Toxic Hygiene: Ingredients Found in Deodorants are not Hazardous to your Health. Dispelling the Myth

Transcription

1 Toxic Hygiene: Ingredients Found in Deodorants are not Hazardous to your Health. Dispelling the Myth Assignment 1: Myth-busters Assignment ENVR 3400 September 23 rd, 2014

2 How to be good or do good on this planet can be a tricky thing at times with many myths floating around. Stepping out of your home exposes you to a handful of unsafe hazards, from the exhaust coming from vehicles to the radiation from the sun. The public is exposed to all sorts of carcinogens and many other pollutants daily. However, did you ever think that applying your routine of personal care products would be further exposing you to even more toxins? Generic deodorant and antiperspirant products sold in stores carry a list of ingredients along with them, some which are cancer causing. The toxic agents hiding in your deodorant but also that are listed on the ingredients list on the back are commonly found to be parabens, triclosan, aluminum, propylene glycol and more. Does that sound unsettling yet with the list of vague substances? Hold on a moment, it will. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) is a non-profit environmental organization that specializes in research in troubled areas such as toxic chemicals, agricultural issues, health, food, etc. They provide knowledge necessary to individuals and to the public to advocate what is not currently being regulated and now have taken it under their wing to investigate how unsafe most products on the shelves really are. Reports show that women use up to 12 products daily containing 168 different ingredients and men use around 6 products with an average of 85 unique ingredients (Environmental Working Group, 2013). Products on the market are supposed to make us clean, protect our skin, and keep our households germ-free. Instead conventional brand name merchandise could be fooling us, because they may contain harmful, toxic, and even cancer-causing ingredients. With cancer rates growing and an increase of consuming and applying these reduced health conscious products, the turnout is not the greatest. Parabens are an ingredient that can be found in many personal care products such as lotions, deodorants and even food products. The purpose they serve is to act as a preservative but continual use of parabens and their different forms (methyl/propyl/butyl/isobutyl) can then have the parabens acting as estrogen and disrupt hormone signaling. A study conducted by scientists at the Harvard School of Public Health had linked a type of paraben to impaired fertility among women (Smith et al., 2013). The estrogen mimicking preservative has also been found in breast cancer tissues and in several male reproductive functions. In 2011 the European Union banned parabens in their products, in contrast to Canada who still seem to be working on it (Vasil, 2012). Triclosan is also one of the main ingredients found in deodorants, and is well known as a unique microbial in the health care industry, mainly used in topical and dental products (Dayan, 2007). Triclosan has demonstrated immediate, persistent, broad-spectrum antibacterial effectiveness in clinical health care settings (Jones et al., 2000). It has been used in many skin topical products worldwide for over 30

3 years, and in the United States, has been used in deodorants since the 1960 s (Jones et al., 2000). Triclosan was first introduced in a surgical scrub in 1972 as well as in toothpastes in Europe in 1985, although this man made product has been making quite the lasting impact (Jones et al., 2000). Not only is triclosan found in deodorant, toothpaste and dental scrubs, but is also found in soaps, surgical scrubs, shower gels, hand washes, hand lotions, hand creams, mouthwashes, and in many plastics including children s toys (Dayan, 2007)! When it comes to soap, triclosan is the main ingredient to avoid, acting as an antibacterial cleanser that may cause thyroid disruption, and also contributes to antibiotic resistance. It is also highly toxic to aquatic life once it goes down the drain and into the water system (Vasil, 2012). This chemical is demonstrated to be an odorless, off-white, non-ionic, tasteless powder, and is a powerful bacteriostatic and antiseptic (Dayan, 2007). Triclosan is mainly a preservative, and its main use is to prevent bacteria from growing, known as an antibacterial and antifungal agent. Triclosan has been validated to interfere with thyroid signaling in both male and female sex hormones. The Federal Food and Drug Administration announced that this chemical shouldn t be considered safe or effective in the products it is used in. Manufacturers of soaps and body washes (such as Johnson & Johnson and Proctor & Gamble) have recently taken triclosan out of their products due to public concern and the potential harms it causes to an individual s health and the environment. Sweating, and in particular underarm sweating, is simply a usual human process to eliminate excess salts and rid our bodies from toxins while naturally cooling your body down. When applying deodorant that is coated in silicones, aluminum and other synthetics, you are really preventing your body from that cleansing process. Aluminum has approximately 4000 uses, but is primarily used as a coagulant in the treatment of drinking water (Orme, and Ohanian, 1990). The other areas where it can be found are in appliances, food containers, utensils, building supplies, fuels, paints, home furnishings, cosmetics, medicines, baking powder, and food additives (Orme, and Ohanian, 1990). Aluminum acts as a pore blocker in many conventional deodorants that fill up 8-25% of the product. Aluminum is also a neurotoxin and has been found in high levels of the brains of Alzheimer s patients (Vasil, 2012). Many studies done have reported the association of aluminum with Alzheimer s disease, as well as several skeletal and neurological disorders, although at this point in time there is not enough sufficient evidence that aluminum and the Alzheimer s disease have a cause and effect relationship (Orme, and Ohanian, 1990). Other reports associate aluminum with early cognitive impairment. In 2001, a brain autopsy study showed that aluminum levels were 20 times higher in middle-aged groups (Jansson, 2001). Types of petroleum plastics turn as surfactants meaning they act as a wetting agent or a solvent.

