Charlenechambers's Blog

Have you ever thought about how many chemicals your body takes in each day? We eat, breath, drink, sleep, and work, with chemicals every day. Have you ever thought about what those chemicals might doing to our body’s balance or immunity? Now I’m not talking about natural, normal chemicals, I’m talking dangerous, potentially deadly chemicals.  There are chemicals in our homes, the air, our food, just about every single thing around us, so what do we do?

            Lately it seems that all the forces of life, the economy, the planet, disease, keep trying to point us back to the old ways of living, more home cooking, gardening, organic greener lives in general, a more natural way of living. Sort of coming full circle, so to speak, and we need to heed the signs around us and change our ways or suffer major consequences in the future not to mention the mess we will leave the future generations.

            I had decided a while ago to change my life and that included trying to live more natural, eating healthier, using natural products, etc. What I didn’t realize was how much of a change it would be. I started looking at all the products I use in a day and honestly couldn’t believe what I was coming in contact with or ingesting every day. Just one example is baby lotion I started using it because it sounds safe, used for babies, so it should be safe right? Well I looked at the list of ingredients and found a list that went on and on so I began to research some of them and found that there’s nothing pure in there, one being the second one listed, propylene glycol, which I found out is used in many cosmetics, soaps, shampoo, baby powder, and other products but is also found in tire sealant, rubber cleaner, degreaser, paint, adhesive, and more. Known to cause eye and skin irritation, skin drying, and according to The Material Safety Data Sheet users should avoid contact with skin since this strong skin irritant can cause liver abnormalities and kidney damage, this is in baby lotion! If you look at a list of ingredients on any label they are listed from the greatest amount to least according to what is in there and this chemical, propylene glycol, is the second listed ingredient after water, meaning it is mostly made of this chemical. This specific baby lotion is Johnson’s bedtime baby lotion with lavender, but also in regular Johnson’s baby lotion (pink bottle). I looked at another Johnson’s baby lotion with cocoa and shea butter and found it was still in there but at a different level on the ingredient list. This is something that is aimed at babies for purity and safety but it is far from it no matter how you spin it. Now keep in mind I am discussing the category of hygiene products like lotions, cosmetics, soaps, etc.  

Starting with a family of chemicals called parabens, which are in almost all products on the market, it is a chemical preservative and may be seen as methyl, propyl, butyl, and ethyl (alkyl-p-hydoxybenzoates) paraben, which according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) “displayed estrogenic activity (stimulating the hormone estrogen which is known to stimulate breast and ovarian cancer) in several tests.” Meaning that these chemicals can disrupt your endocrine system by mimicking the body’s own hormones, the organs within the endocrine system that are disrupted include the hypothalamus, ovaries, your thyroid, and pretty much all systems in your body. The EPA also states “continual introduction of these benzoates (parabens) into the sewage treatment systems and directly to recreational waters from the skin leads to the question of risk to aquatic organisms.” As a matter of fact European scientists “found other endocrine-disrupting body care chemicals in the bodies of fish that humans are eating and in human breast milk.” Dr. Elizabeth Smith also points out that besides estrogen stimulating breast cancer, absorbing any substance through the skin can have an effect of 10 times the concentration compared to an oral dose, chemicals are absorbed through the skin as in the nicotine patches, so the chemicals in lotions and the like are also absorbed through your skin.  Another affect of parabens to point out comes from research done by Dr. S. Oishi (at the Department of Toxicology, Tokyo Metropolitan Research Laboratory of Public Health) who found that exposure to butylparaben on newborn male mammals caused adverse affects on the secretion of testosterone and “the function of the male reproductive system.”  These are hormones normally in our bodies and our body works hard to maintain a balance of them so adding more by stimulation or absorption causes an unnecessary stress on your system and adding to the chance of disease that large amounts of these can cause.

            Estrogen (which is the hormone that parabens mimic) is the hormone that is responsible for puberty in girls, development of breasts and hips, then in adult women estrogen gives us soft skin, vaginal lubrication, helps with bone density, and is important for brain function. In men estrogen plays a role by assisting the function of testosterone and also has influence of bone density and cognitive function. Balance within our body that is the most crucial thing for our health. That being said I will list symptoms and problems from an imbalance (too much) of estrogen.

