What toxic ingredients are in your personal care products?

Dianej · Post by **Dianej** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 11:28 am

Check the ingredients on your bottle of shampoo or your moisturizer. Does it contain any of these harmful ingredients?

Chemical preservatives like metyl, ethyl, butyl or propyl paraben, phthalates, formaldehyde (Diazolidinyl Urea, Imidazolidinyl Urea and Quaternium 15), dye (FD&C and D&C), fragrance, lanolin, triclosan, resorcinol, sodium or ammonium laurel/laureth sulfate, polysorbate, Diethanolamine (DEA) or Propylene Glycol are all toxic ingredients. Unfortunately, they are found in almost 99% of all personal and skin care care products on today's market!

Parabens, a chemical preservative, mimic estrogen and are linked to breast cancer, lowered sperm count, lowered testosterone levels, testicular atrophy, infertility, increased testicular cancer and undescended testes. The cosmetic preservative paraben was found in 18 out of 20 breast tumors!

Watch out for products that claim to be "natural"...they are often the worst offenders by using unsafe and certainly UNNATURAL ingredients. Also watch out for products that claim to be "organic"...unless it states "100% certified organic skin care", it may contain many of the carcinogenic ingredients I've listed above.

Read the ingredients label before you purchase your next personal care product! Why put your health at risk when there are safe products on the market?

sunny104 · Post by **sunny104** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 11:33 am

that's why I drink lots of beer.

koan · Post by **koan** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 12:03 pm

Awesome thread.

I've done a lot of research on this myself. Made it really difficult for me to continue being a makeup artist. Some of these chemicals are known to alter DNA.

The best book I've found on the subject is "Beauty To Die For" by Judi Vance

Post by **spot** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 12:14 pm

None of that washes with me, a block of carbolic and a comb does fine.

RedGlitter · Post by **RedGlitter** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 12:18 pm

Since when is lanolin a toxic chemical? It's a natural byproduct of sheep's wool.

Dianej · Post by **Dianej** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 12:47 pm

Lanolin, derived from sheep, can be an endocrine disruptor because carcinogens such as Dioxane and DDT may be present in the grass that the sheep ingest!

RedGlitter · Post by **RedGlitter** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 12:49 pm

Well that sounds reasonable.

Post by **Bryn Mawr** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 2:08 pm

Dianej;641894 wrote: Lanolin, derived from sheep, can be an endocrine disruptor because carcinogens such as Dioxane and DDT may be present in the grass that the sheep ingest!

When was the last time DDT was used on farmland? It's been banned for thirty odd years.

Dioxane is an organic solvent with no particular toxicity - I suspect you might be referring to dioxin which, whilst being bioaccumulative to an extent, is not noted for its toxic affects on humans in less than massive doses and is only a suspected possible carcinogen.

G-man · Post by **G-man** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 3:04 pm

Bryn Mawr;641959 wrote: When was the last time DDT was used on farmland? It's been banned for thirty odd years.

It's still in use today in many countries... it was banned in the US in '72... , but not entirely... there were a number of exemptions far after that for emergency health and agricultural purposes and it wasn't banned in the UK until '84 and in Canada until '85, I believe. Also, as recently as the late nineties in the US and UK there have still been reportings of DDT residues in food.

Post by **Bryn Mawr** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 3:13 pm

G-man;642024 wrote: It's still in use today in many countries... it was banned in the US in '72... , but not entirely... there were a number of exemptions far after that for emergency health and agricultural purposes and it wasn't banned in the UK until '84 and in Canada until '85, I believe. Also, as recently as the late nineties in the US and UK there have still been reportings of DDT residues in food.

but not in the last ten years - still makes it a scare story in my eyes.

laneybug · Post by **laneybug** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 5:20 pm

Eh, I don't know. I agree with all this and I disagree. How much would really be available to us that wasn't harmful in some way? Seriously, too much water can kill you, for pete's sake. I'd rather live the way I am instead of being paranoid all the time about what chemical this is and what chemical that is. Call me oblivious or whatever, but we're all gonna die from something. I'm really not interested in standing in the shampoo isle reading all the ingredients of my hair care products. Just don't really care. And let's not forget that exposure to these things does lead to a certain amount of resistance to them. We've all probably been using these chemicals in some way or another since we were kids. And, really, what doesn't cause cancer these days? So I'm not really too worried about it.

koan · Post by **koan** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 5:59 pm

I've been overly exposed to chemicals through my work doing special effects makeup and let me assure you... personal care products are very toxic. What you don't know may kill you. It just takes a long time.

