GHS Natural Health Blog

At present, the cosmetic industry selects from more than 5000 different ingredients. It’s no wonder consumers can be perplexed when they see the list. Here are some common cosmetic ingredients and their usual functions (active drug ingredients are not included).

Moisturizers function as a moisture barrier or to attract moisture from the environment:

• cetyl alcohol (fatty alcohol) – keeps oil and water from separating; also a foam booster
• dimethicone silicone – skin condition and anti-foam ingredient
• isopropyl lanolate, myristate, and palmitate
• lanolin and lanolin alcohols and oil – used in skin and hair conditioners
• octyl dodecanol – skin conditioner
• oleic acid (olive oil)
• panthenol (vitamin B-complex derivative) – hair conditioner
• stearic acid and stearyl alcohol

Preservatives and antioxidants (including vitamins) prevent product deterioration:

• trisodium and tetrasodium edetate (EDTA)
• tocopherol (vitamin E)

Antimicrobials fight bacteria:

• butyl, propyl, ethyl, and methyl parabens
• DMDM hydantoin
• methylisothiazolinone
• phenoxyethanol (also rose ether fragrance component)
• quaternium-15

Thickeners and waxes used in stick products such as lipsticks and blushers:

• candelilla, carnauba, and microcrystalline waxes
• carbomer and polyethylene thickeners

Solvents used to dilute:

• butylene glycol and propylene glycol
• cyclomethicone (volatile silicone)
• ethanol (alcohol)
• glycerin

Emulsifiers break up and refine:

• glyceryl monostearate (also pearlescent agent)
• lauramide DEA (also foam booster)
• polysorbates

Color additives:

Synthetic Organic colors derived from coal and petroleum sources (not permitted for use around the eye):

- D&C Red No. 7 Calcium Lake (lakes are dyes that do not dissolve in water)

Inorganic pigments – approved for general use in cosmetics, including for the area of the eye:

- iron oxides
- mica (iridescent)

Hair Dyes – phenol derivatives used in combination with other chemicals in permanent (two-step) hair dyes:

• aminophenols

pH adjusters stabilize or adjust acids and bases:

• ammonium hydroxide in skin peels and hair waving and straightening
• citric acid – adjusts pH triethanolamine pH adjuster used mostly in transparent soap

Others:

• magnesium aluminum silicate absorbent – anti-caking agent
• silica (silicon dioxide) – absorbent, anti-caking, abrasive
• sodium lauryl sulfate – detergent
• stearic acid – cleansing, emulsifier
• talc (powdered magnesium silicate) – absorbent anti-caking
• zinc stearate – used in powder to improve texture, lubricates.

Source: FDA (www.fda.gov)

There is a new report linking health risks and birth defects with a chemical used in popular cosmetics, gives a long overdue awakening to the FDA, consumers and the beauty industry.

Say if you’ve just got out of the shower this morning, blow-dried your hair and sprayed you hair with a bit of VO5 you’ve just poisoned yourself a little bit. If this is a regular routine in your life then it will eventually build up to immaculate amounts.

But it’s not just VO5 that could make you sick. Try Secret Sheer Dry deodorant, or the suitably named Poison, a perfume by Christian Dior. In fact, 52 popular cosmetics are now proven to have toxic components in varying concentrations — and they’re all over the place.

A report released jointly July 10 by Coming Clean, the Environmental Working Group and Health Care without Harm details the extent to which a toxic family of chemicals known as phthalates (THAY-lates) are used in everyday household products, especially beauty products like nail polish, lipstick and perfumes.

The report, titled “Not Too Pretty: Pthalates, Beauty Products and the FDA,” has its basis in a 1999 FDA study of toxins in the general population of the U.S. From a sample of 1,029 people, every one of them tested positive for phthalates in their blood or urine. Scientists at the Centers for Disease Control singled out a subgroup of 289 people with a particularly high incidence of phthalates: women of childbearing age. These women were found to have daily exposures of phthalates ranging from 2.5 to 22 times the normal for the rest of the general population, with 5 percent showing levels of 75 percent or higher of the acceptable daily amounts.

Judging from the 5 percent of women with dangerously high test results, it can be assumed that every day, as many as two million women of childbearing age are exposed to toxic levels of phthalates.

