Natural Health
| Should We Be Concerned About Chemicals In Our Cosmetics? |
| By : Ajit Hari Sahu | Previous | Next |
| Posted on : 22 Dec, 2005 | Total Views : 241 |
We all want to preserve our youthful appearance. Are there any hidden dangers by using cosmetic products? There is an increasing amount of information causing concern about our bodies absorbing harmful substances found in our cosmetics and personal care products.
Researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported in the Journal of Environmental Health Perspectives that the average American may be exposed to chemicals in the phthalate family. The substances have been shown to cause cancer, birth defects, adverse hormonal effects and lifelong reproductive impairments in laboratory animals. Phthalates are also known to be hormone-mimicking chemicals which disrupt normal hormonal processes. This raises concern about their implications for increased breast cancer risk.
Many cosmetic companies will argue that the level of a harmful chemical in any one product is not enough to harm you. 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. We are rarely exposed to a chemical just one time. We may use that same product every day, several days a week, for months or years. In addition, we use many personal care products daily, not just one. So while exposure from one product on one day may be small, the fact is that we use numerous products a day for extended periods of time. Scientists are finding that these chemicals accumulate in our bodies.
The Federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that the levels of phthalates in young women were much higher than average. Other academic studies have shown possible links to early puberty in girls and decreased sperm counts in men.
The FDA regulates cosmetics and their ingredients in a manner similar to foods. A cosmetic is adulterated and cannot under penalty of law be sold if "it bears or contains any poisonous or deleterious substance which may render it injurious to users under the conditions of use prescribed in the labeling." Manufacturers who market an adulterated cosmetic product could face both civil and criminal penalties.
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 we suspect are 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.
There are a growing number of companies offering
toxic free cosmetics.
Written By : Ajit Hari Sahu