I react quickly and sometimes severely to moisturizers, sunblock, various cosmetics, bubble bath, shampoos and conditioners and hair dye can kill me.

Just because you don't react strongly to these things doesn't mean it isn't taxing your immune system.

This topic is something I've had to spend over a decade researching so I'm hoping to gather the info together that I think you will find compelling.

koan · Post by **koan** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 6:12 pm

I'm going to put these common cosmetic (and toiletries) ingredients here one by one so I know that everyone can read it whether they click the link or not. This comes from http://www.health-report.co.uk/ingredie ... ectory.htm

1,4-dioxane

A carcinogenic contaminant of cosmetic products. Almost 50% of cosmetics containing ethoxylated surfactants were found to contain dioxane. See Ethoxylated surfactants

From Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS):

1,4-DIOXANE MAY EXERT ITS EFFECTS THROUGH INHALATION, SKIN ABSORPTION, AND INGESTION.

1,4-DIOXANE IS LISTED AS A CARCINOGEN.

EFFECTS OF OVEREXPOSURE: 1,4-DIOXANE IS AN EYE AND MUCOUS MEMBRANE IRRITANT, PRIMARY SKIN IRRITANT, CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM DEPRESSANT, NEPHROTOXIN, AND HEPATOTOXIN.

ACUTE EXPOSURE CAUSES IRRITATION, HEADACHE, DIZZINESS, AND NARCOSIS. CHRONIC INHALATION EXPOSURE CAN PRODUCE DAMAGE TO THE LIVER AND KIDNEYS, AND BLOOD DISORDERS.

MEDICAL CONDITION AGGRAVATED BY EXPOSURE PRECLUDE FROM EXPOSURE THOSE INDIVIDUALS WITH DISEASE OF THE BLOOD, LIVER KIDNEYS, CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM, AND THOSE SUSCEPTIBLE TO DERMATITIS.

koan · Post by **koan** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 6:14 pm

2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol (Bronopol)

Toxic, causes allergic contact dermatitis.

See Nitrosating agents

Alcohol, Isopropyl (SD-40)

A very drying and irritating solvent and dehydrator that strips your skin's natural acid mantle, making us more vulnerable to bacteria, moulds and viruses. It is made from propylene, a petroleum derivative. It may promote brown spots and premature aging of skin.

koan · Post by **koan** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 6:17 pm

Anionic Surfactants

Anionic refers to the negative charge these surfactants have. They may be contaminated with nitrosamines, which are carcinogenic. Surfactants can pose serious health threats. They are used in car washes, as garage floor cleaners and engine degreasers - and in 90% of personal-care products that foam.

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS)

Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES)

Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate (ALS)

Ammonium Laureth Sulfate (ALES)

Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate

Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate

Sodium Cocoyl Sarcosinate

Potassium Coco Hydrolysed Collagen

TEA (Triethanolamine) Lauryl Sulfate

TEA (Triethanolamine) Laureth Sulfate

Lauryl or Cocoyl Sarcosine

Disodium Oleamide Sulfosuccinate

Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate

Disodium Dioctyl Sulfosuccinate etc

koan · Post by **koan** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 6:19 pm

Benzalkonium Chloride

Highly toxic, primary skin irritant.

See Cationic surfactants

From Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS):

MATERIAL IS HIGHLY TOXIC VIA ORAL ROUTE.

EFFECTS OF OVEREXPOSURE: MISTS CAN CAUSE IRRITATION TO THE SKIN, EYES, NOSE, THROAT AND MUCOUS MEMBRANES. AVOID DIRECT CONTACT. SYMPTOMS: MUSCULAR PARALYSIS, LOW BLOOD PRESSURE, CNS DEPRESSION AND WEAKNESS.

EMERGENCY AND FIRST AID PROCEDURES

EYES: CORROSIVE! IMMEDIATELY WASH EYES WITH PLENTY OF WATER.

