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LYE: also known as Sodium Hydroxide or Potassium Hydroxide. A highly concentrated watery solution of sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide. Lye is combined with animal fats to make bar soaps, which may corrode and dry out the skin. It is found in toothpaste, eye drops, and other personal care products. The MSDS for it says "POISON! DANGER! CORROSIVE. May be fatal if swallowed, harmful if inhaled. Causes burns to any area of contact, reacts with water, acids, and other materials." (MSDS Sodium Hydroxide #S4034)

Why is it included in toothpastes? The action of the lye helps remove stains and discolorations on teeth. This seems to be an extreme way to get whiter teeth! Sodium hydroxide is in drain cleaners and oven cleaners. You can buy lye - sodium hydroxide- in the plumbing department of your hardware store. All these products have the same warnings as that noted above, but there are no warnings about Sodium Hydroxide on toothpaste tubes.

PLEASE NOTE: Certain ingredients are only chemically stable in products if the pH (acid/base) is adjusted to the ideal pH. This is especially true of paraben preservatives used in personal care products. In addition, the parabens work as preservatives better in certain pH ranges. Often the amount of acid or base needed to adjust the pH is only drops per 100 gallons of product. The MSDS of these caustic substances are not reflective of just how safe they are after being diluted in hundreds of gallons of product. Literally, they are safer than water in these applications because they adjust the pH of the product to a neutral pH for the skin, thus decreasing the likelihood of skin irritation. There simply is no basis for criticizing the use of pH adjusters

Consumers should be very careful to check ingredients on toothpaste tubes, especially those that promise "brighter, whiter teeth".. It may be the sodium hydroxide that is doing the "whitening".

MINERAL OIL (heavy) - MINERAL OIL (light) - Smothers the skin. A derivative of crude oil (petrolatum) that is used industrially as a cutting fluid and lubricating oil. Mineral oil forms an oily film over skin to lock in moisture, but traps in toxins and wastes, and clogs your pores. It hinders normal skin respiration by keeping oxygen out. It can promote acne and other disorders, and slows down normal cell development, resulting in premature aging of the skin.

NITROSAMINE: - According to Dr. Epstein, "We’ve known since 1976 that DEA will react with nitrites which are present, as preservatives or contaminants, in personal care products, to produce a carcinogen known as nitrosodiethanolamine. This is found in virtually any cosmetic that contains DEA. Consumers have been exposed without any information and without any guidance whatsoever! In 1979 the FDA warned the cosmetic industry that DEA was dangerous because of this. The cosmetic industry ignored the warning! While over in Europe, strong action was taken to phase out the use of DEA." Padimate-O (also known as octyl dimethyl PABA): Act by releasing nitrites which combine with DEA to form *nitrosamines. Found in cosmetics, especially sunscreens. "The most prudent consumers will prefer sunscreens without padimate-O," states Dr. Epstein.

PARA-PHENYLENEDIAMINE DYES: - Carcinogenic when oxidized. According to Dr. Epstein, "These are dyes which are extensively used in permanent black and dark brown hair dyes which have been incriminated in a variety of cancers including non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and multiple myeloma."

Something to think about: Jackie Kennedy used to dye her hair black every two weeks or so and she died of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

PETROLATUM: - Smothers the skin. A petroleum-based grease that is used industrially as a grease component. Petrolatum exhibits many of the same potentially harmful properties as mineral oil.

PHTHALATES: - Phthalates are commonly found in cosmetic and personal care products, especially nail polish, perfumes, hair sprays, and skin lotions, as well as clothes, household cleaners and deodorizers, baby toys, garden hoses, shower curtains, insect repellants, toothbrushes, food packaging, aspirin, medical tubing and fluid bags, gum, candy, biodegradable tampon injectors, and prescription medications. In the recent CDC study, ("National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals"; Center for Disease Control, Atlanta, Ga: Full report is available at

http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/dis/report) diethyl phthalate and dibutyl phthalates, suspected xenoestrogens, were found in women of child-bearing ages. The CDC's John Brock, the head researcher on the phthalate study, said that his "biggest concern was that the highest levels of exposure were in women of child-bearing age." Phthalates are regulated as toxic substances under environmental laws that limit their discharge into air, land, and water, but there are NO limitations on the amount of phthalates used in consumer products, including cosmetics. Health effects of phthalates include damage to the liver and kidneys, birth defects, decreased sperm counts, testicular cancer, early puberty onset in girls, early breast development in girls and boys, and other reproductive disorders. Phthalates are suspected in being at fault in reduced fertility in males. ("Identification of phthalate esters in the serum of young Puerto Rican Girls with premature breast development", Colon et al, Environmental Health Perspectives Vol. 108, No. 9, Sept, 2000)

"Metabolites of diethyl phthalate, used in volatile components of cosmetics like perfumes, nail polishes and hairsprays were found at levels about 70 times higher than metabolites of (one of) the chemicals banned in soft plastic toys...."
 

