SOME DANGEROUS CHEMICALS
NASTY CHEMICALS
Let’s consider the following questions and their corresponding responses:
- What’s the total number of chemicals that you think have been okayed for use in the manufacture of cosmetics and other personal care products?
A whopping 22,600. - How many synthetic chemicals do you think are actively used in formulating antiperspirants and cosmetic products?
6,750. - How many synthetic chemicals would you guess we put on our body each day?
Between 200 and 500. - What proportion of the 200-500 chemicals we use daily gets absorbed directly into our bloodstream?
60%, i.e. between 120 and 300 chemicals.
Would you agree that if our skins could talk, they probably would yell at us one day, demanding that we give them a break, which would be a suitable expression of their indignation at the insane amount of harmful chemicals we feed them on a continuous basis?
Of the 6,750 chemicals used in antiperspirants and cosmetic products, the European Union has banned 1,400 due to the danger they pose to human health and the environment; Canada has banned 600. In Australia, there’s no readily accessible list of forbidden chemicals according to NICNAS, the authorizing agency that assesses risks associated with industrial chemicals.
We need to understand that the 6,750 chemicals don’t only go into manufacturing mainstream antiperspirants and cosmetic products. They also find their way into products branded ‘natural,’ ‘herbal,’ ‘botanical,’ ‘eco-friendly,’ or whatever benign name may be assigned to them. Thus, you should be aware that although you and your family may be using, or thinking of using, ‘natural’ personal care products, they still could be harming you in the long-term even if you don’t notice adverse reactions in the short-term.
As the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services’ Hazardous Substance Factsheet and the Minnesota-based Organic Consumers Association advise us, long-term effects can occur from repeated exposures to chemicals at levels not high enough to make us immediately sick. Not only that: harmful chemicals and cancer-causing agents can create synergistic effects so that levels from multiple compounds add up, and even multiply, to create greater risks. As such, if your antiperspirant contains denatured alcohol, aluminum, phthalates, steareths, or MIT, for example, you may not only experience the side effects of each chemical but they may also interact to pose you a considerably greater threat.
To guide you in steering clear of hazardous deodorant and personal care products, we’ve compiled below an alphabetical list of some dangerous and cancerous chemicals that many contain, and have explained why you must avoid them. The list may appear long at the first glance but it’s in no way exhaustive. Keep visiting the website so you don’t miss out when there’s an update.
After reading through them all and acquainting yourself with the effects they can have on you, you’ll clearly understand why concerted efforts have been made to exclude these hazardous chemicals from your Sankofa products.
Aluminum
Salts
Aluminum chlorohydrate, aluminum chloride, and aluminum zirconium are some of the aluminum salts used in antiperspirants. They alter the skin’s pH and its ability to produce sweat. Aluminum salts keep you dry but they do so by irritating your sweat glands causing them to swell. It is this swelling that blocks your sweat from reaching the skin’s surface when you use antiperspirants..............
READ MOREAminomethyl
propanol
Aminomethyl propanol (AMP) may appear on your label as isobutanol-2-amine, amino-2-methylpropanol, 2-aminoisobutanol, or hydroxymethyl-2-methyl-1-propanol.It’s an alkanolamine, meaning it’s got both primary amine (protein building blocks) and primary alcohol properties. ..............
READ MOREAmmonium Laureth Sulfate
Ammonium laureth sulfate (ALES) is the contracted name for ammonium lauryl ether sulfate. It can be found in antiperspirants, shampoos, cleansers, bubble baths, shower gels, and many personal care products. It’s obtained by reacting ethylene oxide with ammonium lauryl sulfate, a process termed ethoxylation. ..............
READ MOREAmmonium lauryl sulfate
Other names for ammonium lauryl sulfate (ALS) you may find on your product labels are ammonium dodecyl sulfate, dodecyl ammonium sulfate, dodecyl sulfate ammonium salt, sinopon, and akyposal ALS 33. It’s prepared by sulfating lauryl (fatty) alcohol with sulfur trioxide and ..............
READ MOREBenzyl Alcohol
Benzyl alcohol has many names: aromatic alcohol, benzenemethanol, benzenecarbinol, benzylic alcohol, benzoyl alcohol, alcool benzylique, benzylicum, A-toluenol, phenylmethanol, phenylcarbinolum, and benzal alcohol. It’s a primary, aromatic alcohol known for its characteristic, ..............
READ MORECocamidopropyl betaine
Cocamidopropyl betaine (CAPB) may be listed on your product as cocamidopropyl, coco betaine, cocamidopropyl dimethyl glycine, cocoyl amide propyldimethyl glycine, cocoyl amide propylbetaine, tegobetaine L7, coconut oil amidopropylbetaine, and cocamido betaine. ..............
READ MOREDenatured alcohol
Denatured alcohol (alcohol denat. or SD alcohol) is a very fast-drying, synthetic chemical that may appear on your label as methylated spirit, grain alcohol, denatured rectified spirit, or fermentation alcohol. It’s prepared by combining toxic denaturants (additives) with drinking alcohol,..............
READ MOREDiazolidinyl urea
Other names for diazolidinyl urea are germall II, germaben II (mixture), II-E, tetramethylolhydantoin urea, and N,N1 - bis (hydroxymethyl) urea. It’s prepared from allantoin, formaldehyde, and sodium hydroxide. Diazolidinyl urea is added to deodorants and personal care products to extend their shelf-life and suppress the ..............
READ MOREEDTA
EDTA is the contracted name for ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid. Other names are edetic acid, celon ATH, celon A, EDTA acid, cheelox BF acid, edathamil, complexon II, and chemcolox 340. It’s synthesized from ethylenediamine, cyanide salts and formaldehyde,..............