INHALATION: REMOVE PERSON TO FRESH AIR. GIVE OXYGEN (IF BREATHING IS DIFFICULT). CALL PHYSICIAN.

INGESTION: IF CONSCIOUS, IMMEDIATELY DRINK LARGE QUANTITIES OF FLUID TO DILUTE AND INDUCE VOMITING. CALL PHYSICIAN.

koan · Post by **koan** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 6:21 pm

Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA)

Dr Epstein reports in his book Unreasonable Risk this chemical is carcinogenic! Also known to cause allergic contact dermatitis.

Butylated Hydroxytoluene (BHT)

Causes allergic contact dermatitis. Contains toluene.

koan · Post by **koan** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 7:38 pm

Cationic surfactants

These chemicals have a positive electrical charge. They contain a quaternary ammonium group and are often called "quats". These are used in hair conditioners, but originated from the paper and fabric industries as softeners and anti-static agents. In the long run they cause the hair to become dry and brittle. They are synthetic, irritating, allergenic and toxic, and oral intake of them can be lethal.

Stearalkonium chloride

Benzalkonium chloride

Cetrimonium chloride

Cetalkonium chloride

Lauryl dimonium hydrolysed collagen

koan · Post by **koan** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 7:40 pm

Chloromethylisothiazolinone and Isothiazolinone

Causes contact dermatitis

From Material Safety Data Sheet for Isothiazolinone(MSDS):

EYE CONTACT: CORROSIVE TO THE EYES WITH POSSIBLE PERMANENT DAMAGE.

SKIN CONTACT: CORROSIVE TO THE SKIN, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN THIRD DEGREE BURNS. CAN BE HARMFUL IF ABSORBED. CAN CAUSE ALLERGIC CONTACT DERMATITIS IN SUSCEPTIBLE INDIVIDUALS.

INGESTION: CAN BE FATAL.

INHALATION: CAN BE CORROSIVE TO THE MUCOUS MEMBRANES AND THE LUNGS. CAN CAUSE AN ALLERGIC REACTION IN SUSCEPTIBLE INDIVIDUALS.

koan · Post by **koan** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 7:42 pm

DEA (diethanolamine), MEA (Monoethanolamine), & TEA (triethanolamine)

Often used in cosmetics to adjust the pH, and used with many fatty acids to convert acid to salt (stearate), which then becomes the base for a cleanser. TEA causes allergic reactions including eye problems, dryness of hair and skin, and could be toxic if absorbed into the body over a long period of time.

These chemicals are already restricted in Europe due to known carcinogenic effects. Dr. Samuel Epstein (Professor of Environmental Health at the University of Illinois) says that repeated skin applications . . . of DEA-based detergents resulted in a major increase in the incidence of liver and kidney cancer.

See Nitrosating agents

From Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS):

Health Hazard Acute And Chronic: Product is severely irritating to body tissues and possibly corrosive to the eyes.

Explanation Carcinogenicity: Amines react with nitrosating agents to form nitrosamines, which are carcinogenic.

koan · Post by **koan** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 8:00 pm

Diazolidinyl urea

Established as a primary cause of contact dermatitis (American Academy of Dermatology). Contains formaldehyde, a carcinogenic chemical, is toxic by inhalation, a strong irritant, and causes contact dermatitis.

See Formaldehyde

From Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS):

CAUSES SEVERE EYE IRRITATION. MAY CAUSE SKIN IRRITATION. SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF EXPOSURE

SYMPTOMS OF INHALATION: IF MISTED, WILL CAUSE IRRITATION OF MUCOUS MEMBRANES, NOSE, EYES AND THROAT. COUGHING, DIFFICULTY IN BREATHING.

SYMPTOMS OF SKIN CONTACT: CONTACT CAUSES SMARTING AND BURNING SENSATIONS, INFLAMMATION, BURNS, PAINFUL BLISTERS. PROFOUND DAMAGE TO TISSUE.

SYMPTOMS OF EYE CONTACT: WILL CAUSE PAINFUL BURNING OR STINGING OF EYES AND LIDS, WATERING OF EYES, AND INFLAMMATION OF CONJUNCTIVA.

Richard Bell · Post by **Richard Bell** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 8:30 pm

Counterfeit name brand toothpaste has been taken off the shelves in the USA and Canada because it contained diethylene glycol, the active ingredient in antifreeze and brake fluid.

