Introduction

You've been dying to try that new shampoo that’s supposed to make your hair thick, lush and shiny. You can’t wait to use that new exfoliating scrub because the label tells you that it’s going to make your skin soft and glowing. You love that new cologne, every time you wear it you get so many compliments on how great you smell!

You love these products and how they make you look and feel, but did it ever occur to you that what you put on your hair or your skin could make you sick? Did you know these products contain chemicals, toxins and hormones that can cause anything from an unsightly rash to learning difficulties to birth defects and even cancer? Even though each product may contain a limited amount of these toxins, please keep in mind, most people use several products each day, from the moment they wake up ( soap, shampoo, conditioner, shave cream, deodorant, toothpaste, hand soap, make up) until they go to bed. After many years of daily use, these toxins accumulate in your body to cause the ailments I've listed above, among many others. If they cause these concerns for adults, just imagine the damage they can do to children who are smaller and weigh less. Although each product you may use may contain a restricted amount of chemicals, hormones and toxins, they can, and many times they do cause a myriad of damage to us all.

Not only are these beauty products toxic for humans, they are toxic to the environment, as well. Many of these products are made with petroleum based ingredients which contributes to global warming. Did you know that if you switch just one bottle of a petroleum based product for a vegetable based product we could save 81,000 barrels of oil in one year. How’s that for incentive to switch?

So now you decide it’s time to go “green”, you go to the health food store and purchase “Organic” or “Natural” products and you no longer have to worry about these concerns….or do you?

I have a favorite website: http://www.safecosmetics.org/, which is an online cosmetics-safety database for consumers, called "Skin Deep". Skin Deep highlights ingredients in beauty products that may pose safety risks in humans. Skin Deep is maintained by the nonprofit Environmental Working Group (EWG). It lists ingredients in over 27,000 products, a small chunk of the personal-care products on the market, considering most of us use 15 or more cosmetic and toiletry products each day. I recently found an online article from the Seattle Times which states "The personal-care products we use contain 10,500 different chemicals, according to the Seattle-based Toxic-Free Legacy Coalition." That's a large amount of chemicals in most of the products offered on America's retail shelves.

I think Skin Deep is a great tool. I encourage you to go onto this site and punch in any of the products you use. Skin Deep will tell you how toxic the product is on a scale of zero to ten, and what concerns these toxins cause. I went to the Natural Products Expo East, this past September and after I came home with my "goodie bag" full of products, I went onto Skin Deep to see how these “Natural” products rated and I was amazed how high some of these products scored on the scale. Just because a product claims to be "natural" or "organic" doesn’t mean there aren’t any toxins, chemicals, hormones or synthetic ingredients lurking among the "natural" goods you just purchsed .

A little bit about myself: My name is Julie and I am a product junkie (cosmetics, hair care and the like). I love beauty products and I love to shop. I'm a very young and immature 40, and I have a wonderful husband and a beautiful four year old daughter. I have been recycling for several years, my favorite home cleaning products are baking soda and vinegar and I try to buy organic foods (most of the time..unless the organic strawberries are $7 a pint). I have been concerned about toxins and hormones in our food for a long time, but just recently became aware of the same concerns in my beloved beauty products. I am concerned about the health of my family and my planet, and I am now obsessed with informing you and your family of the dangers of these seemingly harmless products.

The point of this blog: Now that I am committed to buying the least toxic products, how do I know if these low-toxic or earth friendly products work, how do I know if they're any good? Unfortunately, we have no way of knowing how good or bad these products perform, until we spend our hard earned cash and buy it. With that being said, I thought I would make it easy for everyone and take advantage of my love of shopping. I am going to buy a couple of products per week, try them out for a week or two, then give you my critique about whether I think the product is worth purchasing or if I would not recommend the product to you. I will also keep price in mind, (some of these products are pretty expensive), so I will let you know, even if I like the product, whether I think it’s worth the price. I am going to focus on products that score low (0-2) or moderately low (3-4) on the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics scale. I also hope that you feel comfortable sharing your opinions with me. I have added a space for comments so if you have tried a product that scores low on the Skin Deep/ EWG scale, please share your opinion with me. If you would like me to try a product, let me know what it is and I'll try it. The only thing I ask of you is that you are honest, if you are affiliated with a company, please disclose your affiliation to the company you are reviewing.

Thanks,
Julie

Friday, January 25, 2008

The Dangers of Triclosan

I'm changing things up a bit today....I want to share an email I received from the EWG. If you are interested in sharing your thoughts, please don't hesitate to add a comment. Enjoy!

Triclosan: It may not be a household word, but there is little to no chance that you haven't come into direct contact with it in your home--while washing your hands, brushing your teeth or applying deodorant or face cream. Now that cold season is in full effect, the "antibacterial" soaps in which triclosan is often found may seem like a great idea. But hold it right there:

Researchers warn that triclosan, a chemical used as an antimicrobial and preservative, acts as an endocrine disruptor. Exposure to endocrine disruptors can lead to early puberty, serious reproductive issues and breast cancer. Triclosan's hormone-mimicking behavior could also be responsible for harming aquatic wildlife, since this chemical is washed into our waterways.

A 2001 study published in the American Journal of Infection Control found triclosan (or triclocarban, which is very similar and also used as an antibacterial in cosmetics) in 76 percent of liquid soaps and 29 percent of bar soaps on the market. The study also found that there are few documented benefits of triclosan. Given the possibility for microbial resistance, widespread consumer use is worth questioning.

The Skin Deep cosmetic safety database assigns triclosan a hazard rating of 7 (with 10 being the highest hazard rating and 0 the lowest) because of its links to cancer and endocrine disruption, and its ability to irritate organs and bioaccumulate (meaning build up and linger in humans or the ecosystem). Triclosan is restricted for use in Canada and Japan, and the European Union labels it “Irritating to eyes and skin; Dangerous for the environment; Very toxic to aquatic organisms.” Even the FDA showed concern about the use of triclosan in products that are not immediately washed off the skin in a September 2007 letter to Proctor and Gamble.

So why is triclosan in L’Oreal skin cream, Johnson & Johnson's Kids' Hand Soap, Ahava Aftershave and countless other products used daily by men, women and children in the United States? Because cosmetics companies can use ingredients that cause harm and/or have never been tested, and retailers can sell products that contain these risky ingredients--and it's all legal, according to the U.S. government.

Our advice for cold season: Wash your hands frequently with triclosan-free soap and warm water.

Our advice for long-term health: Ask a mega-retailer to help stem the demand for products that contain triclosan. Even if the U.S. FDA has no real power at the moment, Wal-Mart and its huge purchasing power do. E-mail the company or bring a letter to your local store manager asking that the retailer add triclosan to the list of hazardous chemicals addressed under its new Business Sustainability plan.

Learn more about the risks of endocrine disruption:
Natural Resources Defense Council’s endocrine disruptor fact sheet
Breast Cancer Fund’s report, The Falling Age of Puberty in U.S. Girls

Get all the dirt about toxic cosmetics in Stacy Malkan’s new book, Not Just A Pretty Face: The Ugly Side of the Beauty Industry. Click on the book cover icon on our homepage to purchase the book, and the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics will receive 15 percent of the book sale. We’re a non-profit coalition, so your support really helps!

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Posted by Julie at 2:04 PM

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