From the category archives:

Personal Care

Alcohol

Industrial Uses:  Many
Personal Care Products:  Mouthwashes
Purpose:  Solvent (primarily)
Mouthwashes with an alcohol content of 25% or higher have been implicated in mouth, tongue and throat cancer.  Alcohol acts as a solvent in the mouth making tissues more vulnerable to carcinogens
Men had a 60% higher risk and women a 90% higher risk of these cancers compared to [...]

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Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHAs), Beta Hydroxy Acids (BHAs)

Industrial Uses:  None
Personal Care Products:  Acne Treatment/Medications, Skin Coloring Agents, Facial Cleansers, Exfoliators, Facial Moisturizers/Treatment, Foot Odor/Cream/Treatment, Other Skin Treatments, Anti-Aging Treatments, Pore Strips, Concealers, Eye Treatments, Foundations, Body Scrubs, Body Moisturizers, Anti-Itch/Rash Creams,
Sunscreens/Tanning Oils, Hair Regrowth Treatment, Liquid Hand Soap, Shampoo.
Purpose:  The acids are commonly used in products promoted as enhancing the youthful appearance [...]

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Aluminum

Industrial Uses: Processed Foods, Paper Products, Beverage Cans, Foil and Cookware
Personal Care Products: Deodorants, Antacids
Purpose:
Aluminum is a metal, the third most common element in the environment and a toxin in the body.

Alzheimer’s disease is now the 4th leading cause of death among the elderly, behind heart disease, cancer and stroke. A half [...]

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Avoidable Causes of Breast Cancer

Pesticides:

Breast cancer is associated with heredity (although this is disputed) and reproductive history (early menarche, no children, late menopause). The attempted association between breast cancer and a high-fat diet is now totally discredited by the Willits study at Harvard. However, there probably is a relationship with the contaminates concentrated in fats.
Organic [...]

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Coal Tar Colors

Personal Care Products:  Hair dyes and treatment shampoos
Purpose:  Hair colorants and to treat scalp conditions
Coal tar hair dye ingredients are known to cause allergic reactions in some people, FDA’s Lambert says.  Some consumers have reported hair loss, burning, redness, and irritation from hair dyes. Allergic reactions to dyes include itching, swelling of the face, and [...]

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Diethanolamine (DEA)

Industrial Uses:  Laundry Detergents, Dishwashing Liquid
Personal Care Products:  Shampoos, Body Gels, Hair Dyes, Facial Cleansers and Lotions, Baby Shampoos and Bubble Baths
Purpose:  Inexpensive, Makes Bubbles
DEA-based detergents are widely used in shampoos, lotions and creams.  Dr. Samuel Epstein, M.D., Professor of Environmental Science at the University of Illinois School of Public Health states that DEA is [...]

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Formaldehyde (aka. Formalin, methaldehyde, methanal, methyl aldehyde, methylene glycol, methylene oxide, oxomethane, oxymethylene, paraform, paraformaldehyde)

Industrial Uses:  Manufacturing of glues and resins and as a chemical intermediate.  Urea-formaldehyde and phenolformaldehyde resins are used in foam insulations, as adhesives in the production of particle board and plywood, and in the treating of textiles.
Personal Care Products:  Preservative in cosmetics, nail polish, vaccines and embalming bodies.  It is common to find formaldehyde in [...]

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Nitrosamines

One of the cosmetic toxins that consumer advocates are most concerned about are nitrosamines, which contaminate a wide variety of cosmetic products.  In the 1970’s, nitrosamines contamination of cooked bacon and other nitrate-treated meats in the food industry became a public health issue.  But today, nitrosamines contaminate cosmetics at significantly higher levels than were once [...]

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Parabens (Benzyl, isobutyl, butyl,n-propyl, ethyl and methylparabens, aka. Benzoic acid and many others)

Industrial Uses: As a food preservative in small quantities.
Personal Care Products:  Cosmetics and personal care products, such as shampoos, conditioners, hair styling gels, nail creams, foundations, facial masks, skin creams, and deodorants. Parabens can be an ingredient in baby lotions, shampoos, and other personal care products for children.
Purpose: Preservative.  Also found at low levels in [...]

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Personal Care Products

“Consumers believe that ‘if it’s on the market, it can’t hurt me’
and this belief is sometimes wrong”

-Director of FDA’s Office of Cosmetics and Colors (FDA 1998)

The FDA classifies cosmetics and personal care products, but does not regulate them.  In 1938, the FDA granted self-regulation to the Cosmetics, Toiletries and [...]

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