(I'm not mentioning the brand name this product was counterfeiting, because I don't want to cause any confusion with the legitimately produced, authentic product, which does not contain diethylene glycol).

A CBC Radio interview today revealed that a Chinese company is selling this toxic industrial chemical as glycerin, a safe product commonly used in soap, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and food. Diethylene glycol is much cheaper than glycerin. It just happens to be poisonous.

The interviewee said that this is relabelled by the importer (so that the end user cannot simply cut out the middle man and buy it directly from China), so that it is often hard to trace. It is represented as glycerine, so nothing malicious is being perpetrated, except by the Chinese manufacturer.

He noted there were approximately 100 deaths in Panama last year, due to a cough syrup made with phony Chinese "glycerine".

The problem is, a product from anywhere in the world may be contaminated with this crap. Chinese industry is largely unregulated, and this lawless behaviour is becoming all to common .

The melamine contaminated Chinese wheat gluten that killed many pets in North America this spring was used in factories in Canada and the United States that unwittingly produced poisoned pet food. It seems the melamine was purposely added to the gluten by the Chinese producer to artificially raise it's protein level.

koan · Post by **koan** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 8:45 pm

Very interesting info, Richard.

There has been a fight to get Canadian cosmetics companies to have to label their ingredients and once you have the list of chemicals, it is incredible how many "natural" products contain carcinogenic substances.

The companies lobby every year to keep laws from being passed that will regulate them properly and under the current self regulating method only about 30% of companies actually comply with safety regulations.

Bill Sikes · Post by **Bill Sikes** » Thu Jun 21, 2007 4:09 am

Dianej;641894 wrote: Lanolin, derived from sheep, can be an endocrine disruptor because carcinogens such as Dioxane and DDT may be present in the grass that the sheep ingest!

If it's that bad, avoid all fruit and vegetables, all meat and dairy products, and eggs.

Bill Sikes · Post by **Bill Sikes** » Thu Jun 21, 2007 4:14 am

Richard Bell;642149 wrote: Counterfeit name brand toothpaste has been taken off the shelves in the USA and Canada because it contained diethylene glycol, the active ingredient in antifreeze and brake fluid.

There was a wine scandal in Yurp a while ago - the Eyeties, IIRC, had a problem.

Bill Sikes · Post by **Bill Sikes** » Thu Jun 21, 2007 4:18 am

"Body absorbs 5lb of make-up chemicals a year"

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jh ... auty121.xm

"Women who use make-up on a daily basis are absorbing almost 5lb of chemicals a year into their bodies, it is claimed."

Hell's bells, thy must use a hell of a lot of "chemicals", why aren't they dead, deriously diseased, or disfigured?l

Post by **Betty Boop** » Thu Jun 21, 2007 4:21 am

koan;642118 wrote: I've been overly exposed to chemicals through my work doing special effects makeup and let me assure you... personal care products are very toxic. What you don't know may kill you. It just takes a long time.

I react quickly and sometimes severely to moisturizers, sunblock, various cosmetics, bubble bath, shampoos and conditioners and hair dye can kill me.

Just because you don't react strongly to these things doesn't mean it isn't taxing your immune system.

This topic is something I've had to spend over a decade researching so I'm hoping to gather the info together that I think you will find compelling.

I didn't know this, I too react quickly to certain products and I also start developing allergies to things I use over a period of time. It's a nightmare, I'm struggling to find a moisturiser to use right now, haven't used shampoo or conditioner in over a year. I was diagnosed with a perfume allergy but I disagree, perfume free products still cause a reaction and I am convinced I have a chemical allergy.

Dianej · Post by **Dianej** » Thu Jun 21, 2007 6:35 am

Hydroquinone: This is a steroid used in skin bleaching creams. 2 per cent hydroquinone was allowed in skin creams for a long tome, but even that has been discovered to be unsafe. Last year, 31st august 2006, a complete ban was proposed in America.

The official in charge had this to say, “We are acting for safety reasons, said Susan Johnson, the associated director of the FDA's Office of Nonprescription Products. “There is potential for hydroquinone to be a carcinogen in humans. This means that at 2 per cent , hydroquinone is not even considered safe and will no longer be allowed.