Phthalates have been shown to cause a wide array of health problems, from liver and kidney failure to heart, lung and blood pressure problems. The most worrisome aspect by far is the phthalates’ effect on the reproductive development of fetuses and infants, particularly the reproductive tracts of males.

Phthalates are metabolized in humans once ingested or absorbed through the skin. In pregnant women, phthalates pass through the placenta to be absorbed by the fetus. In nursing women, phthalates are found in breast milk, which means infants are ingesting these chemicals as they develop. In male fetuses — and infants especially — the phthalates have been shown to cause testicular atrophy and a reduced sperm count, among other serious health problems.

Dr. Stephen Safe of Texas A&M University notes that some in the medical community have expressed concerns about phthalate exposure and human health. “It’s hard to be specific until more medical data is available,” Dr. Safe says, “but if people have concerns, they should limit their use of these products.”

The HCWH report is the first to document and link the deleterious effects of phthalates to male reproductive development. Women of childbearing age were shown to be the most at-risk demographic, and it is reasonable to attribute this in large part to one fact: the beauty industry. According to Charlotte Brody, executive director of HCWH, “With all the variables involved, the only one that doesn’t apply on a large scale to both men and women is the use of cosmetics.”

Global Pollutants

Phthalates are plasticizers. In cosmetics, they are used to add texture and luster to the product. Ninety percent of the world’s plasticizers are used to soften PVC (vinyl) and make it pliable. The other 10 percent have been used in many kinds of manufacturing for 30 years, beginning with medical products like IV bags, gloves and blood bags, but also paints, lubricants, adhesives, toys, food containers, and, of course, cosmetics.

The use of phthalates in manufacturing is widespread, and has such a long history that phthalates have wormed their way into every corner of the globe. Traces are present in virtually every person on the planet. The phthalate DEHP has been found in Antarctica and in deep-sea jellyfish 3,000 feet below the ocean’s surface.

Different phthalates can be found in consumer products like shower curtains, umbrellas, adhesives, children’s toys, and countless other manufactured goods. PVC, being incredibly cheap to produce, is the preferred product for the world’s manufacturers. With phthalates, you can easily turn PVC into any number of products.

Turning the Tide

Since the FDA does not regulate the use of pthalates in cosmetics and beauty aids, manufacturers are not required to disclose them as ingredients.

Says the report: “Taken as a whole, the lab results indicate that a substantial fraction of cosmetics companies may be hiding phthalates on store shelves within the containers of their products, with no warning for pregnant women who might want to avoid purchasing products that contain chemicals linked to birth defects.”

DEHP, the primary phthalate found in medical supplies, has been found toxic in studies of patients who spend considerable amounts of time in hospitals, mainly newborns and the elderly. But other phthalates, including DEP, DBP, BBP, DCP, DOP and DINP, were last studied nearly 20 years ago.
 
According to FDA spokesperson Kimberly Rawlings, “Phthalates were shown to be safe for topical use in 1984, and there have been no further studies by the FDA on this subject since then.”
In a recent Dallas Morning News story on phthalates and the cosmetics industry, Rod Irvin, a spokesman for the American Chemistry Council’s Phthalate Esters Panel, said that “[p]hthalates are among the most-studied products out there. They have a long record of safe use, with no reports or evidence of harm to human health.” Additionally, the industry group has spent “millions” studying the compounds and has found no reason for concern.

In November 2000, the Environmental Working Group released a report that stated, “Phthalates are recognized as toxic substances under environmental law, but companies are free to use unlimited amounts in cosmetics.”

The FDA in the past has considered each of these phthalates separately when studying their toxicity. If you’re a dialysis patient, then you’re at risk for poisoning because you’re getting twice the amount of DEHP recommended with each visit. That’s bad. But if you’re a dialysis patient and you wear a lot of makeup and spend a lot of time playing with your grandchildren and their toys, your exposure could be deadly.

Not in the many-faceted eyes of the FDA, though. Its consideration of disparate exposure to phthalates is the main loophole manufacturers use to claim that phthalates are safe. Without recognizing that all members of the phthalate family accumulate to cause the same health problems, phthalate manufacturers are able to claim that each individual chemical is not harmful at the documented levels.

