Thursday, December 29, 2005

Shop for Healthy Cosmetics and Personal Care Products

What you put on your skin is as important as what you put in your body. Chemicals in products that are applied to your skin can be absorbed directly into your bloodstream. Many of the ingredients used in cosmetics and personal care products are harmful, even though they may not cause any reaction on the skin. Some of these ingredients are known to cause cancer. Some of the most commonly used ingredients combine with other ingredients to form cancer-causing substances.

Shop for safe and healthy cosmetic and personal care products for every person in your family at DyingToLookGood.com. Save time searching for safe products. We've done the footwork for you. You can find a more complete list of companies with safe and healthy products in the book Dying To Look Good.

Tuesday, December 27, 2005

Is There Danger Lurking in Your Anti-Aging Cream?

The anti aging industry is booming. Aging baby boomers seem to be obsessed with preserving their youthful look. Anti aging preparations claim to make you look younger as you get older. But are the ingredients in these products safe?

Here are 10 ingredients to avoid in anti-aging preparations:

Propylene glycol is a strong irritant, a neurotoxin (toxic to the nervous system) and may cause kidney and liver damage. It may cause delayed allergic reactions, acne and contact dermatitis. It absorbs quickly and is a penetration enhancer, i.e. it increases the absorption of other ingredients in the product through the skin into the bloodstream.

Diazolidinyl urea is a skin irritant and a potential cause of dermatitis. It is a formaldehyde releaser. Formaldehyde is a Group 1 carcinogen (known to cause cancer) as determined by the International Agency for Research on Cancer.

Imidazolidinyl urea is a strong irritant. It causes contact dermatitis. It’s also a formaldehyde releaser.

Phenoxyethanol is a skin and eye irritant with a rose fragrance. It can cause contact dermatitis and is harmful if absorbed through the skin.

DMDM hydantoin is another formaldehyde releaser. It may cause contact dermatitis and has cause caused cancer in experimental animals.

Triethanolamine (TEA) is an irritant, a sensitizer and causes contact dermatitis. It may cause the formation of carcinogenic nitrosamines in products containing nitrogen compounds. It may also contain nitrosamine contaminants not listed on the label.

Parabens (ethyl-, methyl-, butyl- and propylparaben) are endocrine disrupters. They disturb the hormonal balance in the body. They are absorbed through the skin and may irritate the skin. They have been found in breast cancer tumors, but it is not known if they had a part in causing the tumors.

PEG-n (4-200) is an eye and skin irritant and is hazardous on large areas of the body. It may be contaminated with dangerous levels of the carcinogen, 1,4-dioxane.

HGH is human growth hormone. Some products may contain HGH or ingredients that stimulate the body to produce it’s own HGH. Ironically, the hormones don't slow the aging process, they just hide the symptoms. Animal studies have shown that those animals which produce more growth hormone in old age have a shorter life span, not longer. Studies have also shown that HGH causes carpal tunnel and diabetes. And it has not been adequately tested.

Ultrasomes, keratinocyte growth factor and DNA enzyme complex are known bioengineered ingredients that are used in some anti-aging products. The biotech industry is not very open about bio-engineered or genetically modified ingredients in cosmetics and personal care products. They’re not required to identify ingredients that are bioengineered and they’re not required to be listed on the label. The safety of bioengineered ingredients has not been adequately studied.

Look for products with safe ingredients like aloe vera, essential oils, shea butter, grape seed oil, emu oil, antioxidants like vitamins A,C and E, green tea and Co-Q10. But also remember, it’s more than just skin care. Slowing the aging process involves eating a healthy diet with lots of healthy anti-oxidant rich foods and enzymes, regular exercise, stress reduction and adequate rest. It’s vitally important to pay attention to your whole body, not just your skin.

Dr. Christine H. Farlow, D.C. has been researching ingredient safety since 1991. She is the author of three books, including the new, second edition of DYING TO LOOK GOOD. To learn more about the safety of ingredients in your cosmetics and personal care products, visit www.dyingtolookgood.com.

This is a "Shareware" Article. Give this article away for free on your site, or include it as part of any paid package as long as the entire article is left intact including all links and this notice. Copyright © 2005 Christine Farlow.

Monday, December 26, 2005

Is There Danger Lurking in Your Antiperspirant?

(PRWEB) December 8, 2005 -- Antiperspirants contain aluminum, which has been associated with Alzheimer’s disease, as well as memory, kidney and urological problems, mouth ulcers and mineral malabsorption. There is even some evidence that there may be an association between antiperspirants and breast cancer.

The industry and the FDA maintain there is no cause for concern, but not everyone agrees. Even the major cancer organizations won’t rule out a link between antiperspirants and breast cancer.

What we do know is that chemicals in products used on the skin can be absorbed directly into the bloodstream. But aluminum is not the only ingredient in antiperspirants with cause for concern. Some other ingredients of questionable safety in both deodorants and antiperspirants include polyethylene, dimethicone, cyclomethicone and talc.

