper, MD and Dr. P. J. Chandler
 
Talc ... (on condoms) ... may result in fallopian tube fibrosis with resultant infertility.
Question raised by Doctors Kasper and Chandler in Journal of the American Medical
Association. (JAMA) 3/15/95-from Nutrition Health Review, Summer 1995 n73p8(1)

"A possible tie between talcum powder and ovarian cancer, long suspected because of talc's chemical similarity to asbestos, was strongly supported last week when a study found a higher risk of the cancer among women who used feminine deodorant sprays. The study, published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, found that women who used talcum powder in the genital area had an increased ovarian cancer risk of 60% and women who used feminine deodorant sprays had a 90% increased risk."
In 1994, the FDA conducted a scientific workshop on the issue and did not
find enough of a casual link to justify even a consumer warning.
-from The University of California, Berkeley Wellness Letter, April 1993 v9n7p1(2)

Aluminum
Found in Deodorants - Aluminum is a metal, the third most common element in the environment and a toxin in the body. You'll find it in processed foods, antiperspirants, antacids, paper products, beverage cans, foil and cookware.
World Health Organization conducts studies on chemical pollution and the elderly... "There is a suspected link between Alzheimer's disease and the toxicity of aluminum... autopsies have found high concentrations of the metal in the brain of people who had suffered from the disease."
-from Public Health Reports, Nov-Dec 1993 v108n6p798(2)

Studies linking aluminum to Alzheimer's disease... "The evidence is strong enough that the prudent person will eliminate all food and cosmetic sources of aluminum and will use aluminum cooking utensils only if they are coated," suggests Gary Price Todd, MD, author of Nutrition, Health and Disease.
-from Natural Health, May-June 1993 v23n3p54(2)

Dr. Daniel Perl, Director of Neuropathology at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York, suggests "...avoid aerosol antiperspirants. Aluminum in aerosol may be more readily absorbed into the brain through nasal passages."
-from The University of California, Berkeley Wellness Letter, April 1993 v9n7p1(2)

"Aluminum-containing antiperspirants are designed to be absorbed, and studies show that regular use of these products can raise the risk of Alzheimer's by as much as three-fold. (also)...municipal water supplies treated with alum (aluminum sulfate)
...at least 7 studies show that people drinking water high in alum are
more likely to develop Alzheimer's"
-from Natural Health, May-June 1993 v23n3p54(2)