According to an article found on gynecologicalhealth.com (Herrera, 2008), Dr. Igor Tabrizian outlines some of these symptoms from what is being called “estrogen dominance” (imbalance in estrogen and progesterone) in Nutritional Medicine: Fact and Fiction?(NRS Publishing 2002):

• Allergies and Asthma
• Missed or irregular periods
• Swollen or Fibroycystic Breasts
• Irritability
• Fatigue
• PMS
• Infertility
• PCOS
• Fibroids
• Mood Swings
• Magnesium deficiency
• Thyroid dysfunction

Also stated in another article by Laura Owens (menopause.com, 2008) Dr. John Lee, a pioneer in women’s health and author of “Hormone Balance Made Simple” says “over a long period of time too much estrogen may put her health in danger.”

“Estrogen dominance is known to cause and/or contribute to”:

• Cancer of the breast, ovary, endometrium and prostate (men).
• PMS, mood changes, anxiety, irritability
• Menopausal symptoms
• Weight gain
• Bloating
• Mood swings
• Tender breasts
• Headaches
• Fatigue
• Depression
• Hypoglycemia
• Uterine fibroids
• Endometriosis
• Fibrocystic breasts.

 These are estrogen mimicking chemicals that build up in our tissues over time and the source of these chemicals are from things like soaps, lotions, cosmetics, pesticides, acetate (nail polish remover), plastic’s, the list goes on. These estrogen mimicking chemicals are called xenoestrogens, they are synthetic and very potent and toxic to our body because they are not efficiently cleared from our body.

            In an article from the Environmental Working Group website, “Phthalates, called “plasticizers,” are a group of industrial chemicals used to make plastics like polyvinyl chloride (PVC) more flexible or resilient and also as solvents.” “Phthalates are nearly ubiquitous in modern society, found in, among other things, toys, food packaging, hoses, raincoats, shower curtains, vinyl flooring, wall coverings, lubricants, adhesives, detergents, nail polish, hair spray and shampoo.” “Phthalates have been found to disrupt the endocrine system.” “Several phthalate compounds have caused reduced sperm counts, testicular atrophy and structural abnormalities in the reproductive systems of male test animals, and some studies also link phthalates to liver cancer” according to the U.S. Center for Disease Control’s 2005 National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals. “Though the CDC contends the health hazards of phthalates to humans have not been definitively established, for some years, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has regulated phthalates as water and air pollutants.” The Environmental Working Group has focused on phthalates since 1998, when bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate was discovered and that dibutyl phthalate “was present in the bodies of every single person tested for industrial pollutants.”

The reason these, and other, harmful chemicals have not been banned is really because the FDA has absolutely NO regulations on how many (or what) potentially carcinogenic chemicals are allowed in cosmetics, which include washes (soap), lotions, etc. and this is a very large loophole for these companies so they get away with it (Soapchix.wordpress.com 2009). As noted on the FDA website there are no real regulations in this area of manufacturing, so pretty much anything goes and we don’t have a clue to what we are buying or putting on our body that eventually ends up in our body. Consumers do not know enough about these toxic chemicals and we blindly follow the ads that draw us in to use these products not knowing the harm that can come from them.

            Here is a list of the top ten toxins to avoid and unfortunately these toxins are in most common products we use.

BHA – (Butylated hydroxyanisole) Toxic to the liver, immune and nervous systems; possible carcinogen

BHT – (Butylated hydroxytoluene) Toxic to the brain, nervous, and respiratory systems; possible carcinogen and endocrine disruptor

D & C Colorants – Toxic to nervous and reproductive systems

Eugenol – Toxic to the immune and nervous systems, endocrine disruptor

Formaldehyde – Toxic to the immune and respiratory systems; carcinogen

Nitrosamines – endocrine disruptor; possible carcinogen

P-Phenylenediamine – Toxic to the immune, respiratory, and nervous systems

Parabens – Endocrine disruptor, neurotoxic; possible carcinogen

Phthalates – Toxic to the immune, nervous, and reproductive systems

Triethanolamine – Toxic to the immune and respiratory systems; possible carcinogen

These chemicals are found in cosmetics, soaps, lotions, pretty much all products we use on a daily basis, they are not regulated even though they have been proven harmful. (This list was found on the website TheGoodHuman.com.)

To give you an idea of what all this means I’ll give you a brief description of the endocrine system and its function in maintaining balance for our health. The endocrine system is a very important part of our overall health it works with other systems and organs of our body such as the nervous system, reproductive system, kidneys, liver, digestive system, pancreas, and fat, to control and maintain a variety of things within us such as:

1. Energy levels
2. Reproduction
3. Internal balance of systems called homeostasis
4. Growth and development
5. Response to our surroundings like stress and injury (fight or flight response)

The endocrine system controls all these functions through a network of glands and organs which produce, store, and secrete the hormones needed for each process. Different hormones produce specific effects on cells or tissues of the body they are produced and stored to be used as needed. Problems can arise when there is an imbalance in these hormones and cannot be controlled normally by the body such as the hormone mimicking of the chemicals mentioned earlier. An environmental endocrine disruptor (EED) is exactly what these chemicals (parabens, nitrosamines, etc.) are and they are in all kinds of common products we use. EED’s can cause adverse affects to the normal functioning of the endocrine system, they mimic what our natural hormones would perform by binding at the target cell receptor causing the same processes between our body’s cells and our natural hormone, these are called hormone agonists.

