What to Look for in a Product Label

Written by Brandy Siegler, Wellness Specialist

Americans are looking for toothpastes, shampoo and makeup that won’t poison them – or the planet. Americans slather, scrub, polish and perfume with wild abandon, choosing from an array of gels, creams, pastes and foams. Thousands of products promise fresher breath, whiter teeth, glossier hair and clearer skin. Fortunately, today more and more cosmetic companies are looking for ways to avoid long lists of chemical ingredients and are starting to create products that are better for our bodies and the planet.

Your body is intimately familiar with the alphabet soup of ingredients in your body care products. All chemicals penetrate the skin, some in “significant amounts,” says RuthWinter, author of A Consumer’s Dictionary of Cosmetic Ingredients.

Allergies – ranging from itchy skin to burning, watery eyes – are common reactions to cosmetics, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. Studies show that one in 10 people experience adverse reactions to cosmetics in their lifetime.  Some cosmetics can make it difficult to breathe, especially for asthmatics. Toluene, a chemical detected in every fragrance sample tested in a 1991 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) study, can trigger asthmatic attacks and cause asthma in healthy people.

A 2003 study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found more than 116 different chemical compounds, including dioxins (byproducts of

chlorine that have been linked to cancer) and phthalates that impair our reproductive function, in a wide range of personal care products used regularly by

adults and children.

             When it comes to cosmetics, the terms, “organic” and “natural” can mean almost anything. Only a few personal care products actually meet the criteria of the U. S. Department of Agriculture’s “certified organic” label.  So how can you read through the hype and hoopla to decipher what’s safe? Arm yourself with information and read ingredient lists. The bottom line? You don’t have to give up your primping: The quick guide below, “What’s in a Body Care Product?” identifies chemicals to avoid and recommends safer ingredients.

 WHAT’S IN A BODY CARE PRODUCT?

Each day, the average American uses nine personal care products with 126 chemical ingredients, ranging from harmless components, such as table salt and oatmeal, to chemicals known to cause cancer in humans. To help you decipher the gobbledygook of ingredient labels, below is a list of chemicals to avoid and some safer alternatives:

COLORING AGENTS

• Choose NATURAL, Lose ARTIFICIAL: Look for ingredients made from vegetable dyes and insect husks, such as henna, annatto, beta carotene, and chlorophyll. All FD&C and D&C colors are made from coal tar, which contains many toxins.

FRAGRANCE

• Choose PURE ESSENTIAL OILS, Lose SYNTHETIC: Choose oils that have been

steam-distilled or pressed from the petals, leaves, rinds and barks of plants. Avoid

products labeled “essence,” “perfume” or “fragrance” oil – these are imposters.

Most of the 3,000 synthetic fragrance ingredients available have never been tested. A

1991 EPA study tested 31 fragrances for toxicological properties; many of the products’

chemicals were found in the EPA’s own toxic substances list.

THICKENERS

• Choose VEGETABLE OILS AND WAXES, Lose PETROCHEMICALS: Many chemicals used to thicken body care products can cause skin irritation, and some have been linked to other chronic problems, including central nervous system disorders, reproductive problems, birth defects and cancer. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health lists the ubiquitous body care chemical, propylene glycol (also known as 1, 2-propanediol), as a neurotoxin. These suitable replacements for mineral oil also are renewable: sweet almond, beeswax, grape seed and jojoba oils, and glycerin.

PRESERVATIVES

• Choose SAFER PRESERVATIVES: Grapefruit seed extract; phenoxyethanol, potassium sorbate, sorbic acid, vitamin E (tocopherol), vitamin A (retinyl), and vitamin C (ascorbic acid) cause the least irritation and fewest allergic reactions.

• Lose FORMALDEHYDE: Formaldehyde is used in nail polish, nail hardeners, soap, shampoos and deodorants as a cheap fungicide and preservative, but researchers have found that formaldehyde causes cancer in rats and damages DNA. Sweden and Japan have banned use of formaldehyde in cosmetics.

FRILLS

• Choose PHTHALATE-FREE: Phthalates cause a broad range of birth defects in laboratory animals and are particularly damaging to the male reproductive system, reducing sperm count and causing testicular malformations. In 2002, the EWG (Energy Working Group) tested 72 name-brand cosmetics and found phthalates in nearly three out of four samples.

With educated attention to our purchases we can make choices that will ensure our health and that of the planet.  To obtain a selection of natural products you may visit my website at www.shaklee.net/wellnesswithbrandy or by calling 814-643-3768.

The Huntingdon Health and Wellness Association makes no medical claims or recommendations.  Check with your doctor about your specific health care needs.