If Looks Could Kill: Is Your Beauty Regimen Putting You at Risk for Cancer?

Want to avoid becoming part of the cancer epidemic? Here’s a good rule of thumb: If you wouldn’t eat it, perhaps you shouldn’t rub it on your skin.

Of course, this is oversimplified – many natural cosmetics are not items you’d want to ingest, but the principle is sound. Why? First of all, because your skin is permeable, and it’s only 1/10th of an inch thick! So anything that you put on your skin has easy access to your bloodstream. Secondly, many of these chemicals cause toxic vapors that pose a severe risk when inhaled. Add this to the steam of the shower, and those vapors have even easier access to your lungs.

What are the seven most dangerous chemical additives in cosmetics?

List compiled by:  Environmental Working Group, and EcoWatch 

Phthalates: scientific studies link phthalate exposure to reproductive abnormalities in baby boys, reduced testosterone and sperm quality in men, and early puberty in girls. Animal experiments underscore their toxicity to the reproductive system. Where might you encounter these harmful chemicals? In some cosmetics fragrance mixtures. Since the law doesn’t require full disclosure, you have no way to know when phthalates lurk in that bottle of lotion. To be on the safe side, buy unscented personal care products.

Formaldehyde releasers: Some cosmetics chemicals are designed to react with water in the bottle to generate a little formaldehyde, a preservative, to keep the product from growing mold and bacteria. But formaldehyde is a potent allergen which the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the World Health Organization consider carcinogenic. Formaldehyde releasers include DMDM hydantoin, imidazolidinyl urea, Diazolidinyl urea, and Quaternium-15. Where do you find them? Shampoos, conditioners, bubble baths, and other personal care products—even those intended for children. A 2010 study found that nearly one-fifth of cosmetic products contained a formaldehyde releaser. Johnson & Johnson, a personal care products giant, is phasing out formaldehyde releasers under pressure from health advocates. We hope other cosmetics makers will follow Johnson & Johnson’s lead.

Parabens: Used as preservatives in some cosmetic products, but so-called “long-chained” parabens can act as estrogens and disrupt hormone signaling. A recent study by scientists at the Harvard School of Public Health linked one type of paraben to impaired fertility in women. Johnson & Johnson agreed to stop using most parabens in 2012, but they are still found in numerous cosmetics. Read the labels carefully to spot products that contain parabens. (propylparaben, isopropyl paraben, butylparaben, and isobutyl paraben.)

Triclosan | Triclocarban:  Bacteria-killing chemical used in Colgate Total toothpaste (to prevent gingivitis), liquid hand soaps, body washes, clothing, cutting boards, and other household goods. It has been shown to interfere with thyroid signaling and male and female sex hormone signaling. Triclocarban is the active ingredient in some antibacterial bar soaps. Researchers have linked it to reproductive abnormalities in laboratory animals. Last month, the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that these chemicals should not be considered safe or effective in antibacterial soaps and body washes. It gave manufacturers time to substantiate their claims or phase them out of the market. Johnson & Johnson and Proctor & Gamble have already pledged to rid their personal care products of triclosan. We hope to see other companies do the same.

Retinyl palmitate | Retinoic acid: Used in anti-aging skin creams. Retinyl palmitate, a related chemical, is added to roughly one-quarter of the sunscreens in EWG’s Guide to Sunscreens database. U.S. government scientists have found that these chemicals speed the development of cancerous lesions on sun-exposed skin. The results suggest that people who go out in the sun while wearing retinyl palmitate creams and sunscreens may be at an increased risk for skin cancer. Instead of restricting these chemicals immediately, the FDA has ordered additional testing. EWG recommends that you avoid products containing retinoic acid and retinyl palmitate.

Hair straighteners with formaldehyde | formaldehyde-like chemicals: Some hair straighteners contain as much as 10 percent pure formaldehyde. The cosmetic industry’s scientific advisory board has warned against formaldehyde-based hair straighteners. The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration has issued warnings and fines to numerous salons that use them, exposing their workers to intense, and potentially cancer-causing, formaldehyde fumes. Some nations ban formaldehyde-based hair straighteners. Yet some small companies persist in making and selling them to unwitting consumers, and the FDA has failed to take punitive action. People wanting to straighten or “smooth” their hair, should find out if the salon uses a formaldehyde product known as methylene glycol. If it does, avoid it.

Lead acetate in men’s hair dye:  Lead acetate in some men’s hair dyes, such as “Grecian Formula” products, can increase the body’s lead level. Because lead is a potent neurotoxin, lead acetate is banned in Canada and the European Union. The FDA should restrict lead acetate in hair dyes. In the meantime, consumers can use EWG’s Skin Deep database to find lead-free hair dyes.

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What are the alternatives? 

So, what’s a woman to do if she doesn’t want to go totally granola and eschew all cosmetics? Let’s look at some homemade alternatives.

Coconut oil: I haven’t used lotion or commercial moisturizers for years, although I have heard some pretty good things about the organic brand Image Skin Care. Pure organic coconut oil can be used in about a million different ways. Here are some uses for cosmetic purposes:

• Facial moisturizer
• Moisturizing body wash
• Body lotion
• Deep conditioner for hair
• Cuticle treatment
• Makeup remover
• Lip balm
• Aftershave
• Deodorant (because of the antimicrobial qualities)
• Toothpaste (mix with baking soda)
• Sunscreen

Body scrub: A homemade body scrub can help exfoliate off the dead and dry skin just as well as the ones you buy at the store – and best of all, they won’t contain tiny particles of metal. Choose ingredients that nurture your skin, like honey, coconut oil, hemp seed oil, organic sugar, or sea salt. Mix 2 parts grit to 1 part oil, then add a few drops of your favorite essential oil for a decadent spa treatment. If you don’t want to make it, you can buy a decadent pineapple coconut sugar scrub already made for you.

