Consumer Alert: Deadly Cosmetics

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Cosmetics and personal care products are made from numerous chemicals and there is growing but not totally convincing evidence that some of these ingredients are dangerous. Today, I’m going to offer my “be on the lookout for” warning about the top 10 substances you should try and avoid.

In the interest of fairness, these substances are legal and regulators in charge of such things do not consider them dangerous at least when used in cosmetics. However, there are some compelling reasons I’ll share below that some of these ingredients are problematic. When at all possible, they should be avoided.

Aaron Tabor, MD is an anti-aging, weight loss, and nutritional cosmetic expert. Check out his Beliefnet blog here.

Phthalates

Phthalates are used in many cosmetics and perfumes and even medical products (like blood transfusion bags and tubing). There are numerous chemicals in this family and while government regulations allow them in cosmetics and perfumes, the EPA has published a toxicity summary on these ingredients and even states that exposure of young ones to these phthalates is “of concern for children’s health.”

The EPA report mentions that phthalates have been associated with rashes, colds, birth defects, cancer, liver damage, lung disorders, and skeletal abnormalities. One study in mice found that excessive exposure to these chemicals resulted in exencephaly (brain growth outside the skull).

Fragrance

“Fragrance.” This seemingly harmless term on a product label may be most dangerous of all since manufacturers can use it as a catch-all to describe any or all “masking agents” intended to camouflage an undesirable odor in the product. The FDA allows manufacturers to call certain ingredients “fragrances,” “flavors,” or “other ingredients” without disclosing them as a type of trade secret. This means that a whole laundry list of chemicals may get an exemption from disclosure so you do not know what you are using!

The FDA gets to find out what the product contains, but not you and I, the consumers. All companies have the right to disclose all ingredients without hiding behind the “fragrance” designation, so I have to assume that a company that goes to the trouble to get an exemption to conceal ingredients with a “fragrance,” “flavoring,” or “other ingredients” label must be trying to hide something from me