In the United Kingdom, hydroquinone had been banned since January 2001. It is a pity that the attempt to protect peoples’ health is sabotaged by some of the same people who are being protected. Black people, especially women are the highest abusers of hydroquinone. In conjunction with mercury, hydroquinone is implicated in kidney disease.

When applied to the skin in creams, hydroquinone is quickly absorbed into the blood stream and excreted slowly via the kidneys, suggesting that hydroquinone accumulates in the body. It is broken down in the bone marrow and this is where long-term damage may starts. A review published by Dr W Westerhof and T Kooyers, two of Europe's leading authorities on pigmentation in dermatology, documents the ability of hydroquinone to cause blood cancers, for example leukaemia, and kidney damage in animal studies.

Dianej · Post by **Dianej** » Thu Jun 21, 2007 7:57 am

By Judith Coleman Cohen

Discovery Research Co.

For years, many men and women have attempted to improve their appearances. But, in their quest for perfection, they have not stopped to consider the consequences of routinely using their shampoos, moisturizing creams, toothpastes or cosmetics. Could the tube of lipstick, moisturizing lotion or baby shampoo be exacting a price on our health?

This very well may be the case. While environmental pollutants and toxins can be easily absorbed through the air, our water and our food, they can also come from other unlikely sources. Launching an investigation of the chemicals found in cosmetics and personal care products, researchers have reported some shocking discoveries. Industrial chemicals, long banned and at 100 times the allowable amounts, can be found in many of the products we use every day.

Cosmetic chemistry is nothing more that a blend of industrial chemicals. Propylene glycol, a humectant found in most moisturizers, is an industrial anti-freeze and is also used for deicing airplanes. The Material Safety Data Sheet, issued by the chemical's manufacturer, states that it is systemic, and "through skin contact, it causes liver abnormalities and kidney damage in laboratory animals."

Other ingredients have also raised cause for alarm. Dioxane, found in baby shampoos, has been determined by the FDA to be an animal carcinogen. In a 1978 study done at the Unilever Research Laboratory (present owner of Elizabeth Arden), a common surfactant, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) found in most cleansers, toothpastes and shampoos was found to irritate the skin, corrode the hair and contribute to significant hair loss. Further tests indicated that it can keep children's eyes from developing properly and contributed to the development of cataracts in some adults. In children under the age of six, SLS prevents proteins from linking up properly. Furthermore, it was found to mix with other chemicals present in shampoos to form nitrosamines, a human carcinogen. This very same ingredient is used in research clinics to irritate skin for healing tests. It is also used to degrease automobile engines and clean garage floors because of its corrosive nature.

Another common ingredient in most moisturizers, mineral oil, comes from crude oil (petroleum) used in industry as a metal cutting fluid. It may suffocate the skin by forming an oil film. Healthy skin needs oxygen, and to release carbon dioxide it should not be inhibited. Holding large amounts of moisture in the skin can "flood" the biology and may result in immature, unhealthy, sensitive skin that dries out easily. Glycerin (synthetic/non-natural) acts in a similar fashion, drawing moisture from inside the skin and holding it on the surface for a better feel. While these two ingredients may not necessarily be toxic, they can dry the skin from the inside out, and ultimately cause premature aging.

There is cause for concern. The average woman applies more than two hundred chemicals a day to her body, (men, somewhat fewer), most of which initiate an immune response. In this day of chemical overload, it is ridiculous to think that this toxic abuse is not affecting our health.

So what do we do now? Throw away our make-up and go "au natural?" No, alternatives are out there, we just need to take the initiative to educate ourselves in a little biochemistry, read labels, learn about ingredients, scan a few reports and attend a few lectures. Then when it is time to replace those products, it will be done with knowledge. No, we don't have to give up our skin care products, we just need to be informed and choose wisely. We then need to teach this valued information to our children and others we care about.

koan · Post by **koan** » Thu Jun 21, 2007 10:06 am

Betty Boop;642301 wrote: I didn't know this, I too react quickly to certain products and I also start developing allergies to things I use over a period of time. It's a nightmare, I'm struggling to find a moisturiser to use right now, haven't used shampoo or conditioner in over a year. I was diagnosed with a perfume allergy but I disagree, perfume free products still cause a reaction and I am convinced I have a chemical allergy.

