TOXIC INGREDIENTS in Skin Care Products

Cream Industry Ingredients – Appalling Findings

On my way home I was stopped by cosmetic products distributor and given samples of face cream manufactured by a very famous skin care product company. While looking at the sample, I noticed that there was a warning saying that you need to avoid contact of this cream with your eyes and if it happened there was a recommendation to rinse your eyes thoroughly.

This warning made me start exploring the cream’s content and that is what I found out.  The image of the back of the cream container is enclosed in this report. For courtesy reasons, we will not disclose the company or company’s brand name. However, we would encourage you to pay close attention when buying any skin care products, even if they are manufactured by a well-established and respected company.

There are a few ingredients specified on a cream label that are a subject of serious concerns.

1)ISOHEXADECANE

1. Isohexadecane is classified as expected to be toxic or harmful. Suspected to be an environmental toxin and be persistent or bio-accumulative.

2) Dimethicone

1. Dimethiconeis a synthetic oil made from two different types of silicon polymers, D4 and D5. It is used primarily as a skin and hair conditioner. Manufacturers like it because it adds a gliding feel to lotions and creams. It also forms a lasting barrier on the skin that can fill in fine lines and wrinkles.

The downsides to this ingredient are many:

1. Silicone and its derived ingredients are occlusive, meaning they don’t let oxygen through.

2. Dimethicone reduces normal and necessary skin functioning. The artificial coating of dimethicone on the outside of skin interferes with the skin’s natural ability to eliminate toxins coming out of the body. Recent studies show that prolonged exposure of the skin to its own sweat, because of occlusive substances like dimethicone, can cause skin irritation and impair cell development.

3. The European Union has found D4 to be an endocrine disruptor based on evidence it interferes with human hormone function and as a possible reproductive toxicant that may impair human fertility. Lab animal experiments using high levels of D5 have caused uterine tumors and harm to the reproductive and immune systems. D5 also showed an ability to influence neurotransmitters in the nervous system.

4. Dimethicone is not biodegradable. In Canada this ingredient has been shown to be persistent in the environment and to accumulate in aquatic organisms. Environment Canada and Health Canada have proposed adding D4 and D5 to the “List of Toxic Substances” and to limit the quantity of D4 and D5 in personal care products.

5. Prolonged exposure to dimethiconecan actually increase skin irritation, due to the coating property and because dimethicone is listed as a possible skin and eye irritant. Those with sensitive or reactive skin are at risk of an allergic reaction to dimethicone.

3) Phenoxyethanol

1. The Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) on phenoxyethanolstates that it can cause skin and lung irritation. It’s also toxic to the kidneys, nervous system, and liver, and repeated, long-term exposure can cause organ damage. It notes that toxic effects can occur through inhalation, skin exposure, and ingestion.

4) Disodium EDTA

1. EDTA is a chemical created from the combination of formaldehyde, sodium cyanide, and ethylene diamine. This chemical is added to many sodas, processed foods including sandwich spreads, salad dressings, sauces and numerous canned or pickled foods.

2. There is limited data about the true safety of EDTA in food and cosmetics. Some advocates of the preservative state that the chemical does not reach a level of toxicity in humans until 2.5 – 3 grams and may be considered to be a danger when consumed for several consecutive days. Additionally, some scientists suspect that it is a persistent organic pollutant (POP). In that case, each intake would only be partially excreted, while the remaining part builds up in the body. Thus, long-term exposure to disodium EDTA would potentially create toxicity in the body. Environmental lists have similar concerns regarding the eliminated portion of the POP and its inability to be broken down.

3. When used as a medicinal chelating agent there are several possible adverse effects. There is the possibility of depletion of important metals/vitamins, hypotension, headaches, migraines, abdominal discomfort, and the lowering of blood sugar. More troubling is the long-term risks of toxicity and kidney damage. An additional concern is attributed to the unknown side effects of the possible build up in the body over time.

As a whole, people are using more artificially preserved items now than ever before in history. The collective overuse of many toxic and carcinogenic chemicals creates a problem for researchers in ascertaining which destructive substances are responsible for specific long-term side effects.