HCWH tested 72 of the following kinds of cosmetics: Nail polish, fragrances (perfumes, body oils, etc.), hairsprays, deodorants and lotions. Fifty-two of these contained phthalates as ingredients, though none were listed on the labels. Most of the pthalate-containing products are household names: Aqua Net Professional Hair Spray; Degree Original Solid Deodorant; Nivea Créme lotion; Elizabeth Arden’s Red Door fragrance; Calvin Klein’s Eternity perfume.

As Brody of HCWH points out, this is just the beginning: “It’s impossible to know without testing which products contain phthalates. Just because some of the lotions we tried tested negative doesn’t mean [all lotions are] clean.” Until the manufacturers are required to label phthalates, there’s no way to know for sure.

Early Warnings

This is only the latest in a long series of warnings about the dangers of phthalates, which have been used extensively since the early 1970s. The biggest commotion over phthalates came in 1998, when the Danish government issued a well-publicized ban on toys containing phthalates because of concern that children were being exposed to toxic chemicals when they put toys in their mouths. Lego, the Danish toymaker, quickly responded by reformulating its toy factories to phase out the use of phthalates in production of its toys.

Since then, there has been steadily growing awareness of the dangers of phthalates. Network news programs have discussed the dangers in toys, cosmetics and beauty products, and even in fish that live in polluted waters. Despite all this, the battle against phthalates has been a stalemate: The EU continues to extend its temporary ban on toys for children aged 3 and under, but European manufacturers are lobbying to institute a voluntary reporting system for all other products similar to what is in place in the U.S.

Stacy Malkan of HCWH is urging people to distribute the lists of phthalate-containing products far and wide, to discuss the topic of phthalates in cosmetics and medical supplies with their health care provider, and to contact the FDA to demand an industry-wide ban on phthalates in cosmetic products. In addition, the groups releasing the report are preparing to launch a national ad campaign.

As the report makes clear, non-toxic alternatives are readily available: “The limited testing done for Not Too Pretty reveals that the same big companies that produce phthalate-laced beauty products, also make similar products without phthalates … L’Oreal markets Jet Set nail polish without DBP but puts the phthalate in its Maybelline brand.”

Without the pressure of the public however, there will be no reason for the $20 billion-a-year cosmetics industry to phase out all phthalates. And women who continue to douse themselves in Christian Dior’s Poison may be helping the perfume live up to its name.

Most natural consumers are concerned with the products they put in their bodies and on their skin. In a polluted, industrialized system that sometimes seems a bit powerless to meet our needs, we try to gain some kind of control over our health by buying healthy chemically free products.

We’re sure that we want only “natural” and “pure” products, but have a difficult time finding these products on the shelves that qualify.

There is a reason why it is so difficult to make truthful choices that reflect our needs. The natural products consumer is targeted by commercial companies that want our revenue, but don’t have the deep desire to promote healthy products that we assume.

It’s all about packaging and marketing. Marketers, advertisers, and CEO’s of personal care products companies literally sit around tables figuring out how to convince us that what they are selling is natural. This is done with clever wording, choice of color and label design, packaging style, and choice of ingredients. Many of these products contain plant extracts that are highlighted on the label, but the base ingredients are synthetic. The same companies that are producing synthetically based products set aside “a portion” of their budget to create and promote a “natural line”. 

So how are we, as caring and educated as we are, so easily fooled? The first mistake that we make is when scanning an ingredient list on the back of a product, our eyes (and minds) skip over the long, complicated ingredients that we don’t understand, and rest on ingredients such as chamomile, lavender, and aloe. I cannot count the number of customers who have said to me, “Oh I just bought a natural chamomile lotion by “such and such (commercial brand)”, it smelled so good, and it’s all natural”. If I ask “Does it have methylparaben or propylene glycol in it?”, the answer is invariably “No, it’s all natural”. Upon follow up research, I consistently find that though the product may contain some plant-based ingredients, it also lists some dangerous chemicals.

I personally take offense at the large number of chemical-bearing personal care products that line the shelves of natural food stores. A natural products consumer goes to this type of store looking for a haven; a safe-house, where the frightening chemical-laden society recedes, and Nature presides. Because they are so trusting of the establishment, they are less critical of the products, and more likely to believe the advertising claims on the bottles of shampoo and lotion.  As a case in point, one of the largest “natural food chains” boasts that they don’t carry any food items with preservatives, yet they carry hundreds of personal care products that contain those exact preservatives.