POTASSIUM HYDROXIDE - See Lye

*PROPYLENE GLYCOL (PG) - PG is a strong skin irritant. A cosmetic form of mineral oil found in automatic brake and hydraulic fluid, and industrial antifreeze. In skin and hair care products, propylene glycol works as a humectant, which is a substance that retains the moisture content of skin or cosmetic products by preventing the escape of moisture or water. Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) warn users to avoid skin contact with propylene glycol as this strong skin irritant can cause liver abnormalities and kidney damage. May be harmful by inhalation, ingestion or skin absorption. May cause eye irritation, skin irritation. Exposure can cause gastro-intestinal disturbances, nausea, headache and vomiting, central nervous system depression.

Check out your body lotions, deodorant, hair conditioner, hair gel, creams, and many more products! Molecular weight of PG is 60. (Ingredients with molecular weight of 75 or lower enters our blood stream)

Propylene glycol is also used as a solvent in acrylics, stains, inks and dyes, and in cellophane and brake fluid. It is used as a preservative in flavored coffee. PG can have an anesthetic effect. Other side effects on animals exposed to PG include heart arrhythmia, stunted growth, decreased blood pressure, and even death. BG - Butylene Glycol - is now being used to replace PG in some personal care products, even though Butylene Glycol is the only one of the glycols that has not been able to even get on the GRAS List (Generally Recognized As Safe)

QUATERNIUM -15: - A formaldehyde donor Quanternium-15 is a preservative and anti-microbial and a severe cause of dermatitis. It is also a teratrogen (causes birth defects in animals) ("A Consumer's Dictionary of Cosmetic Ingredients", Ruth Winters, Three Rivers Press, 1999)

According to Dr. Epstein, "This ingredient is generally safe, BUT will break down in the bottle, or tube, or on the skin to release formaldehyde for which the evidence of its carcinogenicity is literally overwhelming.

"SODIUM HYDROXIDE - See Lye

SODIUM LAURYL SULFATE (SLS): andor SODIUM LAURETH SULFATE (SLES): SLS and SLES are used as detergents, surfactants and foaming agents. These compounds can be found in almost any kind of industrial cleaning agent. They are even more widely used as major ingredients in cosmetics, hair conditioners, toothpaste, about 90% of all shampoos, other products that foam (including those made especially for babies), and in products designed to be left on the skin for an extended period of time, for instance, bubble bath.

SLS is rapidly absorbed and retained in the eyes, brain, heart, and liver, which may result in harmful long-term effects. SLS could retard healing, cause cataracts in adults, and keep children’s eyes from developing properly. In fact, studies have shown that washing your hair one time with a shampoo containing Sodium Lauryl Sulfate could put as many nitrates into your bloodstream as eating a whole pound of bacon. And that is just ONE application. Molecular weight of SLS is 40 (Ingredients with a molecular weight of 75 or lower enters our blood stream) SLES is "Contaminated with a very potent carcinogen; dioxane and very easily absorbed through the skin," states Dr. Epstein. SLES is the alcohol form (ethoxylated) of SLS. It is slightly less irritating than SLS, but may cause more drying. Both SLS and SLES may cause potentially carcinogenic formations of nitrates and dioxins to form in shampoos and cleansers by reacting with other product ingredients. Large amounts of nitrates may enter the blood system from just one shampooing! There has been a lot of industry publicity about the safety of SLS, SLES. Here are the facts, from several sources including the "Alert Bulletin: by the CIR (Cosmetic Ingredient Review), the expert panel used by the CTFA (Cosmetics, Toiletries, & Fragrance Association)

Skin & Eye Irritant - The panel quotes from the 1983 JACT report ("Final Report on the Safety Assessment of Sodium Lauryl Sulfate", Journal of the American College of Toxicology, Vol. 2 #7, 1983) ..."the longer the ingredients stay in contact with the skin, the greater the likelihood of irritation, which may or may not be evident to the user ... (SLS)....causes severe epidermal changes to the area of the skin of mice to which it was applied. This study indicates a need for tumor-enhancing activity assays...studies of rate skin treated with (SLS) found heavy deposition of the detergent on the skin surface and in the hair follicles...Further, it has been reported that 1 percent and 5 percent SLS produced a significant number of conedones (pimples and blackheads) .... These two problems - possible hair loss and conedone formation -- along with proven irritancy, should be considered in the formulation of cosmetic products."