READ MOREEthanolamines
Ethanolamines are also called olamines or colamines. You may often find them listed on your label as MEA (monoethanolamine), DEA (diethanolamine), and TEA (triethanolamine). Sometimes their amide, phosphate, or sulfate versions are listed, e.g. palmitamide DEA, DEA-cetyl phosphate, TEA-lauryl sulfate,..............
READ MOREGrapefruit seed extract
Grapefruit seed extract (GSE) is derived from red wine grape seeds (Citrus grandis). It’s used in deodorants and personal care products for its astringent, conditioning, and antimicrobial properties.
Not much work has been done on GSE but available information suggests it can have ..............
Methylisothiazolinone
Methylisothiazolinone (MI or MIT) belongs to a group of chemicals often referred to as isothiazolinones, along with chloromethylisothiazolinone (CMIT), benzisothiazolinone (BIT), octylisothiazolinone (OIT), and dichlorooctylisothiazolinone (DCOIT). It’s sometimes listed as neolone 950, kathon CG..............
READ MOREParabens
This group of compounds includes chemicals such as methylparaben, isobutylparaben, benzylparaben, ethylparaben, butylparaben, and isopropylparaben. They are commonly used as preservatives in antiperspirants, shampoos, lotions, sunscreens, lipsticks, concealers, foundations, mascaras, shaving..............
READ MOREPEG
PEG is the contracted name for polyethylene glycol-7 glyceryl cocoate, and it’s derived from coconut acid and polyethylene glycol. It’s a non-ionic surfactant that functions as an emollient as well as a moisturizing, emulsifying, conditioning, and thickening agent in personal care ..............
READ MOREPhenoxyethanol
Phenoxyethanol is an aromatic glycol ether. It may appear on your product label as ethylene glycol monophenyl ether, rose ether, phenoxytol, phenyle cellosolve, PhE, 2-phenoxyethanol, 2-hydroxyethyl phenyl ether, phenoxyethol, or Euxyl K®400...............
READ MOREPhthalates
These are a diverse group of multifunctional, compounds which may occur as dimethyl phthalate (DMP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), diisobutyl phthalate (DIBP), dimethoxyethyl phthalate (DMEP), di-n-octyl phthalate (DNOP), diisononyl phthalate (DINP), ..............
READ MOREPolysorbates
This is a group of hydrophilic chemicals that includes polysorbate 20, polysorbate 40, polysorbate 60, and polysorbate 80. Common brand names are Canarcel, Scattics, Tween, and Alkest. The following code names have been assigned to polysorbates in Australia: E 431 (polysorbate 40); E 432 .............
READ MOREPotassium sorbate
Sometimes described as ‘E202,’ potassium sorbate is the potassium salt of sorbic acid. It does occur naturally in fruits like berries; however, it’s manufactured on a large scale by combining potassium hydroxide with sorbic acid. It’s incorporated into antiperspirants and mainstream personal care ..............
READ MOREPropylene glycol
Propylene glycol is a ubiquitous, synthetic chemical that’s sometimes listed as E1520 and used in food, tobacco, pharmaceutical, and personal care products. Global propylene glycol production has been increasing in response to rising demand. Fifty percent of what’s produced is used in the ...............
READ MORESilica
Silica, sometimes referred to as silicon dioxide or quartz, is a naturally occurring mineral and a major constituent of soils, sand, surface materials above the bedrock, as well as the three rock types, i.e. sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic rocks. It’s the second most abundant mineral in the earth’s ..............
READ MORESodium benzoate
(or potassium benzoate)
Described also as benzoate of sodium and usually listed as E211, sodium benzoate is the sodium salt of benzoic acid. It’s the oldest chemical preservative to be used in the cosmetic, personal care product, food, and pharmaceutical industry, and the first preservative to be approved by the US Food ............
READ MORESodium laureth sulfate
Sodium laureth sulfate (SLES) is the contracted name for sodium lauryl ether sulfate. You may find it listed as laureth-8 carboxylic acid, sodium salt; polyethylene glycol (5, 7, 12, 400, or 600) lauryl ether sulfate, sodium salt; sodium dodecylpoly (oxyethylene) sulfate; PEG-(5, 7, 8, or 12) lauryl ether ..............
READ MORESodium lauryl sulfate
Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) is the sodium salt of lauryl sulfate, and it’s sometimes called sodium laurilsulfate or sodium dodecyl sulfate. It’s obtained from a reaction between lauryl alcohol and sulfur trioxide, producing hydrogen lauryl sulfate which is then neutralized to produce SLS using sodium ...............
READ MORESteareths
Steareths are essentially polyethylene glycol (PEG) ethers of stearic acid, i.e. they’re formulated by reacting stearyl alcohol with ethylene oxide to form polyoxyethylene stearyl ethers. Ethylene oxide is a proven cancer-causing chemical (carcinogen) whose effects have been discussed elsewhere here ..............
READ MORETriclosan
Sometimes referred to as TCS, triclosan is a potent antifungal and antibacterial chemical compound that is regulated both as a pesticide and a drug. Its usage began in the early 1970s as a hospital surgical scrub. Since then, it’s found its way into many personal care items and other commercial products ............
READ MOREZinc phenolsulfonate
Zinc phenolsulfonate is a benzenesulfonic acid zinc salt. It’s got several names, including zinc sulfocarbolate, zinc phenolsulfonate octahydrate, zinc p-phenolsulfonate, and zinc sulfophenate. It’s a weak acid that contains benzene, a cancer-causing chemical associated with increased risk of ..............
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