It is a well known fact that 60% of what we put on our skin is absorbed into our body. If you have convinced yourself that these questionable ingredients are not something that you have to worry about, then ask yourself these few questions:

• Do you know, or know of a woman that has or has had cancer?
• Do you know, or know of a woman, man or child that has eczema, psoriasis, or scalp   problems?
• Do you know, or know of a woman or a man that is suffering from hair loss or arthritis?
• Do you know of a child that has suffered from genital infections?

If you can say yes to any of these questions, and if any of them apply to you, then you do need to become concerned about some of these questionable ingredients.

One last point, before presenting an informative list of ingredients to avoid, is the question that our customers constantly ask: Why does the FDA allow so many  products to carry toxic ingredients? The answer revolves around capitalism, greed, and power. Laws in Congress are influenced by lobbyists, and the large personal products manufacturers have very powerful lobbyists. The FDA does not require studies on the long-term health risks of the ingredients in personal care products, only short-term irritancy tests (think animal testing). To change this we must band together and become a more powerful voice, and let our congressman know that our and THEIR mothers, sisters and friends are dying of cancer, in direct relation to the quantity of chemicals that they apply to their skin over a lifetime.

INGREDIENTS TO AVOID:

QUATERNIUM 15: (DOVE, Johnson’s Baby Shampoo) FORMALDEHYDE, a carcinogen.

FD&C DYE: These dyes are produced from COAL TAR, and are documented to be CARCINOGENS.

BUTYL CELLOSOLVE, and ISOBUTENE: (Fantastic, Windex, and Formula 409)
A neuro-toxin. Damages the central nervous system, kidney and liver. Listed as a pesticide.

DIOXIN: Lysol disinfectant. Carcinogen, 500,000 times more deadly than DDT Ethyl Alcohol.

PROPYLENE GLYCOL: (contained in shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, lipstick, lotion, face cream, etc) This industrial solvent is so HIGHLY toxic, that industrial workers are warned of SEVERE health risks if contact occurs, such as brain, liver, and kidney abnormalities. They are required to wear protective clothing, gloves, and goggles during handling, and PG can only be disposed of in hazardous waste sites at a cost of $500.00 to $1,000 per drum!!!

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
Sodium Laureth Sulfate
Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate
Sodium Myreth Sulfate

The above ingredients and other detergents are industrial surfactants that are linked to cancer, and literally strip the scalp and skin of necessary oils, leaving it dry, and severely itchy and flaky. They were originally designed to clean floors and engines and now are found in 95%!!!! of shampoos and body cleansers, even the NATURAL brands. The saddest aspect of this is that this SLS causes irritation and infection in the genitals of young children, yet is the main ingredient in baby shampoos and bubble bath.

TALC: (contained in baby powder, foot powder, pressed eye shadow and blush, and foundation)
Linked to uterine cancer and respiratory problems in infants. Literally “suffocates” the skin.

DEA, MEA, and TEA: Repeated use of these chemicals leads to a major increase in the incidence of liver and kidney cancer. Restricted in Europe.

DMDM Hydantoin & UREA: Preservatives that release FORMALDEHYDE into the body. Funeral directors are now saying that there is such a high concentration of formaldehyde present in the human body at death that they are using 50% LESS formaldehyde than they used to.

FRAGRANCE (including FRAGRANCE OILS): Linked to cancer and mental problems including depression.

TRICLOSAN (found in ANTI-BACTERIAL SOAPS): Registered as a PESTICIDE with the FDA, linked to cancer, a hormone disruptor.

METHYLPARABEN, PROPYLPARABEN: Preservatives that deposit in the human system that disrupt normal enzyme activity.

PTHALATES: (Used nail polish, fragrance and a host of other products) Extremely toxic chemicals (regulated under environmental law) that reduce fertility, harm the male reproductive system, and are especially dangerous to pregnant womens’ fetuses. Found in products by Proctor & Gamble, L’Oreal, Lever Brothers, Maybelline, Chesebrough-Pond’s, Colgate, Elizabeth Arden, Kraft, and Revlon.