So, does this mean you need to give up your underarm protection to avoid the risk of harmful side effects? Absolutely not! There are many natural products on the market, free of harmful chemicals that are very effective and safe.

But beware! Not all products labeled as “natural” contain only safe ingredients. So how is the average consumer supposed to determine if a product contains harmful ingredients?

First you have to read the list of ingredients, the ones in the tiny print that you sometimes need a magnifying glass to see. Then you need to be able to determine which of those ingredients might be harmful.

This could be a very difficult task if you’re not a cosmetic chemist. But not anymore. Dr. Christine Farlow, in the new edition of her book, Dying To Look Good, lists over 1300 ingredients used in cosmetic and personal care products and classifies them according to safety. She also lists 750 products, including deodorants, classified as safe and where you can find them.

Now, there is no reason to worry about whether your deodorant, antiperspirant or any other personal care products contain harmful ingredients. You can choose confidently and know you’re buying safe products. It’s clear, concise and easy to use. Take this book with you every time you shop, and you’ll never again wonder about the safety of the ingredients on the label. You’ll know.

Farlow, a chiropractor and nutritionist, has been counseling patients in health and nutrition since 1984 and investigating the safety of ingredients in foods, cosmetics and personal care products since 1991. She is also the author of FOOD ADDITIVES: A Shopper’s Guide To What’s Safe & What’s Not and HEALTHY EATING: For Extremely Busy People Who Don’t Have Time For It.

Dr. Farlow is available for telephone interviews.

The book can be purchased online at www.dyingtolookgood.com for $12.95 or from KISS For Health Publishing, P.O. Box 462335, Escondido, CA 92046-2335. Mail orders add $4.50 S&H. California residents add 7.75% sales tax. Call 760-735-8101 for more information. ###

Friday, December 23, 2005

How to Make Sure Your Cosmetics and Personal Care Products Are Safe

Choosing safe products can be a daunting task without the proper knowledge and tools. Many product packages are deceptively designed to make you believe that the product inside the package is herbal, all natural, safe and gentle, when in fact the product contains little or no natural or herbal ingredients, is contaminated with carcinogens and is irritating to the skin. This is the case because of the lack of regulation in the cosmetic and personal care product industry. But armed with a little knowledge and some helpful tools, there is much you can do to protect yourself.

Here are ten things you can do to make safer and healthier choices when selecting your toiletries.

Read the ingredients on the label. The packaging may say such things as natural, herbal or hypoallergenic. This has nothing to do with what's really in the product or how safe it is. Manufacturers make a lot of claims on the package to "sell" the product. They can do this because some of the terms don't have official definitions and they can use them however they want. To really find out what's in a product, you must read the ingredients in the small print, you know, the ones that you sometimes need a magnifying glass to be able to see.

Interpret and understand the ingredients. Once you find the ingredients, you have to be able to know what they are and if they are safe, harmful, questionable or untested. A great many ingredients have chemical names that only a cosmetic chemist would understand. However, you don't have to be a cosmetic chemist. The book, Dying To Look Good, makes it easy for you to choose products with safe and healthy ingredients.

Choose products without parabens. Parabens are xenoestrogens or endocrine disrupters. They disturb the hormone balance in your body. They are also skin sensitizers and have the potential to cause allergic reactions. They have been found in breast cancer tumors, but it is not known if they cause breast cancer.

Stay away from products containing amines. Chemicals that fall into the category of amines can combine with nitrosating agents to form nitrosamines, which cause cancer. Nitrosamines are formed during the manufacturing process when an amine combines with a formaldehyde-releasing preservative. Some of the amines commonly used in cosmetics and personal care products are Cocamide MEA, Cocamide DEA, TEA, sodium lauroyal sarcosinate and amino methyl propanol. Several of the formaldehyde-releasing preservatives include sodium hydroxymethylglycinate, quaternium-15, DMDM hydantoin and diazonlidnyl urea.

Steer clear of products containing talc. Talc is found in talcum powder, baby powder and makeup. It is a carcinogen if it contains asbestiform fibers. The quantity of asbestiform fibers in cosmetic-grade talc is unregulated in the U.S. Some research suggests a link between talc and ovarian cancer.

Be cautious about products that contain fragrance. Manufacturers are not required to disclose the ingredients used in frgrances. A single fragrance may contain hundreds of different chemicals. Some of the chemicals used in fragrances are hazardous, such as benzyl chloride, methyl ethyl ketone, methylene chloride, toluene and phthalates. Fragrances may also contain chemicals that cause cancer. Even products listed as fragrance free may have fragrance added to mask offensive odors.

