Toxic Cosmetics

This is not my first time using EWG's SkinDeep Database. For another class I have had to evaluate my cosmetics and I was quite shocked with the results. Since then, I have been using coconut oil instead of body lotion, switched to using a men’s deodorant that is not an antiperspirant in order to avoid aluminum, and use olive oil as a make-up remover which works great. This time I decided to evaluate my Tone Moisturizing Body Wash with Cocoa Butter and Mango Splash. 

The ingredients include:

• Fragrance
• DMDM Hydantoin (Formaldehyde releaser)
• PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate
• Cocomidopropyl Betaine
• Laureth-4
• Tocopheryl Acetate
• PEG-8
• Sodium Laureth Sulfate
• FD&C Red 4
• Propylene Glycol
• Tetrasodium EDTA
• Glycerin
• Citric Acid
• D& C Yellow 5 Aluminum LAke
• Gylcol Distearate
• Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe Vera) Flower Extract
• PPG-2 Hydroxyethl Coco/Isostearamide
• Carica Papaya Fruit Extract
• Theobroma Cacao Extract
• Mangifera Indica (Mango) Fruit Extract
• Macrocystic Pyrifera (Kelp) Extract
• Cocamidopropyl PG-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate
• Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine
• Theobroma cacao seed butter
• Polyquaternium-10
• Water
• Sodium Chloride

First thought: Wow that's a lot of an ingredients, and many of them I have no idea what they are...

The data level was limited meaning there wasn't many scientific studies available on its ingredients, but even with the data available this body wash was scored 6/10 - a moderate hazard. The second ingredient listed was DMDM Hydantoin (formaldehyde releaser). This was scored as a high hazard and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) states that formaldehyde is a known carcinogen.Why is there a known cancer causing agent in a body wash that I use daily?? No matter how small the amount that can't be healthy. 

After doing some more research I found that formaldehyde releasers are found in about 1 in 5 cosmetic products, and its use is not regulated by the FDA (Congleton, 2015).These are chemicals that will decompose over time to form molecules of formaldehyde when added to water (Congleton, 2015). Formaldehyde acts as a preservative and is much more toxic when inhaled. Sodium benzoate is a safer alternative preservative so this is one thing I will pay attention to next time I am purchasing new products.

To avoid formaldehyde in cosmetics, you have to avoid these 7 main formaldehyde releasing ingredients:
-DMDM hydantoin
-Imidazolidinyl urea
-Diazolidinyl urea
-Quaternium-15
-Bronopol (2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol )
-5-Bromo-5-nitro-1,3-dioxane
-Hydroxymethylglycinate

Looks like I'm going to have to find another yet another substitute.

Congleton, Johanna (2015). "Is cancer-causing formaldehyde in your cosmetics?" Environmental Working Group. Online. http://www.ewg.org/research/exposing-cosmetics-cover/formaldehyde-releasers

EWG's SkinDeep Cosmetics Database (2015). "Tone Moisturizing Body Wash with Cocoa Butter, Mango Splash." Environmental Working Group. Online. http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/product/468061/Tone_Moisturizing_Body_Wash_with_Cocoa_Butter%2C_Mango_Splash/

National Cancer Institute (2015). "Formaldehyde and Cancer Risk." National Institute of Health. Online. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/causes-prevention/risk/substances/formaldehyde/formaldehyde-fact-sheet