CARMINE: (found in lipsticks, glosses blushes, and eye shadow) This extract from the carmine beetle in South America, has been connected to heart problems.

Now, aside from these obviously toxic chemicals, there are other issues that arise with products that claim to be “all natural from pure vegetable sources”.

There are several ways to extract an oil or a wax from a plant, (eg. jojoba oil, evening primrose oil, shea butter, cocoa butter). It can be extracted with a solvent, which leaves toxic residues in the products, or by extremely high heat, which DESTROYS the botanical properties associated with the plant, or by the cold-pressed method. If you are a consumer or a manufacturer, ASK QUESTIONS. How was the shea butter extracted? Are the oils cold-pressed? Is the vitamin E or glycerin synthetic or natural?

Find out if the ingredients are organic. This is an extremely important issue, due to the very high toxicity level of pesticides that become concentrated in liquids extracted from plants.

Look for the words ‘cold-pressed’ and ‘organic’ on labels, and if you don’t see them, put the product down and keep looking. Ask questions to store owners, who in turn can call suppliers and manufacturers.

Stay away from ingredients that contain long words you cannot pronounce, that have the phrase “from coconut oil” in parentheses. Any natural products that have been chemically broke down are no longer natural and should be avoided at all costs. Sodium Laureth Sulfate is derived from coconut oil is still an unhealthy product, despite its source.

This list could go on for ages, but if you would like to gain more knowledge, start asking questions. Call the manufacturer, log on to the FDA website, and get the word out.

Many cosmetics contain chemicals known as parabens and phthalates, which recent studies indicate may be linked to cancer development.

Parabens are chemical preservatives that have been identified as estrogenic and disruptive of normal hormone function. (Estrogenic chemicals mimic the function of the naturally occurring hormone estrogen, and exposure to external estrogens has been shown to increase the risk of breast cancer.)

Phthalates are known to cause a broad range of birth defects and lifelong reproductive impairments in laboratory animals that are exposed to these chemicals during pregnancy and after birth. Phthalates are also known to be hormone-mimicking chemicals, many of which disrupt normal hormonal processes, raising concern about their implications for increased breast cancer risk.

There are numerous other chemicals of concern in personal care products. BCA is particularly concerned about lutein (progesterone), formaldehyde and coal tar due to their links to cancer. The Environmental Working Group recently released Skin Deep, a report on the safety of cosmetics and personal care products. Astonishingly, 1/3 of products tested contain on or more ingredients that are known, probable or possible human carcinogens.

Cosmetic companies will argue that we don’t need to worry about harmful chemicals in their products because they are only used on our skin and hair. For example, the cosmetics industry has long stated that their widespread use of parabens and phthalates is not harmful because they remain on our skin and are not absorbed into our body. However, a recent study found parabens in human breast cancer tissue, raising obvious questions about the ability of parabens to accumulate in our bodies (Darbre et al. 2004). In September 2000 scientists from the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found phthalates at surprisingly high levels in every one of 289 people tested, especially in women of reproductive age. The authors concluded that “from a public health perspective, these data provide evidence that phthalate exposure is both higher and more common than previously suspected” (Blount et al. 2000).

Many cosmetic companies will also argue that the level of a harmful chemical in any one product is not enough to harm you, based on studies of chemical exposure in adults. However, science is finding the timing of exposure is crucial, and that even a very small dose of some chemicals can have serious consequences in children and young women who are still developing. Also, we are rarely exposed to a chemical just one time. We may use the same product every day, several days a week, for months or years. In addition, we use dozens of personal care products daily, not just one. So while exposure from one product on one day may be small, the fact is we use numerous products a day for extended periods of time. As a result, scientists are finding chemicals such as parabens and phthalates accumulating in our bodies.

Many diseases like cancer, asthma, birth defects and learning disabilities are on the rise, and there is growing evidence that these health problems are linked to the chemicals we are exposed to in our air, water, food, and everyday products. It’s time we start acting to protect human health. The Precautionary Principle, a common sense approach to chemical use, says “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”. It guides us to take action to prevent exposure to chemicals we know or suspect is harmful to our health. In the case of cosmetics, when a product ingredient is known or strongly suspected of being harmful to our healthy, our top priority should be eliminating the use of this chemical and finding a safe substitute to replace it. In many cases, we know safe alternatives do exist and are already being used by some cosmetic companies. The notion of “safe” or “acceptable” levels of hazardous chemicals in our products should only be introduced when we cannot find alternatives. We are entitled to products that won’t hurt us.