4 Propylene glycol is another ingredient listed on many antiperspirant products and this has serious implications. Used as a solvent, propylene glycol is one of the most common ingredients and can be found in personal-care items, such as make-up, moisturizers, after-shave, deodorants, hair products and toothpastes. When handling and considering propylene glycol, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says it is so toxic it requires protective gloves, clothing, goggles and disposal by burying. Because this agent penetrates the skin rapidly, the EPA warns against any contact to the skin in order to prevent brain, liver, and kidney irregularities (Green Beaver, 2014). Currently, there are no warning labels on such deodorant products about where concentration is greater than in most industrial applications. Because it is also the active component in antifreeze and when it comes to the ingredient being used in deodorant or what the industry uses, there is no difference between the two. The industry also uses it to break down protein and cellular structure, which is related to what the skin is made up of but it proves to be so strong and effective that it takes barnacles off the bottom of boats (Green Beaver, 2014). Research shows that multiple exposures can have profound health effects even more than single exposures and when applying small doses adding up in those everyday routines, those effects are unpredictable even to scientists (The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, 2011). Current regulations in our Canadian health care system are lacking and the government does not regulate or require any long-term safety studies on cosmetics or pre-market testing for ingredients in products to hit shelves (McCormack, 2014). This is why deodorants, antiperspirants and other health care products are NOT harmless and instead are much more harmful than we think and are directly related to human health and the environment. Under the United States federal laws, there is huge uncertainty in the total 50 billion dollar cosmetic industry (deodorants included) with the allowance of putting infinite amounts of different chemicals into personal care products later be sold to the public at a low cost. These products we grew up with have been subjected to no guidelines with no testing, zero checks for health effects and also inadequate label requirements. Cosmetics collectively, are among the least-regulated products in the market space (The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, 2011). As citizens and consumers, we should be cognizant of all possible health related choices and know what and how products affect us, both positively and negatively. It is our responsibility as a modern day consumer to be aware of harmful toxins that could be present in the products that we purchase and use and avoid those that have a negative impact on our health. It is our responsibility to choose healthier alternatives whenever possible. With further research, informed knowledge and

5 understanding, we will be able to make better-informed choices on which products to purchase and use and consequently be healthier as a result.

6 References The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. (2011). What's In Your Products? Retrieved from Safe Cosmetics: Dayan, A.D. "Risk Assessment of Triclosan in Human Breast Milk." Food and Chemical Toxicology 45.1 (2007): Web. "Ingredients to Avoid." Green Beaver. Green Beaver Cie., 1 Jan Web. 15 Sept < Jansson, Erik T. "Aluminum Exposure and Alzheimer's Disease." Journal of Alzheimer's Disease 3.6 (2001): Web. Jones, Rhonda D., Hanuman B. Jampani, Jerry L. Newman, and Andrew S. Lee. "Triclosan: A Review of Effectiveness and Safety in Health Care Settings." American Journal of Infection Control 28.2 (2000): Web McCormack, Ashley. "The Story of Skin Deep." Environmental Working Group. Environmental Working Group, 11 July Web. 16 Sept < Orme, Jennifer, and Edward V. Ohanian. "Assessing the Health Risks of Aluminum." Environmental Geochemistry and Health (1990): Web. Smith, Kristen W., Irene Souter, Irene Dimitriadis, Shelley Ehrlich, Paige L. Williams, Antonia M. Calafat, and Russ Hauser. "Urinary Paraben Concentrations and Ovarian Aging among Women from a Fertility Center." Environmental Health Perspectives (2013): 5-9. Web. Vasil, A. (2012). Ecoholic Body. Toronto: Vintage Canada Edition.