"Most cosmetics and personal care products manufactured by mainstream and multilevel marketing (MLM) industries are a veritable “witches brew” of multiple known carcinogenic ingredients and contaminants.
However, no such information is disclosed to the public.
Apart from a few complete products which themselves are carcinogenic, such as talc, there are two major classes of carcinogenic ingredients. The first includes those ingredients that are carcinogenic themselves, which are know as the “frank” carcinogens. The second groups are those “hidden” carcinogens that, while not carcinogenic themselves, may under certain conditions have carcinogenic properties.
Over 40 carcinogens used in mainstream cosmetics/personal care industry are “frank” and over 30 are “hidden”.
While the identity of the “frank” carcinogens, besides other ingredients, is listed on the product labels, the alphabet soup of complex chemical names conveys no meaningful information whatsoever, on their cancer risks to the unsuspecting consumer. Still less revealing are the “hidden” carcinogens to which there is no reference on ingredient listings. As such, their presence is unrecognized by the majority of chemists, toxicologists and cancer prevention experts, let alone consumers.
“Hidden” carcinogenic ingredients fall into four major groups:
• Common carcinogenic contaminants of otherwise non-carcinogenic ingredients
• Non-carcinogenic ingredients which, by interaction, are precursors of nitrosamines
• Non-carcinogenic ingredients which break down in the product itself or on the skin to release “frank” carcinogen formaldehyde.
• Even less well recognised “hidden” carcinogenic ingredients are those in fragrance, scents and perfumes, also present in many household products, for which there are no requirements for any ingredient listing
Most Cosmetics and Personal Care Products (CPCPs) contain a wide range of “frank” and “hidden” carcinogens. For example, permanent and semi-permanent black and dark brown hair dyes are a mix of a wide range of “frank” carcinogens, notably “coal tar dyes”, and “hidden” ingredients, including formaldehyde releasers and ethoxylated alcohol detergents. Cosmetic talc is a unique “frank” carcinogen which is also the near exclusive ingredient of talcum powder.
It should be further noted that seven of these “frank” carcinogens have also been shown to induce genetic damage in experimental animal and human studies summarized by the IARC, and for this reason these ingredients are classified as “genotoxic carcinogens”. This is particularly important as even the mainstream petrochemical industry admits that there is no way for determining thresholds or safety levels for exposure to genotoxic carcinogens.
Genotoxic Carcinogens include:
• Aflatoxin
• Arsenic
• 1,4-Dioxane
• Ethyl Oxide
• Formaldehyde
• Lead
• Nitrosodiethanolamine
Apart from “frank” and “hidden” carcinogens, there are many other non-carcinogenic ingredients and products which under the right conditions can promote or enhance the effects of unrelated carcinogenic exposures. These include propylene glycol sodium lauryl sulphate, sodium hydroxide, sodium fluoride, alpha-hydroxy acids, and chemical sunscreens."
Products are sold on a platform of beauty, health and hope, little does the general public realize the false promises and downright lies the hype covers up.
This alarming situation is being allowed to continue unabated due to the enormous financial power wielded by vested interests. Governments and regulating bodies are basically powerless to stop new chemicals being produced and marketed with little or inadequate testing. More often than not, testing is for acute reactions only and no testing is carried out for any long term health implications on humans over a period of many years. Also alarmingly no tests are done on the synergizing effects of these chemicals when two or more chemicals react within the body.
A team of thousands of scientist working around the clock would not even keep up with new chemicals coming onto the market let alone be able to cope with every combination of the 75,000 plus chemicals already in common use!
Recent tests carried out on 289 women in the US found residues of the chemical Dibutyl-phthalate in ALL the women! (Environmental Working Group Report 2000) Further a patchwork of studies indicate that virtually every man woman and child in the US and the UK today carry 100 or more residues of chemicals in their bodies! This horrifying situation is continuing to spiral out of control.
It is only you that can do something about it! If you care about your health and the health of your loved ones then YOU must reduce your exposure to chemicals in food and in personal care products you and your family use on a daily basis.
