Carbon Black & Formaldehyde

Hey Guys! 

I am going to do one more series going through the details of two more ingredients that you need to be aware of in your personal care products. The second one is really, really important. And I bet you  never thought that it would appear in any of your household products. 

Starting with Carbon Black, a dark black powder used as a pigment in cosmetics such as eyeliner, mascara and lipstick. It is produced by incomplete combustion of carbon based products such as coal tar and has been linked to cancer.

Found in: eyeliner, mascara, nail polish, eye shadow, lipstick, blushers, rouge, makeup and foundation

On the Label: carbon black, D&C black no.2, acetylene black, channel black, furnace black, lamp black, thermal black

*Commercial carbon black has organic contaminants such as polycyclic acromatic hydrocarbons which are considered carcinogens. Exposure can lead to tumors on lungs, bladder and skin, reproductive and developmental toxicity.

*PAHs bind tightly to the surface of carbon black and can only be removed with the use of solvents such as toluene and using high temperatures.

-Those especially vulnerable include industrial workers and women

***Formaldehyde and Formaldehyde  Releasing  Preservatives

These chemicals help prevent microbes from growing in water based products.

Found in: Nail polish, nail glue, eyelash glue, hair gel, hair-smoothing products, baby shampoo, baby soap, body wash, color cosmetics

On the Label: Formaldehyde, quaternium-1, DMDM hydantoin, imidazolidinyl urea, diazolidinyl urea, polyoxymethylene urea, sodium hydroxymethyl glycinate -2-bromo-2- nitropropane-1,3 doil (bromopol) and glyoxal

What is it: A colorless, strong-smelling gas  used in a wide range of industries and products including building materials, walls, cabinets, furniture and personal care products.

*Longer storage time and higher temps increase the amount of formaldehyde released from the preservatives and raises health concerns.

Quaternium: The most sensitizing of the FRP’s (blush, mascara, lotion and shampoo)

DMDM Hydantoin- (lotion, sunscreen , makeup remover) one of the least sensitizing

*Diazolidinyl urea releases the most formaldehyde of any FRP

*** Don’t use expired products or those that have been stored in the sun

Share it with me!

Hey guys!!

I have a couple of things to share with you but I hope youve been tuning in to my blog series lately. It is so important to be aware of what sort of things are in your products (shampoo, conditioner,body wash, shavingcream, toothpaste, baby products, household cleaning products, perfumes and cologne.) I have started with a general overview of how to decipher the labels, then went into detail on a couple of ingredients that I know you use everyday. I personally,am pretty grateful to have found a company that I can buy anything I need from and know that it is safe; However, many of you might want to go through what you already have and decide what to keep, and what else you can get from the grocery store that is safer for you. That option is slightly trickier, but I can help you with that also. I would love to hear back from you all, share some things that you try to avoid and give me a list of some of the things that you use and what you would like to know about them.

Safe cosmetics: Triclosan & Parabens

Hey guys! To continue our discussion on harmful chemicals in our everyday products, I chose two chemicals that are super common in everything we use. I also chose two that affect everyone, because the first one is found in toothpaste, which everyone here should use.

 

The first chemical I want to talk about is Triclosan, which is commonly found in soaps as an antimicrobial. It also appears in toothpaste and tooth whitening products, deodorants and shaving creams.  Can be found on the label as Triclosan (TSC) or Triclocarbon (TCC).

Triclosan was originally made as a surgical scrub in the medical field, now it is much more common and instead of being used once in a blue moon for a medical procedure, sometimes it finds its way on our skin multiple times a day.

The main concerns regarding the use of Triclosan are endocrine disorders, particularly thyroid function.  Using an antibiotic or antimicrobial often is always a concern, and in this case producing Triclosan resistant bacteria may be an issue.

Triclosan is restricted in cosmetics in Canada and Japan. Triclocarban is restricted in cosmetics by the Environment Canada Domestic Substance List. The EPA also regulates Triclosan as a pesticide.

Parabens:

Parabens are a preservative used in a wide variety of personal care products and foods. These include shampoos, conditioners, lotions, shower cleaners and scrubs. We have the potential to absorb a TON of parabens in a day. You can find almost any type of personal care product that contains parabens.

These can be found on the label under Ethylparaben, Butylparaben, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Isobutylparaben, isopropylparaben.

Parabens have the ability to mimic estrogen, causing endocrine disorder concerns. Developmental and Repro issues are a concern as well.  Propyl and butyl parabens appear to reduce sperm production, however, methyl and ethyl do not.

Some forms of parabens are banned in Denmark for products intended for child use.

Look for Paraben-Free on the label!

So now, go look and see how many products in your kitchens and bathrooms contain Triclosan or some form of Parabens. Luckily, Paraben - Free products are becoming pretty common, unfortunately there are tons of chemicals that are not being weeded out just yet.