Usually you can increase your immune system by changing your diet. I go on an extreme diet change for about a month when I start to get rashes and stomach aches too often. I have to keep Benedryl handy in case I come in contact with anything severe.

Changing your diet will make it less necessary for moisturizers in the first place but keep it to a minimum and get everything from an herbal store that makes their own products. Check the ingredients carefully.

Richard Bell · Post by **Richard Bell** » Thu Jun 21, 2007 10:09 am

Bill Sikes;642294 wrote: There was a wine scandal in Yurp a while ago - the Eyeties, IIRC, had a problem.

I was remembering that one as I heard the latest reports of contaminated toothpaste.

It was Austrian white wine .

A quick Google search tells me it was back in 1985.

Some Austrian wineries were adding gylcol to their wine for added sweetness, and to give the wine "legs" - the ability to cling to the side of a glass when it is swirled.

The ancient Romans used to put a lump of lead in their wine, and serve it from lead decanters. The dissolved lead sweetened the wine.

Bill Sikes · Post by **Bill Sikes** » Thu Jun 21, 2007 2:16 pm

Richard Bell;642602 wrote: The ancient Romans used to put a lump of lead in their wine, and serve it from lead decanters. The dissolved lead sweetened the wine.

Weren't their troubles down to the physical reduction of grape juice (must) volume in lead vessels, by boiling, which leached out or chemically combined with the lead, which concentrated juice was then added to wine to sweeten it?

Bill Sikes · Post by **Bill Sikes** » Thu Jun 21, 2007 2:18 pm

Richard Bell;642602 wrote: Some Austrian wineries were adding gylcol to their wine for added sweetness

It certainly is very sweet. If you taste car radiator water, you will get an indication of how much anti-freeze it contains!

Dianej · Post by **Dianej** » Thu Jun 21, 2007 4:36 pm

Koan, you speak my language and you know your stuff!:)

koan · Post by **koan** » Thu Jun 21, 2007 4:53 pm

I'm rather like Judi Vance. I've been terribly ill from exposure and had to figure it out myself. We can all handle certain amounts of chemicals and from the new age kids I've seen, it's better to have small amounts of exposure to build an immune system but once the cart tips it's hard to get it righted again.

I've had powdered chemical from a silo pour over my head while I was standing underneath it so... my exposure has been fairly extreme. And don't think anyone allowed me to fill out a work accident form on it. They wouldn't even give me an MSDS.

Dianej · Post by **Dianej** » Thu Jun 21, 2007 6:06 pm

BY LAW, an MSDS sheet must be furnished upon request! Don't accept no for an answer!

Has anyone noticed how physically developed young girls and boys are? I know of 10 year old girls that have begun menstruation already! Breasts are developing on young girls at the age of 8 years! Facial hair is evident in young boys before the age of 11. Male fish are developing ovaries and female genitalia. Male alligators are becoming feminized and are unable to reproduce. This was completely non-existant 30 years ago! Why?

Contaminated water laced with lead, arsenic and mercury!

Chemical preservatives such as parabens ( found in 99% of all skin care products) are also DIRECT contributors to this.

We know this is wrong but what are we doing about it?

koan · Post by **koan** » Thu Jun 21, 2007 7:06 pm

Actually there are two theories on that one.

The first I heard was that artificial lighting tricks the body into thinking more days have passed hence it develops as if it is aging faster.

(I dunno about that one)

The other is that lots of products we use have hormone mimickers in them. (That's more likely)

Dianej · Post by **Dianej** » Fri Jun 22, 2007 6:36 am

1. What is the endocrine system?

The endocrine system is a complex network of glands and hormones that regulates many of the body's functions, including growth, development and maturation, as well as the way various organs operate. The endocrine glands -- including the pituitary, thyroid, adrenal, thymus, pancreas, ovaries, and testes -- release carefully-measured amounts of hormones into the bloodstream that act as natural chemical messengers, traveling to different parts of the body in order to control and adjust many life functions.

