I started a segment on Instagram TV called “Toxic Beauty.”The goal is to educate people on the toxic ingredients being used in our everyday products. Since starting my nontoxic journey, I’ve learned that knowledge truly is power.
Why Use Toxic Ingredients Like formaldehyde in Our cosmetics?
Formaldehyde is an ingredient used in cleaning products, and flooring or building materials. But, it is also found in cosmetics. Yes, you read that right! It is a known carcinogen according to the National Cancer Institute. What is this toxic ingredient doing in your cosmetics or personal care products?
Formaldehyde is used as a preservative to keep products from spoiling, and prolonging their shelf life. But, it is also used in a wide range of cosmetics. These include nail polish, nail hardeners, some deodorant, shampoo, hair straighteners and hair dyes, and even used in some baby products! This is the same chemical that is used on cadavers to keep the body from decaying.
Yup! You read that right too…
Some companies don’t use it, per say, but they use formaldehyde releasers. These are chemicals that release formaldehyde overtime. For hair straighteners, “over time” is really once the product is put to use. These releasers have the same serious health risks as formaldehyde.
Most of the cancer research on formaldehyde focused on its inhalation risk. But, laboratory studies say that formaldehyde, in cosmetics, can also be absorbed through the skin. When you’re exposed to these products on a daily basis, they can build up in your fatty tissue over time, and potentially cause serious health problems.
Unfortunately, the U.S. has not restricted or banned its use like other countries (restricted in Sweden, Canada, Australia, European Union; banned in Japan).
In March 2009, the EWG reported that the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics had an independent laboratory test 48 top-selling children’s products for a toxic chemical called 1,4-dioxane. 28 of those products were also tested for formaldehyde. The lab found that: 23 out of 28 products had formaldehyde at high levels (ranging from 54 to 610 parts per million (ppm)), with Baby Magic Baby Lotion having the highest. 17 out of the 28 had both formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane; these included Johnson’s Baby Shampoo, Sesame Street Bubble Bath, Grins & Giggles Milk & Honey Baby Wash and Huggies Naturally Refreshing Cucumber & Green Tea Baby Wash
We’re talking about baby products!!!
In 2014, Johnson & Johnson finally announced that it had met its goal to remove formaldehyde-releasers from their baby products.
As consumers, we need to be aware of these things and understand how unregulated this industry truly is, in order to keep ourselves and our children safe. When looking at product labels, avoid this list if you want to avoid formaldehyde and formaldehyde releasers:
Formaldehyde, formalin, diazolidinyl urea, imidazolidinyl urea, DMDM hydantoin, quaternium-15, Bronopol (2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol), 5-Bromo-5-nitro-1,3-dioxane and sodium hydroxylmethylglycinate.
Is any of this shocking to you? Share below! Remember to share this knowledge with others, so that we can move to a place where companies start making our health a priority, and stop using toxic ingredients.
Want to follow along with the Instagram video series? See video below!
View this post on Instagram
