TOXICS 101

You’ve probably heard the term “toxins” a lot lately (maybe a little too much!),  and at this point you know they are  best avoided. But what exactly are these “toxins” and what dangers do they pose? We’ve partnered with a physician and an environmental toxicologist to learn more about these toxic substances, and we wanted to share this information here on our blog.

First of all, let's clear up some misconceptions about the term “toxin” itself. “Toxin” technically refers to a naturally occurring chemical (produced by a plant or animal). When discussing problematic (and usually synthetic) chemicals in consumer products, the terms "toxicants", "toxics", or "toxic chemicals" are more accurate - so these are the terms we’re going to stick to in this post.

There are far too many toxics in consumer products to cover here, so we've decided to focus on the groups of harmful ingredients on our "Never List", which reads: "No Artificial Fragrances or Colors, MEA, DEA or TEA, Parabens, Phthalates, PEG compounds, Sulfates, Silicones, or any other petrochemicals". Here we go:

Artificial Colors
Function: Colorants. 
Found in: Tinted/colored products. 
Danger: Dyes are often derived from coal tar or other petroleum byproducts. 
How they’re listed: Usually as a color followed by a number (ie, “Red 4”).

Artificial Fragrance
Function: Scent.
Found in: Scented products and perfumes.
Danger: The terms "Fragrance" (USA) and "Parfum"(EU) give no information about the ingredients in the scent, which may include many synthetic and potentially allergenic compounds (by law in the US, companies are not required to disclose the ingredients in their "fragrance" as it's considered a trade secret). If a product is in fact all-natural, "fragrance" or "parfum" should be followed by an asterisk on the ingredient list, with a footnote clarifying what  the "fragrance" actually consists of (i.e, "composed of 100% pure essential oils.")
How they’re listed: “Fragrance” or “Parfum” (without an asterisk).

MEA (Monoethanolamine), DEA (Diethanolamine), or TEA (Triethanolamine) derivatives
Function: Surfactants (foaming agents), emulsifiers (prevents separation of ingredients).
Found in: Face and body washes, shampoos, hair colors, and more.
Danger: Possible carcinogens, may result in contamination with nitrosamines. 
How they’re listed: Anything with MEA, DEA, or TEA.

Parabens
Function: Preservatives.
Found in: 75 to 90% of all cosmetic products on the market (2)
Danger: Endocrine disruptors (3), possible carcinogens (4)
How they’re listed: Methyl/ethyl/butyl/isobutyl/propyl paraben.

PEG Compounds
Function: Humectants (attracts moisture), surfactants (foaming agents), emulsifiers (prevents separation of ingredients), penetration enhancers (increases product absorption into skin).
Found in: Lotions, soaps, shampoo, makeup, and more.
Danger: May be contaminated with carcinogens like 1,4-dioxane (5),  can help carry these impurities through skin ( 6),  may cause birth defects ^{( 7)} and infertility.
How they’re listed: Anything with “PEG” in the name.

Footnotes

1.) California EPA; National Toxicology Program 1

2.) Winter, A Consumer's Dictionary of Cosmetics Ingredients, 32

3.) Darbre, P. D., & Harvey, P. W. (2008). Paraben esters: review of recent studies of endocrine toxicity, absorption, esterase and human exposure, and discussion of potential human health risks. Journal of applied toxicology, 28(5), 561-578

4.) ^{Harvey, P. W., & Everett, D. J. (2004). Significance of the detection of esters of p‐hydroxybenzoic acid (parabens) in human breast tumours. Journal of Applied Toxicology, 24(1), 1-4.] [ Khanna, S., & Darbre, P. D. (2013). Parabens enable suspension growth of MCF‐10A immortalized, non‐transformed human breast epithelial cells. Journal of Applied Toxicology, 33(5), 378-382}

^{5.) [Black RE, Hurley FJ, and Havery DC. "Occurrence of 1,4-dioxane in cosmetic raw materials and finished cosmetic products." Int J PharJ AOAC Int. 84, 3 (May-Jun 2001):666-70.}

^{6.) Epstein, S with Fitzgerald, R. Toxic Beauty. Dallas: BenBella Books, 2009: 158-9}

^7.) EPA

^{8.) European Commission on Endocrine Disruption}

^{9.) European Chemicals Agency,Candidate List of substances of very high concern}

^{10.) EPA Hazardous Air Pollutants}

^{11.) G. Toft et al. "Associated between Pregnancy Loss and Urinary Phthalate Levels around the Time of Conception," Environmental Health Perspectives 120 (2012), no. 2:458-63}

^{12.) Swan et al. "Prenatal Phthalate Exposure," International Journal of Andrology 33 (2010): 259-69}

^{13.) Ecocert}

^{14.) Black RE, Hurley FJ, and Havery DC. "Occurrence of 1,4-dioxane in cosmetic raw materials and finished cosmetic products." Int J PharJ AOAC Int. 84, 3 (May-Jun 2001):666-70}