Ulcers and More - Another research paper shows that SLS has protein-denaturing properties, causing skin to separate and become inflamed. ("Denaturation of Epidermal Keratin by Surface Active Agents", Journal Invest Dermatology, 32-81; 1959. It is this property that may leave mucous membranes in the mouth open to microscopic damage. SLS has been shown to contribute to mouth and gastrointestinal ulcers ("Sodium Lauryl Sulfate and recurrent aphthous ulcers- a Preliminary Study" - ACTA Odontol Scan, 52, 1994: pp 257-259 and "The Effect of Sodium Lauryl Sulfate on Recurrent Aphthous Ulcers: A Clinical Study, Compendium 1997; 18(12), pp 1238-1240.) and yet SLS is an ingredient in most national brands of toothpaste. An American Cancer Society news report quotes Keith Green, PhD., D.Sc. in refuting the internet rumor that SLS causes cancer: "Like many other chemicals, it is the manner of usage that is important. As long as you don't rub it all over your body and reapply it every hour for 24 hours, it's perfectly safe".."We did a study using diluted SLS as an eye drop. We put the test amount on the eye of a rabbit and after a certain amount of time we found that SLS got inside the tissues, heart, brain, lungs, but in very minute amounts,"...

People DO "rub it all over their bodies", many times a day while using many different personal care products, and don't rinse it off immediately when they sit in bubble bath. It is at a concentration of MORE than "1 percent" in most shampoos and liquid hand soaps, and other personal care products. SLS and / or SLES are usually the second ingredient listed, after water. Check the shampoo shelves of your local store, and read the labels.

TALC: - Carcinogen. Used by some 20 million women in their reproductive years; not to mention, it’s wide use on infants in the form of "baby powder". According to Dr. Epstein, M.D., "Talc should never be used on babies both because of its carcinogenicity and acute respiratory distress from inhalation that often results in death. There are at least 3 clear cut studies which have been published in the scientific literature that show routine application of talc in the genital area is associated with up to a 3 to 4 fold increase in the development of ovarian cancer." Talc:

Questions & Answers

TALLOW - See Animal Fat

TRICLOSAN: - The latest rage in the arsenal of antibacterial chemicals, Triclosan is included in detergents, dish soaps, laundry soaps, deodorants, cosmetics, lotions, creams, toothpastes and mouthwashes. But, is Triclosan safe? The EPA registers it as a pesticide ("Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products in the Environment: Agents of Subtle Change?", Daughton et al, Environmental Health perspectives Vol. 107, Supplement 6, December 1999.) giving it high scores as a risk to both human health and the environment.

Triclosan is a chlorophenol, a class of chemicals suspected of causing cancer in humans. Externally, it can cause skin irritations, but since "phenols can temporarily deactivate the sensory nerve ending....contact with (Triclosan) often causes little or no pain...Internally, it can lead to cold sweats, circulatory collapse, convulsions, coma, and even death...stored in body fat, it can accumulate to toxic levels, damaging the liver, kidneys, and lungs, and can cause paralysis, sterility, suppression of immune function, brain hemorrhage, decreased fertility and sexual function, heart problems, and coma." (Dr. Angela McGehee, Bio-chemist; personal communication).

From the January 21, 2002 issue of "TIME MAGAZINE" "Unlike antibiotics, which are either found in nature or mimic the action of natural substances, antibacterial soaps contain triclosan and other synthetic chemicals that manufacturers once claimed could wipe out all bacteria. But in the past two years, researchers have shown that some germs can, at least in the laboratory, mutate to counter Triclosan's effects. That could be a problem because so many household products-from sponges to cutting boards to dishwashing liquids-now contain triclosan. Once a few germs develop resistance, they will be much more likely to survive in a world full of triclosan. Many researchers believe that prudent consumers, for their own good-not to mention the good of the planet--should keep triclosan products out of the house." Both SLS and SLES may cause potentially carcinogenic formations of nitrates and dioxins to form in shampoos and cleansers by reacting with other product ingredients. Large amounts of nitrates may enter the blood system from just one shampooing! There has been a lot of industry publicity about the safety of SLS, SLES.  Here are the facts, from several sources including the "Alert Bulletin: by the CIR (Cosmetic Ingredient Review), the expert panel used by the CTFA (Cosmetics, Toiletries, & Fragrance Association) 