      The other group of EED’s called antagonists block cellular events associated with hormone binding. Others can directly interfere with production, release, storage, transport, clearance and binding, or the elimination of endogenous hormones in the body so this can greatly affect functions of other body systems.

To give you an idea of how many chemicals are introduced to your body every day I am going to show you a typical morning routine. Keep in mind this is just an average morning hygiene routine not including breakfast, or any other part of the day. To start say you are using Olay Total Effects face wash, here is the list of ingredients (remember ingredients are listed by concentration of most to least):

Olay Total Effects: Water, sodium lauroamphoacetate, glycerin, sorbitol, sodium myristoyl sarcosinate, sodium trideceth sulfate, PEG-200 hydrogenated glyceryl palmate, sodium laureth sulfate, citric acid, PEG-7 glyceryl cocoate, acrylates copolymer, glycol distearate, polyquartenium-10, PEG-100, fragrance, lauric acid, cocamide mea, disodium EDTA, tocopheryl acetate, niacinamide, laureth-10, BHT, methylchloroisothiazolinone, methylisothiazolinone, pentadecacactone.

Body wash:

Bodycology body wash (coconut lime): Water, ammonium lauryl sulfate, ammonium laureth sulfate, lauramide DEA, lauryl glucoside, cocamidopropyl betaine, glyceryl distearate, cocamide MEA, laureth-10, fragrance, quarternium-92, aloe barbadensis leaf juice, dipropylene glycol, prunus amygdalus dulcis (sweet almond oil), honey, sodium chloride, PEG-40 hydrogenated castor oil, polyquarternium-10, benzophenone-4, disodium EDTA, triethanolamine, citric acid, DMDM hydantoin, blue 1, yellow 5.

Shampoo and Conditioner:

Suave Professionals Biobasics Shampoo: Water, ammonium lauryl sulfate, ammonium laureth sulfate, cocamide MEA, PEG-5 cocamide, sodium citrate, glycol distearate, fragrance, ammonium chloride, cocamidopropyl betaine, dimethicone propyl PG-betaine, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, bishydroxyethyl dihyroxypropyl stearammonium chloride, citric acid, tetrasodium EDTA, DMDM hydantoin, glycerin, ammonium xylenesulfonate, tocopheryl acetate (vitamin E acetate), arginine HLC, lysine HCI, panthenol, panthenyl ethyl ether, propylene glycol, methylchloroisothiazolinone, silk amino acids, methylisothiazolinone, quillaja saponaria bark extract, chamomilla recutita (matricaria) extract, rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) leaf extract.

Suave Professionals Biobasics Conditioner: Water, cetearyl alcohol, cetrimonium chloride, dimethiconol, fragrance, quartermium-18, potassium chloride, hydroxyethylcellulose, propylene glycol, disodium EDTA, DMDM hydantoin, TEA-dodecylbenzenesulfonate, tocopheryl acetate (vitamin E acetate), arginine HCI, lysine HCI, panthenol, panthenyl ethyl ether, methylchloroisothiazolinone, silk amino acids, methylisothiazolinone, rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) leaf extract, sorbitol, hydrastis Canadensis (golden seal) extract, glycerin, algae extract.

Moisturizer:

 Johnson’s baby lotion with lavender: Water, propylene glycol, myristyl myristate, oleic acid, polysorbate 61, C12-15 alkyl benzoate, dimethicone, isopropyl palmitate, sorbitan stearate, cetyl alcohol, stearyl alcohol, synthetic beeswax, benzyl alcohol, carbomer, methylparaben, propylparaben, butylparaben, BHT, fragrance, sodium hydroxide.

 (Remember the second ingredient listed (meaning it is highest ingredient after water) propylene glycol which is a hazardous chemical as explained previously, also note BHT and 3 parabens in the lotions ingredients, mentioned on the top ten most toxic chemicals list above.)

