chambersmatrix2


 * The sustainability issue with personal "care" products. **



Many of us use personal care products, such as soap and shampoo to keep ourselves clean, yet the chemicals used in these products end up in our bodies and in our water supply. The average American uses 10 personal care products each day (Walsh 2010).

//Products that keep us "clean"// Packaged shampoo and soaps contain toxins that are putting our health at risk, even for childrens' bath products. Many of these chemicals are made from petroleum-byproducts with known toxicities.

Researchers at the National Institutes of Health have found a correlation between the chemical methylisothiazoline (MIT) found in shampoos such as Head and Shoulders, Suave, Clairol, and Pantene Hair Conditioner and neurological damage. This chemical is just one of the large amount of chemicals found in name-brand personal care products. Another study published in the Journal of Toxicology has linked a correlation between breast cancer and parabens (Wadham 2010).

These chemicals are also found in cosmetics. Lead has been found in lipstick, and in kids' face products. A small study found that adolescent girls in the U.S. have sixteen different chemicals from four different chemical classes in their blood and urine. Several of these chemicals affect the functionality of hormonal systems. These include phthalates, triclosan, parabens, and musks. According to the //Story of Cosmetics//, there is mounting scientific research that supports the fact that chemical exposure to these products are highly linked to breast cancer, testicular cancer, childhood cancers, birth defects, ADD, and others that have been rising recently.

//Effects on Drinking Water// Many soap and shampoo products release carcinogen-forming products into our drinking water. A report by the UK's Royal Society of Chemistry reported that synthetic chemicals from these products end up going through filtration systems at water purification plants. One of these chemicals includes phthalates, a family of chemicals "linked to reproductive problems in men and wildlife, and parabens, which are linked to breastcancer" (General Health News). These chemicals' breakdown products are also not well understood. A study on hormone-disrupting chemicals in treated wastewater detected triclosan, bisphenol A, and 4 of 5 phthalates in three samples of treated wastewater in San Francisco Bay (Sutton 2007).

These chemicals have been found to affect wildlife. Man-made hormone-disrupting chemicals have caused male fish to have immature eggs in their testes. Damaging the health of fish species can have a profound effect on the health of aquatic ecosystems, as well as the humans that consume them (Sutton 2007).

//Why is this occurring?// Improvements in technology have improved some aspects of our lives, but is it really worth the health risk to have toxics in our products? Since the 1950s, we've undergone a revolution (mostly by using petroleum-byproducts) to synthetic products that reflect our cultural obsession with beauty. Government subsidies have encouraged companies to use these chemicals on the market. U.S. chemical regulations were created before scientific evidence was established to identify the harmful substances in our products.

The FDA is "supposed" to be taking care of this sector of. Yet, the FDA spends more time approving prescription drugs than researching the toxicology of products like shampoos, soaps, deodorants, and personal fragrances. The FDA handbook allows manufacturers to use any chemical they want in their products (even if it is listed as a toxic waste chemical by the EPA), with the exception of a few color additives and disallowed ingredients. Therefore, a cosmetic company may use any chemical they want in their products and market the product without approval (FDA). There are also two huge loopholes in labeling laws: companies don't have to tell us what's in fragrance and they also don't have to tell us about the contaminants or byproducts that are used.

//Solutions// A viable solution would be to update the Toxic Substances Control Act. The current system of chemical regulation is "not designed to identify and act against chemicals that can harm the hormone systems of people, fish, and wildlife" (Sutton 2007). Recently, there has been an effort to do so. The Safe Cosmetics Act of 2010 has recently been introduced into the House of Representatives. If passed, it will disallow manufacturers to hide any chemical information on their products and establish a fair system to assess the safety of the products and get rid of the toxics. Passing this won't be easy, since the cosmetic industry has lobbied and put forth a lot of money to halt the bill. Industry claims that the bill is not based on credible and established principles (Walsh 2010). It will be the responsibility of citizens to fight for this legislation's approval.

Also, buying products which do not contain these chemicals can make a difference because it is a form of "voting with your wallet." This will create a larger demand for products without these dangerous chemicals.

Links:

[] - A campaign website for the Safe Cosmetics Act. The goal is to phase out the carcinogenic substances out of our products.

[] - A 7-minute film revealing the contaminants in many cosmetics and calls for the support of legislation for securing the safety of cosmetics and personal care products.

[] - Interviews with scientists and professionals in the cosmetics industry about changing the way beauty industry is regulated.

[] - A natural alternative to shampoo that uses only baking soda and apple cider vinegar.

Table 1- List of some hormone-disrupting chemicals in products (Sutton 2007)

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