The EWG (Environmental Working Group) analysed 14,841 personal care products and compared ingredients found in these products against chemicals listed in 37 toxicity and regulatory databases. From this study the EWG has developed a list of top ingredients which are known and probable carcinogens; known and probable reproductive and developmental toxins; and ingredients that are illegal for use in cosmetics in the U.S. or E.U., or that have been found unsafe for use in cosmetics by authoritive bodies.

1. MERCURY

Unsafe for use in cosmetics according to FDA; Possible human reproductive or developmental toxin; Possible human carcinogen

2. THIMEROSAL

Unsafe for use in cosmetics according to FDA; Possible human reproductive or developmental toxin; Possible human carcinogen

3. LEAD ACETATE

Known human reproductive or developmental toxin; Prohibited for use in cosmetics in the European Union; Color not approved for use around eyes, in eye products

4. FORMALDEHYDE

Known human carcinogen; Not safe for use if aerosolized, in aerosolized product; Skin sensitizer

5. NICKEL

Known human carcinogen; Prohibited for use in cosmetics in the European Union; Skin sensitizer

6. TOLUENE

Unsafe according to International Fragrance Association; Possible human reproductive or developmental toxin; May contain harmful impurities or form toxic breakdown products

7. PETROLEUM DISTILLATES

Prohibited for use in cosmetics in the European Union; Possible human carcinogen; May contain harmful impurities or form toxic breakdown products

8. ACRYLONITRILE

Prohibited for use in cosmetics in the European Union; Possible human carcinogen; Skin sensitizer

9. ETHYLACRYLATE

Unsafe according to International Fragrance Association; Possible human carcinogen; Skin sensitizer

10. COAL TAR

Known human carcinogen; Prohibited for use in cosmetics in the European Union; May contain harmful impurities or form toxic breakdown products

11. DIBUTYL PHTHALATE

Prohibited for use in cosmetics in the European Union; Possible human reproductive or developmental toxin; Endocrine disruptor

12. POTASSIUM DICHROMATE

Possible human carcinogen; Possible human reproductive or developmental toxin; Skin sensitizer

13. METHYL CELLOSOLVE

Unsafe according to International Fragrance Association; Possible human reproductive or developmental toxin; Endocrine disruptor

14. FERROUS SULFATE

Color additive – banned or not approved for use in cosmetics; Color not approved for use around eyes, in eye products; Reproductive or developmental harm – limited evidence

15. SELENIUM SULFIDE

Possible human carcinogen; Restricted in EU cosmetics (manufacturing/structural limits); Reproductive or developmental harm – limited evidence

16. DIMETHYLAMINE

Prohibited for use in cosmetics in the European Union; Respiratory toxicity hazards; Skin or sense organ toxicity hazards

17. CHROMIUM

Known human carcinogen; Reproductive or developmental harm – limited evidence; Gastrointestinal or liver toxicity hazards

18. ZIRCONIUM SILICATE

Color additive – banned or not approved for use in cosmetics; Color not approved for use around eyes, in eye products; Restricted in EU cosmetics (manufacturing/structural limits)

19. ACRYLAMIDE

Possible human carcinogen; May contain harmful impurities or form toxic breakdown products; Restricted in EU cosmetics (impurity limit)

20. PHENYLPHENOL

Possible human carcinogen; Endocrine disruptor; Reproductive or developmental harm – limited evidence

21. D&C BLUE 6

Color additive – banned or not approved for use in cosmetics; Color not approved for use around eyes, in eye products; Color additive – banned or not approved for use in food

22. EXT D&C GREEN 1

Color additive – banned or not approved for use in cosmetics; Color not approved for use around eyes, in eye products; Color additive – banned or not approved for use in food

23. EXT D&C RED 1

Color additive – banned or not approved for use in cosmetics; Color not approved for use around eyes, in eye products; Color additive – banned or not approved for use in food