​

Skin & Eye Irritant -  The panel quotes from the 1983 JACT report ("Final Report on the Safety Assessment of Sodium Lauryl Sulfate", Journal of the American College of Toxicology, Vol. 2 #7, 1983) ..."the longer the ingredients stay in contact with the skin, the greater the likelihood of irritation, which may or may not be evident to the user ... (SLS)....causes severe epidermal changes to the area of the skin of mice to which it was applied.  This study indicates a need for tumor-enhancing activity assays...studies of rate skin treated with (SLS) found heavy deposition of the detergent on the skin surface and in the hair follicles...Further, it has been reported that 1 percent and 5 percent SLS produced a significant number of conedones (pimples and blackheads) .... These two problems - possible hair loss and conedone formation -- along with proven irritancy, should be considered in the formulation of cosmetic products." 

 

Ulcers and More - Another research paper shows that SLS has protein-denaturing properties, causing skin to separate and become inflamed. ("Denaturation of Epidermal Keratin by Surface Active Agents", Journal Invest Dermatology, 32-81; 1959. It is this property that may leave mucous membranes in the mouth open to microscopic damage.  SLS has been shown to contribute to mouth and gastrointestinal ulcers ("Sodium Lauryl Sulfate and recurrent aphthous ulcers- a Preliminary Study" - ACTA Odontol Scan, 52, 1994: pp 257-259 and "The Effect of Sodium Lauryl Sulfate on Recurrent Aphthous Ulcers: A Clinical Study, Compendium 1997; 18(12), pp 1238-1240.) and yet SLS is an ingredient in most national brands of toothpaste.

An American Cancer Society news report quotes Keith Green, PhD., D.Sc. in refuting the internet rumor that SLS causes cancer: "Like many other chemicals, it is the manner of usage that is important. As long as you don't rub it all over your body and reapply it every hour for 24 hours, it's perfectly safe".."We did a study using diluted SLS as an eye drop.  We put the test amount on the eye of a rabbit and after a certain amount of time we found that SLS got inside the tissues, heart, brain, lungs, but in very minute amounts,"...

 

People DO "rub it all over their bodies", many times a day while using many different personal care products, and don't rinse it off immediately when they sit in bubble bath.  It is at a concentration of MORE than "1 percent" in most shampoos and liquid hand soaps, and other personal care products.  SLS and / or SLES are usually the second ingredient listed, after water.  Check the shampoo shelves of your local store, and read the labels.TALC: - Carcinogen. Used by some 20 million women in their reproductive years; not to mention, it’s wide use on infants in the form of "baby powder". According to Dr. Epstein, M.D., "Talc should never be used on babies both because of its carcinogenicity and acute respiratory distress from inhalation that often results in death. There are at least 3 clear cut studies which have been published in the scientific literature that show routine application of talc in the genital area is associated with up to a 3 to 4 fold increase in the development of ovarian cancer."

 

Talc: 

Questions & Answers
 

 

TRICLOSAN: - The latest rage in the arsenal of antibacterial chemicals, Triclosan is included in detergents, dish soaps, laundry soaps, deodorants, cosmetics, lotions, creams, toothpastes and mouthwashes.  But, is Triclosan safe?  The EPA registers it as a pesticide ("Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products in the Environment: Agents of Subtle Change?", Daughton et al, Environmental Health perspectives Vol. 107, Supplement 6, December 1999.) giving it high scores as a risk to both human health and the environment. 

​

Triclosan is a chlorophenol, a class of chemicals suspected of causing cancer in humans.  Externally, it can cause skin irritations, but since "phenols can temporarily deactivate the sensory nerve ending....contact with (Triclosan) often causes little or no pain...Internally, it can lead to cold sweats, circulatory collapse, convulsions, coma, and even death...stored in body fat, it can accumulate to toxic levels, damaging the liver, kidneys, and lungs, and can cause paralysis, sterility, suppression of immune function, brain hemorrhage, decreased fertility and sexual function, heart problems, and coma." (Dr. Angela McGehee, Bio-chemist; personal communication).

​

From the January 21, 2002 issue of  "TIME MAGAZINE" "Unlike antibiotics, which are either found in nature or mimic the action of natural substances, antibacterial soaps contain triclosan and other synthetic chemicals that manufacturers once claimed could wipe out all bacteria.  But in the past two years, researchers have shown that some germs can, at least in the laboratory, mutate to counter Triclosan's effects.  That could be a problem because so many household products-from sponges to cutting boards to dishwashing liquids-now contain triclosan.  Once a few germs develop resistance, they will be much more likely to survive in a world full of triclosan.  Many researchers believe that prudent consumers, for their own good-not to mention the good of the planet--should keep triclosan products out of the house."