yourtomorrow

"The incidence of some cancers has risen by 200% since 1950, with the scarcely publicised result that 60 year olds are more likely to die of cancer today than they were 50 years ago. The cause, it appears, is the ever increasing burden of toxic chemicals to which we are exposed."
George Monbiot, The Guardian, 2nd Nov 2000

Nowadays there is a lot of media focus given to food standards, and many of us have joined the organic movement to try to ensure we have some control over the chemicals that enter our body. However what most people appear unaware of is the number of potentially harmful chemicals that can enter our systems via bathroom and bodycare products.

In the USA the Occupational Safety and Health Administration analysed 2,983 chemicals used in the personal care industry and found 884 of them to be toxic. 125 were known cancer causing agents and many more were suspected of causing birth defects. These chemicals often have small molecules and use the skin as a transport system to penetrate the body. They enter the bloodstream and some, e.g. Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS), are then stored in major organs of the body. A University of Pittsburgh study reported that twice as many toxins can enter the body via the skin than via the intestines. When you eat a toxin the body has the chance of metabolising it. When a toxin enters via the skin there is no defence, it proceeds directly into tissues and cells. When personal care products were mass produced in the 1920s, regulators were unaware that some of their chemical substances were potentially poisonous to the body. Successive UK governments of recent years seem to believe it is too late to do a U-turn and ban these chemicals. These chemicals are also used in the USA but warnings are often printed on the packaging. This is an example of the smallprint on a box of a tube of Colgate toothpaste from the USA:

"Warning: Keep out of the reach of children under 6 years of age. If you accidentally swallow more than used for brushing, seek professional assistance or contact a Poison Control Centre immediately."

And Colgate toothpaste is the best-selling toothpaste in the UK !

Below I have listed some of the chemicals to avoid. Check your bathroom products for these and you will find that almost all of the major brands, including the best selling Johnson's products for babies, contain at least some of them.

Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS) and / or Sodium Laureth Sulphate (SLES)

SLS is a chemical found mainly in harsh detergents and wetting agents in car engine degreasers, garage floor cleaners and other car-cleaning products. It is also contained in many shampoos and toothpastes. SLS is a well known in the scientific community as a skin irritant. It is absorbed rapidly and retained in the eyes, brain, heart and liver, which may result in harmful long-term effects. For example it could prevent children’s eyes developing properly and / or cause cataracts in adults. SLES is slightly less irritating than SKS, but it may cause more drying of the skin. Both SLS and SLES may react with other ingredients in shampoos and toothpastes to create cancer-causing chemicals. Large amounts of nitrates may then enter the blood system from just one shampooing.

SLS and SLES are used by the personal care industry as foaming agents and are often combined with common table salt to produce thick, rich foam. This is an incredibly cheap way of producing foam and makes a product appear to be a luxurious toiletry.

Propylene Glycol

This is a cosmetic form of mineral oil found in automotive brake and hydraulic fluid and industrial anti-freeze.

In skin and hair products it works as a humescent. This is a substance that draws moisture from the lower part of the skin to the surface giving only the impression of moisturising (rather than actually doing it!). This can cause skin to age faster. Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) – used for reference in industrial plants around the UK – warn users to avoid skin contact with propylene glycol as this strong irritant can cause liver abnormalities and kidney damage. Yet this is still found in skincare products!