Frank Carcinogens
Benzyl Acetate
Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA)
Butylated Hydroxytoluene (BHT)
Butyl Bezylphthalate
“Coal Tar Dyes” D&C
Red 2,3,4,8,9,10,17,19&33
Green 5
Orange 17
“Coal Tar Dyes” FD&C
Blue 1&2
Green 3
Red 4&40
Yellow 5&6
Blue 1,2&4
Diaminophenol
Disperse Blue 1
Disperse Yellow 3
Nitrophenylenediamine
p-Phenylenediamine (following oxidation)
Phenyl-p-phenylenediamine
Crystalline Silica
Diethanolamine (DEA)
Dioctyl Adipate
Ethyl Alcohol
Fluoride
Formaldehyde
Glutaral
Hydroquinone
Methyl Chloride
Polyvinyl Pyrrolidene
Pyrocatechol
Saccharin
Talc
Titanium Dioxide
Hidden Carcinogens Contaminants
Aflatoxin: in peanut oil and flour
Arsenic and Lead: in coal tar dyes polyvinyl acetate, PEGs Polyethylene glycols
Chloroaniline: in Chlorhexidine
Crystalline Silica: in amorphous silicates
DDT, Dieldrin, Endrin and other organochlorine pesticides in lanolin
Hydrogenated cottonseed oil, quaternium-26
DEA (diethanolamine); in DEA Cocamide/lauramide condensates, quaternium-26
1,4-Dioxane: in ethoxylated alcohols including PEGs, oleths,choleth-24
Ceteareth-3, lauryths, polysorbates60 & 80, nonoxynol
Ethylhexylacrylate: in acrylate and methylacrylate copolymers
Ethylene oxide: in PEGs, oleths, ceteareth-3, lauryth, polysorbate 60 & 80
Nonoxynol
Formaldehyde: in polyoxymethylene urea
Nitrosamine (NDELA) Precursors
Bromonitrodioxane
Bronopol (2-bromo-2-nitropropane
Diethanolamine (DEA)
DEA-Cocamide, Lauramide & Oleamide condensates
DEA-MEA/Acetame
DEA-Sodium Lauryl Sulphate
Diethanolamide-Cocamide, Lauramide & Oleamide condensates
Methaneamine
Morpholine
Padimate-O (octyldimethyl para-amino benzoic acid)
Pyroglutamic Acid
Triethanolamine (TEA)
TEA-Sodium Lauryl Sulphate
Formaldehyde Releasers
Bronopol
Diazolidinyl Urea
DMDM-Hydantoin
Imidazolidinyl Urea
Metheneamine
Quaternium-15
Sodium/Hydroxymethylglycinate
Extracted from Dr Epstein’s book “Unreasonable Risk”
Who is Dr Samuel Epstein?
Dr Epstein has published 260 peer reviewed scientific articles and has authored 4 books
• "The politics of Cancer" 1978
• "The Politics of Cancer Revisited" (1998)
• "GOT (Genetically Engineered Milk) Milk!" The Monsanto Milk Wars Handbook
• "Unreasonable Risk" an expose of the cosmetics and personal care industry
Dr Epstein has also co-authored seven books, including :
• "The Mutagenicity of Pesticides" (1971)
• "Drugs Of Abuse" (1971) Genetic and Other Chronic Non-Psychiatric Hazards
• "The Legislation of Product Safety" (1974) Consumer Health and Product Hazards
• "Hazardous Wastes in America" (1982)
• "Cancer In Britain" (1983) The Politics of Prevention
• "The Safe Shoppers Bible" (1995)
• "The Breast Cancer Prevention Program" (1998).
Dr Epstein has contributed numerous articles and editorials and letters to leading national newspapers and past committee and society involvements include: chairman of the Air Pollution Control Association Committee on Biological Effects of Air Pollutants; President of the Society of Occupational and Environmental health; Founder and Secretary of the Environmental Mutagen Society; Advisor to a wide range of public interest, environmental, citizen activist and organized labour groups; Co-Chairman of the Commission for the Advancement of Public Interest Organizations (CAPIO); and President of the Rachel Carson Council, Inc.
More recently Dr Epstein presented draft "Legislative Proposals for Reversing the Cancer Epidemic" to the Swedish Parliament in December 1998 and to the UK All Parliamentary Cancer Group in June 1999.
Dr Epstein is perhaps the most qualified research scientist in the world when it comes to the harm being caused by toxic ingredients found in everyday products bought over the counter. He has been warning industry and the public alike for many years the spiraling rate of cancer is largely due to the "alphabet soup" of chemicals we are exposed to on a daily basis. Mostly his warnings have fallen on deaf ears as companies compete with each other to manufacture ever more chemicals to use in this multi billion pound industry.
Posted by proutist-universal on February 27, 2005 04:17 PM