Planet Harmony Videos

Think about all the personal care products you use on a day to day basis.  This means your shampoo, conditioner, body lotion, body wash, anything that you use everyday to make you look and smell good through out the day.  Now grab just one of those products and take a look on the back at the ingredients label.  How many of those ingredients are you able to pronounce?  Or better yet, do you know what those ingredients are and what they do?



If you’re like most Americans, you may be able to discern one or two but the majority of it reads like it’s written in Chinese.  There are thousands of ingredients that are used in our personal care products.  While many of them are safe, there are also many ubiquitous ingredients that are harmful to our health.  Public pressure has started a revolution of “all natural and organic” products.  Many companies now use “no parabens, no artificial colors and no preservatives” as a major selling point to consumers.  

But product companies only address the concerns that consumers are aware of. If the public is unaware and not concerned about another harmful ingredient then neither is the company.  That is why we are going to cover a few commonly demonized ingredients and expose a few others that are not getting enough public attention.      

The first ingredient is mineral oil. It’s a byproduct of petroleum and has a variety of uses.  In hair products, it helps to provide slip so that your comb glides easily through the hair and helps to seal in moisture by creating a barrier.  It also is one of the main ingredients in lip gloss and creates the shine.  Mineral oil has been stigmatized for everything from clogged pores to cancer.

However, only one study in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology  found a link between mineral oil use and skin cancer in mice exposed to UVB radiation.   These results have not been repeated in humans.

Skin Deep, a cosmetic safety database that gives hazard ratings to various ingredients and products rated mineral oil a low to moderate hazard score of 2-4 out of 10.  So now you know, mineral oil is largely a safe and non-toxic ingredient to use.

Another popular ingredient derived from oil is petroleum.  Other commonly used names for petroleum is petrolatum, soft paraffin and Vaseline.  Petroleum earned a low hazard score of 2 on the Skin Deep database.  But consumers have other reasons to be concerned.  In 2004, the European Union labeled petroleum a “probable carcinogen.”  This was because strong evidence linked breast cancer to PAHs; polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. PAHs may contaminate petroleum if it is not manufactured correctly.  The European Union requires that all petroleum used in cosmetics be tested for contamination of PAHs and the U.S. has no requirement like this.

There is very little scientific evidence that topical application of cosmetic grade petroleum is harmful to your health. However, the possible presence of PAH contamination should be of concern. The Environmental Working Group labeled PAH as one of the top seven most commonly found carcinogens in our personal care products.

Another common ingredient in shampoo is Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) and Sodium Lauryl Ether Sulfate (SLES).  Sodium Lauryl Ether Sulfate will appear on your bottle as Sodium Laureth Sulfate.  SLS and SLES are used as cleansing agents and create a lathering effect.  If you look on the back of your shampoo bottle, you may see that it is the second or third ingredient listed.

Both SLS and SLES may cause irritation to the skin, however it is a myth that either has been linked to cancer. But, here is where things get tricky: the process in which sodium lauryl sulfate becomes sodium laureth sulfate is called ethoxylation.  This is the process of adding ethylene oxide to a chemical to make it less harsh.  For example, ethylene oxide is added to SLS to make SLES so that it is less irritating to the skin. Not only is ethylene oxide a known breast carcinogen but this conversion process of SLS to SLES creates a byproduct called 1,4 dioxane which is also a carcinogen and is hazardous at low levels.  Ironically, SLS is more irritating to the skin than SLES.  But SLES is potentially cancerous.

1,4 dioxane is a known animal carcinogen, toxic to the kidneys and nervous system, causes lung and skin irritation and appeared on California’s Proposition 65 list of substances known to cause cancer or birth defects.  It was also listed as one of the top seven most commonly found carcinogens in our products.

Notice the “eth” at the beginning of the word ethoxylation. Because 1,4 dioxane is an impurity and not intentionally added to your products it will not appear on the ingredients label.  However, an ingredient with “eth” or “xynol” is a clue that the product may be contaminated with 1,4 dioxane.  56 ingredients are associated with this contaminant.  You should also avoid PEG compounds which stands for polyethylene glycol.

1,4 Dioxane was also found in 97% of all hair relaxers.  People who use relaxers should also take caution especially with children.  Relaxers have been known to cause hair loss, burns to the scalp, and can even change the color of your hair.  A study at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine found that if ingested, lye can burn through the esophagus.

If you are using a relaxer that claims to be “no lye” you are most likely being duped.  According to Cathy Howse, author of Thinning Edges “the main ingredient in a no lye relaxer is either calcium hydroxide, guanidine hydroxide or potassium hydroxide” which are all fancy names for lye.    

You may use products that claim to be all natural and organic to avoid harmful ingredients.  But what most consumers are not aware of is that cosmetics and personal care products are the least regulated products on the market.  The FDA has no authority to regulate or conduct pre market tests on our cosmetics.  

The Cosmetics Ingredient Review is a self policing safety panel that reviews some of the ingredients that we see.  However, the CIR has not reviewed 89% of the ingredients currently on the market. Words like "organic" "natural" "pure" and "safe" have no legal definition.  In fact, 1,4 dioxane was found in nearly 50% of our so called “organic” and “natural” products.

As a consumer, it is important to understand the ingredients that are in your products.  Conduct your own scientific research before you believe the rumors. The easiest way to identify the dangers in your personal care products is to visit the Skin Deep Database.

If you are looking for information on the health effects or scientific studies conducted on certain ingredients, you should search scientific research sites such as PubMed or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ database TOXNET.  You may also visit the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics to learn more about laws and regulations in your area and country.