24. EXT D&C RED 3

Color additive – banned or not approved for use in cosmetics; Color not approved for use around eyes, in eye products; Color additive – banned or not approved for use in food

25. ACID VIOLET 43

Color additive – banned or not approved for use in cosmetics; May contain harmful impurities or form toxic breakdown products; Skin sensitizer

26. HEXACHLOROPHENE

Unsafe for use in cosmetics according to FDA; Lung sensitizer used in products that may be inhaled; Cancer – limited evidence of carcinogenicity

27. FD&C RED 3

Color additive – banned or not approved for use in cosmetics; Color not approved for use around eyes, in eye products; Not assessed for safety in cosmetics by industry panel

28. LIDOCAINE

Prohibited for use in cosmetics in the European Union; Neurotoxicity hazards; Respiratory toxicity hazards

29. HYDROXYANISOLE

Unsafe for use in cosmetics according to industry panel; Skin sensitizer; Neurotoxicity hazards

30. BHA

Possible human carcinogen; Endocrine disruptor; Skin sensitizer

31. LITHIUM CARBONATE

Possible human reproductive or developmental toxin; Endocrine disruptor; Gastrointestinal or liver toxicity hazards

32. DIMETHYL SULFOXIDE

Prohibited for use in cosmetics in the European Union; Reproductive or developmental harm – limited evidence; Cardiovascular or blood toxicity hazards

33. IODINE

Prohibited for use in cosmetics in the European Union; Endocrine disruptor; Gastrointestinal or liver toxicity hazards

34. PHENACETIN

Possible human carcinogen; Kidney toxicity hazards; Neurotoxicity hazards

35. PHENOLPHTHALEIN

Possible human carcinogen; Reproductive or developmental harm – limited evidence; Gastrointestinal or liver toxicity hazards

36. PROGESTERONE

Possible human carcinogen; Possible human reproductive or developmental toxin; Endocrine disruptor

37. ALUMINUM ZIRCONIUM TETRACHLOROHYDREX GLYCINE COMPLEX, ANHYDROUS

Unsafe for use in cosmetics according to FDA; Restricted in EU cosmetics (manufacturing/structural limits); Not assessed for safety in cosmetics by industry panel

38. DISPERSE BLUE 1

Possible human carcinogen; Kidney toxicity hazards; Industry-recommended limits on concentration/use

39. FERRIC AMMONIUM CITRATE

Color additive – banned or not approved for use in cosmetics; Persistent and bioaculative; Not assessed for safety in cosmetics by industry panel

40. BASIC VIOLET 14

Color additive – banned or not approved for use in cosmetics; Coal tar dye – cancer studies unavailable; Not assessed for safety in cosmetics by industry panel

41. ACID ORANGE 24

Color additive – banned or not approved for use in cosmetics; Coal tar dye – cancer studies unavailable; Not assessed for safety in cosmetics by industry panel

42. 2- AMINO- 4- NITROPHENOL

Prohibited for use in cosmetics in the European Union; Cancer – limited evidence of carcinogenicity; Not assessed for safety in cosmetics by industry panel

43. BRUCINE

Prohibited for use in cosmetics in the European Union; Highly toxic; Not assessed for safety in cosmetics by industry panel

44. ACID BLUE 3

Color additive – banned or not approved for use in cosmetics; Not assessed for safety in cosmetics by industry panel

45. ACID YELLOW 3

Color additive – banned or not approved for use in cosmetics; Not assessed for safety in cosmetics by industry panel

46. PIGMENT BLUE 15

Color additive – banned or not approved for use in cosmetics; Not assessed for safety in cosmetics by industry panel; In other consumer products besides personal care products

47. NAPHAZOLINE HYDROCHLORIDE

Prohibited for use in cosmetics in the European Union; Not assessed for safety in cosmetics by industry panel; Not assessed by industry panel

48. DIPHENHYDRAMINE HCL

Prohibited for use in cosmetics in the European Union; Not assessed for safety in cosmetics by industry panel; Not assessed by industry panel

49. TETRAHYDROZOLINE HYDROCHLORIDE

Prohibited for use in cosmetics in the European Union; Not assessed for safety in cosmetics by industry panel; Not assessed by industry panel