2. What is an endocrine disruptor?

An endocrine disruptor is a synthetic chemical that when absorbed into the body either mimics or blocks hormones and disrupts the body's normal functions. This disruption can happen through altering normal hormone levels, halting or stimulating the production of hormones, or changing the way hormones travel through the body, thus affecting the functions that these hormones control. Chemicals that are known human endocrine disruptors include diethylstilbesterol (the drug DES), dioxin, PCBs, DDT, and some other pesticides. Many chemicals, particularly pesticides and plasticizers, are suspected endocrine disruptors based on limited animal studies.

3. What are some likely routes of exposure to endocrine disruptors?

Exposure to endocrine disruptors can occur through direct contact with pesticides and other chemicals or through ingestion of contaminated water, food, or air. Chemicals suspected of acting as endocrine disruptors are found in insecticides, herbicides, fumigants and fungicides that are used in agriculture as well as in the home. Industrial workers can be exposed to chemicals such as detergents, resins, and plasticizers with endocrine disrupting properties. Endocrine disruptors enter the air or water as a byproduct of many chemical and manufacturing processes and when plastics and other materials are burned. Further, studies have found that endocrine disruptors can leach out of plastics, including the type of plastic used to make hospital intravenous bags. Many endocrine disruptors are persistent in the environment and accumulate in fat, so the greatest exposures come from eating fatty foods and fish from contaminated water.

4. How do we know that endocrine disruptors are dangerous?

Many plant and animal species are showing signs of ill health due to exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals. For example, fish in the Great Lakes, which are contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and other man-made chemicals, have numerous reproductive problems as well as abnormal swelling of the thyroid glands. Fish-eating birds in the Great Lakes area, such as eagles, terns, and gulls, have shown similar dysfunctions.

Scientists have also pointed to endocrine disruptors as the cause of a declining alligator population in Lake Apopka, Florida. The alligators in this area have diminished reproductive organs that prevent successful reproduction. These problems were connected to a large pesticide spill several years earlier, and the alligators were found to have endocrine disrupting chemicals in their bodies and eggs.

5. Should humans be concerned for their health based on evidence that fish, birds and alligators have been affected?

Yes. All vertebrates (fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals, including humans) are fundamentally similar during early embryonic development. Scientists can therefore use the evidence acquired on other species to make predictions about endocrine disrupting effects on humans.

6. Is there direct evidence that humans are susceptible to endocrine disruption?

Yes. In the 1950s and 1960s pregnant women were prescribed diethylstilbestrol (DES), a synthetic estrogen, to prevent miscarriages. Not only did DES fail to prevent miscarriages, but it also caused health problems for many of these women's children. In 1971, doctors began reporting high rates of unusual vaginal cancers in teenage girls. Investigations of the girls' environmental exposures traced the problem to their mothers' use of DES. The girls also suffered birth defects of the uterus and ovaries, and immune system suppression.

7. Are children at greater risk from endocrine disruptor exposure?

Yes. Because endocrine disruptors affect the development of the body's vital organs and hormonal systems, infants, children and developing fetuses are more vulnerable to exposure. And as was the case with DES, parents' exposure to certain chemicals may produce unexpected -- and tragic -- effects in their children, even decades later.

8. These days don't chemicals have to be safe to be allowed on the market?

No. The majority of the more than 2,000 chemicals that come onto the market every year do not go through even the simplest tests to determine toxicity. Even when some tests are carried out, they do not assess whether or not a chemical has endocrine interfering properties.

laneybug · Post by **laneybug** » Fri Jun 22, 2007 1:42 pm

Luckily, I don't wear makeup of any kind. I think it's ridiculous really. I wash my face at night and use moisturizer every morning and night. I use shampoo and conditioner. And bar soap. I'll tell you what brands I use and if anyone wants to tell me if they're dangerous or not, I'd love to hear it. I may not necessarily care about the "dangers" now, but with the right info, I might.

For washing my face I use: Olay foaming face wash for sensitive skin

For moisturizing I use: Olay complete with SPF 15 for sensitive skin

Shampoo: Garnier Fructis

Conditioner: Garnier Fructis

Deodorant: Arrid XX

For lips: Carmex

And for body wash: Olay bar soap with moisturizers or whatever. Don't have any boxes of it around right now, so don't know the exact name.

That's pretty much all I use for personal hygiene products, other than toothpaste and that's usually whatever I have around. Crest of whatever.

lol, now I need to go put all my stuff back in the bathroom.....