In our “Cancer Be Gone!” post, Tela and I encouraged our readers to make a small change by eliminating of one toxic ingredient from their daily routine in an effort to help protect kids from cancer causing substances in the home. As a follow-up to that post, I wanted to share an article from Greenwala that details 17 of the most toxic ingredients in personal care products. I found #4 to be particularly important since I have asthma and my son has an uncommon breathing problem:
4. Fragrances – The sneaky thing about this term is that it can be composed of over 200 other ingredients which can cause a variety of symptoms including headaches, rash, dizziness, skin irritation. This ingredient is so unregulated that cosmetics companies don’t even have to list what is in their fragrances. Many fragrance ingredients are chemically-based, neurotoxin, and allergenic. Hundreds of different chemicals may be used in its manufacture. Many fragrance chemicals are also phthalates.
I found #8 to be compelling as well, since talc has been banned in Europe where it is considered toxic:
8. Talc - This is an ingredient that clogs pores and causes skin irritation. It has been linked to cancer and respiratory problems. (Has been banned in Europe and is closely related to asbestos). Several studies have established preliminary links between talc and pulmonary issues, lung cancer, skin cancer and ovarian cancer. This is a major concern considering talc’s widespread commercial and household use. In 1993, a US National Toxicology Program report found that cosmetic grade talc caused tumors in animals, even though it contained no asbestos-like fibers. Scientists have been aware of the toxicity of talc since the late 1960s, and in 1971 researchers found particles of talc embedded in 75 percent of the ovarian tumors studied. However, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) considers non- asbestiform talc, that is talc which does not contain potentially carcinogenic asbestiform amphibole fibers, to be Generally recognized as safe (GRAS) for use in cosmetics.
Making just a few simple changes to your daily routine is a great start in eliminating dangerous chemicals and toxic ingredients from your home. The list from Greenwala gives us the information we need to get started. Click here to read the article and see the entire list of toxic ingredients.
This is a great article Jennifer! I encourage everyone to read the entire list on Greenwala. It’s surprising how toxic some of the ingredients can be – even in products made specifically for babies! Unfortunately the regulation that is in place to protect us is somewhat dated and does little to keep these harmful chemicals out of our everyday products. Take Action Today and support the Safe Cosmetics Act of 2010: http://safecosmetics.live2.radicaldesigns.org/article.php?list=type&type=36