Something all parents should be aware of is the false claims of purity from baby products like Johnson&Johnson:   “Last month the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics and partner organizations released a report revealing that dozens of popular bath products for babies and kids contain at least two hazardous contaminants: 1,4-dioxane and formaldehyde”. “Both of these chemicals cause cancer in animals, and formaldehyde is also known to cause skin rashes in people who are sensitive to the chemical” (Campaign for Safe Cosmetics 2009). Full story and link to stop the use of these chemicals: http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5500/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=1426

Next is anti-perspirant deodorant:

 Active ingredient: aluminum chlorohydrate.

Inactive ingredients: Cyclopentasiloxane, isopropyl palmitate, stearyl alcohol, mineral oil, talc, hydrogenated castor oil, fragrance, steareth-100, BHT.

 Brushing teeth is next: Colgate Total Whitening Gel: Active ingredients: Sodium fluoride, triclosan.

Inactive ingredients: Water, hydrated silica, glycerin, sorbitol, PVM/MA copolymer, sodium lauryl sulfate, cellulose gum, flavor, sodium hydroxide, propylene glycol, carrageenan, sodium saccharin, mica, titanium dioxide, FD&C blue #1.

I would like to note that in Crest Whitening Expressions Refreshing Vanilla Mint and Crest Whitening Expressions Extreme Herbal Mint has polyethylene in the ingredients. Polyethylene a polymerized ethylene resin (plastics) used to make containers, kitchenware, tubing, etc. (Note this, polyethylene, was not found in the same brand Cinnamon Rush.)

Mouthwash follows, Crest Pro-Health: Active ingredient: Cetylpyridinium.

Inactive ingredients: Water, glycerin, flavor, poloxamer 407, methylparaben, sodium saccharin, propylparaben, blue 1.

Starting with a simple morning hygiene routine you have just introduced the body to a barrage of chemicals, 5 parabens, 3 BHT, 4 colorants, that’s just 3 I’ve noted from the top ten list of toxic chemicals from this point on you can add food additives, cosmetic chemicals, pesticides, cleaning chemicals, environmental toxins, and so much more. We have to be mindful of all these toxins and what it’s doing to our health and our environment. We need to take control of what we are exposed to and do something about it, manufacturers have been getting away with basically killing us for too long, their profit is their priority.

      The FDA needs to classify and regulate cosmetics, the problem with reclassifying cosmetics would be the gray area they fall into and the fact that the FDA does not regulate what goes into the cosmetic and hygiene products, so basically the manufacturer has free reign. The company can use any ingredients they want as long as the label states the necessary claims to get them onto the shelves.

According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG) “7,500 products tested by the EWG, a mere 28 had been evaluated for safety by the CIR. The EWG found that one in every 120 products analyzed contained ingredients certified by the government as known or probable carcinogens and that nearly one-third of the products contained ingredients classified as possible carcinogens. Astoundingly, 54 products even violated recommendations for safe use that the CIR had put in place, yet these products are still available for sale today” (EWG/ Connealy 2006).

Another thing I found interesting was the rise in use of Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHA) and Beta Hydroxy Acids (BHA) for acne, scarring, wrinkles, yet it causes doubling of UV-induced skin damage and potential higher risk for skin cancer. These acids were found in 1 out of 17 products the EWG analyzed and 10% of those were moisturizers with 6% sunscreen, the irony is the FDA and/or manufacturer has no warning label regulation considering some of these products containing the dangerous BHA and AHA acids are designed specifically for use in the sun. So you are adding a product to your skin thinking you are getting some protection yet you are actually adding to the risk for skin cancer (EWG/Connealy 2006). Sunscreens contain zinc (one of the main active ingredients) and has been shown just recently that concentrations of zinc in the body will cause neurological problems. This link has come to light with denture creams and possible overuse, causing neurological problems in people that were using them; so following this revelation I began to think about using a shot glass full of sunscreen (as we’re told we should, reapply at least every 2 hours) and then going in the sun while letting the sun bake this into the skin thus into the bloodstream which could eventually show up as health problems, something to consider. (http://www.usrecallnews.com/2009/04/fda-should-warn-about-zinc-poisoning-from-denture-creams.html)

How about a cosmetic company supporting breast cancer research but putting known carcinogens in their products? It’s happening in almost all products you use on your body including baby products (Johnson&Johnson) these are 2 very controversial ingredients that are in your products, in your home right now (as mentioned earlier but warrants bringing it up again):

 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 (Thinkbeforeyoupink.com 2007). End result is these products are in many ways drugs that do influence the function of our body so there needs to be something done to prevent the health risks these chemicals cause whether they are classified as drugs or not it should be stopped.