Body wash: Forget those silly moisture beads that are full of petroleum products. Make your own quick and easy products. A great combo is seven parts of Castille soap (I like Dr. Bronner’s unscented) mixed with 1 part of oil (I like coconut oil or hemp oil) and scented with my own essential oils or a dash of vanilla extract. You will have to shake well each time you use this body wash because the ingredients will separate. (Soap companies add artificial emulsifiers to separate the components.) Your skin will be smooth and moisturized. If you don’t want to make it yourself, Earth Mama makes a lovely non-toxic orange-vanilla body wash,

Body butter: Body butters are lush and spreadable, and they don’t require chemical additives to be that way. It’s pure chemistry – you need a firmer product at room temperature mixed with a liquid product at room temperature. Figure out your ratio, add a natural fragrance, and boom! You’ve got body butter. An excellent combination is two parts coconut oil to 1 part hemp seed oil. This beautiful ready-made body butter contains peppermint, lavender, and green tea

Powder: Arrowroot flour makes a nice, light, relatively translucent powder.

Color: Cocoa powder can be lightly dusted on eyes for shadow. If you want to make the color even more subtle, mix it with some arrowroot powder.

Lip color: Mix cocoa powder with coconut oil to make a beautiful neutral color. The more cocoa you mix in, the darker the color. If you want it to be sweetly flavored like the store-bought colors, mix in a touch of honey. Since honey is a natural preservative, this will store for a long time.

Recommended companies

At the time of this publication and to the best of my knowledge, the following companies provide far healthier alternatives than the big, highly advertised companies that load little bottles full of poison. We all know that things can change quickly and quietly in corporate America, so always confirm the safety of the products with your own research.

Here’s a list of companies that do not use parabens, compiled by Breast Cancer Action.

• Afterglow Cosmetics
• Amurie Toxic-Free Products
• Aubrey Organics Skin, Body & Hair Care Products
• Au Naturel Botanicals
• Barefoot Botanicals
• Beauty Cosmedics
• Beauty Society
• Bésso de Natúra
• BienElla, LLC
• Blue Moon Herbals & Aromatics
• Botanical Skin Works
• Burt’s Bees
• Coastal Classic Creations
• Colby Organic
• Crystalux Personal Care Products
• Daisy Blue Naturals
• derma e Natural Bodycare
• Devita Natural Skin Care Systems
• Dr. Hauschka
• Earths Beauty Cosmetics
• Earth Mama Angel Baby
• EclipseSpa
• Eminence Organic Skin Care
• ENJOspa
• Evan Healy
• Ferlow Botanicals
• Free Of…Inc.
• Garden Girl Skin Care
• geoskincare
• Grateful Body
• Green Ridge Herbals
• Healing Anthropology
• Herbalix Restoratives
• Hylunia
• Illustre Essenza
• Image Skin Care
• Inspa Body Essentials
• Integral Sense
• Iredale Mineral Cosmetics
• Juice Beauty
• Julisis
• Kettle Care Herbal Body Products
• Kuumba Made
• Lafe’s Natural BodyCare
• LaLicious
• Larénim
• Lily Loves Pearl
• Living Nature Products
• Logona Cosmetics
• Mad Gabs
• Makeup Junky
• Mama Rose’s Naturals
• Mango Madness Skin Care
• Martina Gebhardt Naturkosmetiks
• Max Green Alchemy
• Miessence
• Mineralogie
• Monet Cosmetics
• Mountain Spirit Botanicals
• Morrocco Method
• MyChelle Dermaceuticals
• Natural Solutions–Holistic Beauty & Health
• Naturopathica
• Novaurora Organic Skin Care
• Organic Complexion
• Organic Excellence Hair Care Products
• Osea Skin Care
• Pristine Recovery
• Prophet Skincare
• Pure Radiant Energy, Inc.
• Real Purity Cosmetics
• Renewing You
• Restored Balance Herbal Products
• Rocky Mountain Soap Company
• Saje Natural Wellness
• Santé Kosmetics
• Sidlab Haircouture
• SMB Essentials
• Soap for Goodness Sake
• Spell Cosmetics
• Suki’s Naturals
• Sumbody
• Super Salve Company
• Susan’s Soaps & More Natural Skin Care Products
• Swissclinical Skin Solutions
• Talulah Skin Care
• Terra Firma Cosmetics
• Terressentials
• Tiny Pores
• Tom’s of Maine
• Trillium Organics
• UV Natural
• Valana Minerals
• WELEDA
• W3ll People
• Wingsets Aromatherapy
• Wood Sprite Natural Body
• XanGo Glimpse Skin Care
• ybf (Your Best Friend)

If you have questions about a favorite product that you don’t see on this list, the Environmental Working Group has compiled a fabulous collection of information on their website Skin Deep Database.

Reader Recommendations for Favorite Cosmetics

I asked the community on Facebook which cosmetic products they recommended, and this is a compilation of the top suggestions. Links to the company website are embedded. Some of these are quite pricey, but a little goes a long way. I’ve noticed that these products seem to last longer than their drugstore counterparts.

• Ecco Bella
• Korres
• Melaleuca’s Sei Bella
• Tarte
• Purminerals
• Everyday Minerals 
• Emani (vegan products)
• Eminence (these products are lovely but far out of my price range)

More information about toxins in our environments

Multiple Chemical Sensitivity: Victims of a Toxic Society

Our Chemical Lives And The Hijacking Of Our DNA: A Probe Into What’s Probably Making Us Sick

Campaign for Safe Cosmetics

10 Household Products You Never Have To Buy Again