Improvements in the laws to protect us would be to stop any use of any chemical that could even remotely cause harm to us. There are products out there that are natural and don’t use these chemicals so why can’t all products become natural or be forced to be for the sake of public health. The manufacturer wants to sell the products regardless of any risks money again is the ruling factor.

With soaps the same applies, as far as labeling it as a drug, if it claims to treat acne or other skin conditions or contains the same parabens or other harmful chemicals that do affect the body’s function then it should carry some sort of drug label. Body wash has these parabens and other harmful chemicals in them that have been shown to be harmful to us. Skin does absorb so it makes sense that the possibility of these chemicals leeching into the skin is certain, common sense should tell us this is another gray area to be looked into. Imported products fall into the same scenario as above especially since they may use ingredients that are even more dangerous than are used in this country.

I think labeling is minimal because it would certainly hurt sales so they try to hide or minimize what is disclosed about the product, it’s up to the poor consumer to become an investigative reporter to find out what they are really using and it should not be that way. I believe there should be full disclosure so the public is aware and can make informed decisions from there.

I feel that any chemical or ingredient that could alter the function of our body should be regulated at the least, but banned altogether, preferably. Ironically under a law called the Delaney Clause it is illegal “to expose people to a drug found to induce cancer in experimental animals” (Douglass, 2007 p.1) there are so many things we have to deal with everyday from the environment like pollution, pesticides, to what we ingest or use on our body it’s insane and overwhelming for the average person to be “on top” of all this stuff. So whether it’s the FDA or another agency that overlooks the ingredients in products, something should be done. It’s not right, morally, that people’s lives are at stake by buying products we are taught to trust, since until you investigate for yourself or after X amount of years of use shows a product causes disease and is pulled from the shelves, we believe we are safe and we’re not.

Some people don’t have the resources or time to investigate ingredients in what they are buying but that doesn’t mean they deserve to get ill from harmful chemicals or ingredients either, that’s the purpose of laws and regulations to protect the public but it doesn’t seem to apply to most products.

It is completely ridiculous and criminal for companies to use ingredients that can cause harm and not disclose the risk, but that would certainly hurt profits so what is the answer? The labels may tell you what is in the product but it does not tell you what may be a risk or in what way, it’s shameful what all these companies get away with and that includes the food industry too. The baby products struck me hard though, I can’t believe that a trusted company such as, Johnson&Johnson, are using these harmful ingredients that we use on our babies. A baby that is completely pure and new to our world of so many dangers, then to introduce their little systems to something volatile,  is negligence at the least and criminal at best.

Also I have come to question many decisions the FDA makes, they have mislead us over and over, what they approve is at times insane and what they do not is highly questionable as to why not.

It is such a sad world when we have to research every angle before we use a product, it’s amazing when you look into the amount of dangerous chemicals we are exposed to daily, isn’t it. Parabens have caught my attention lately since they mimic estrogen the leading cause in breast and other cancers and with the rise in the rate of cancer you have to wonder; also talc used on the female genitals have shown to cause ovarian cancer, not to mention breathing it in can cause respiratory problems. Pretty scary when you think how common it has always been to use it on ourselves and our babies! Makes you think.

There are so many things out there that cause harm, whether you drink it, eat it, or use it the possibility of a harmful substance being in the ingredients is more likely than not. So unless we become more educated and take charge of our body and what goes in or on it there is a constant threat to our health.

Be aware and be pro-active.

References

 Douglass, W. (2007). Real Health Breakthroughs. The Douglass Report, Retrieved January    29, 2009, from http://www.douglassreport.com/

  http://www.ewg.org/

Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, (2009 May ). Ask Johnson & Johnson to live up to its “pure” and “gentle” claims. Retrieved May 18, 2009, from Campaign for Safe Cosmetics Web site: http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5500/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=1426

Connealy, L. (2006, January 20). Beauty to die for: health hazards of cosmetics and skin care products revealed . Retrieved May 18, 2009, from Natural News Web site: http://www.naturalnews.com/016898.html

Think Before You Pink, (2007). Cosmetic companies and breast cancer. Retrieved May 18, 2009, from Think Before You Pink Web site: http://www.thinkbeforeyoupink.org/Pages/CosmeticCompanies.html

U.S. Food and Drug Administration, (2009). Cosmetics. Retrieved May 18, 2009, from U.S. Food and Drug Administration Web site: http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/cos-toc.html

U.S. Food and Drug Administration, (2009). Is It a Cosmetic, a Drug, or Both?. Retrieved May 18, 2009, from U.S. Food and Drug Administration Web site: http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/cos-218.html