Avoid D&C and FD&C Colors. Most D&C and FD&C colors are derived from coal tar which is a carcinogen. Most coal tar colors are potential carcinogens, may contain carcinogenic contaminants and cause allergic reactions. These colors must be certified by the FDA to contain not more than 20 ppm of lead and arsenic, but the certification does not address any other harmful effects these colors may have on the body.

Beware of products containing chemical preservatives. Chemical preservatives can be irritating and are the number one cause of contact dermatitis. Some preservatives you should watch out for are benzethonium chloride, BHA, BHT, diazolidinyl urea, imidazolidinyl urea, phenoxyethanol and methylisothiazolinone.

Watch out for "and other ingredients." This means there are one or more ingredients that the manufacturer considers a trade secret and does not want to list on the label. There is no way of knowing if these ingredients are safe or not.

Be wary of products with long lists of ingredients. Many of the chemicals used in cosmetics and personal care products have not been tested or have not been adequately tested. Even those that have been tested have only been tested individually, not in combination with other ingredients. Nobody knows the effects of the many different ingredients used in thousands of different combinations, the effects of using numerous different products, one on top of the other, or the effects of repeated use of ingredients or products over time.

Become a label reader and learn how to decipher the ingredients for safety. It's easy with the help of
Dying To Look Good.

Dr. Christine H. Farlow, D.C. has been researching ingredient safety since 1991. She is the author of three books, including the new, second edition of DYING TO LOOK GOOD. To learn more about the safety of ingredients in your cosmetics and personal care products, visit www.dyingtolookgood.com.

This is a "Shareware" Article. Give this article away for free on your site, or include it as part of any paid package as long as the entire article is left intact including all links and this notice. Copyright © 2005 Christine Farlow.

Thursday, December 22, 2005

Your Cosmetics And Personal Care Products — 5 Necessary Steps You Should Take Before You Buy

What you put on your skin is as important as the food you eat. Chemicals that come in contact with your skin can be absorbed into your bloodstream. Many of the ingredients used in cosmetics and personal care products are toxic, even though they may not cause any reaction on the skin. Some cause cancer. Some of the most commonly used ingredients combine with other ingredients to form cancer-causing substances. Here's a list to help you choose safer and healthier cosmetics and personal care products:

1. Read the List of Ingredients
Most products are labeled to "sell" rather than provide accurate information about the product. The sales pitch on the label doesn't tell you anything about the safety and quality of the ingredients in the product.You need to read the ingredients list rather than the label for more accurate information about the product.

The ingredient list may not be easy to find and it may be so tiny you need a magnifying glass to read it because that's not what the manufacturer wants you to see. The ingredients are required by law to be listed on the product label in order of quantity. The ingredient present in the largest quantity is listed first, the ingredient in the smallest quantity is listed last.

2. Check the Ingredients for Safety
The cosmetics and personal care industry is very poorly regulated. There are more than 12,000 ingredients that can be used in cosmetics and personal care products and most of them have not been adequately tested, many not tested at all. The manufacturers are not required to prove the claims they make about their products or to test them for safety. Many products contain cancer-causing ingredients along with ingredients that enhance absorption of the product through the skin into the bloodstream. To make sure the products you're buying are safe, check the ingredients against a reliable safety list.

3. Beware of Words That Are Used to Sell Rather Than Provide Accurate Information
Many of the words manufacturers use on labels to promote their products do not have "official definitions" so they can be used to mean anything that the manufacturer wants. These terms are very often misleading.

Some words to watch out for include:
Natural - may contain all natural ingredients, a few or none at all
Hypoallergenic - may be tested or based upon manufacturer belief; no proof is required
Fragrance free - means no detectable odor; fragrance ingredients may still be added

4. More is Not Better
Choose products with fewer ingredients, not more. Besides the fact that most ingredients have not been adequately tested, those that have been tested have only been tested individually, not in combination with other ingredients. Nobody knows the effects of the many different ingredients used in thousands of different combinations, the effects of using numerous different products, one on top of the other, or the effects of repeated use of ingredients or products over time.

5. Buy From Companies Truly Committed to Healthy Products
As consumers are becoming more conscious of using safer and healthier products, many manufacturers are tapping into that consciousness and producing pseudo-healthy products. The label looks like the product is natural and healthy, but if you read the ingredients, that's not the case. On the other hand there are companies dedicated to producing safe and natural cosmetics and personal care products. Many of these are small companies that were started because of the lack of availability of healthy products and many of them use organic and food grade ingredients.

We live in a toxic world and there are some things that we have no control over, like air pollution. However, we do have control over what we put into our bodies and what we put on our bodies - if we just take the time to educate ourselves and make safe and healthy choices. With the increasing number of chemicals in everything these days, it's important for everyone to become health conscious. Taking control over what you put into your body and on your body will affect your quality of life and may just be a matter of life and death!

Dr. Christine H. Farlow, D.C. has been researching ingredient safety since 1991. She is the author of three books, including the new, second edition of DYING TO LOOK GOOD. To learn more about the safety of ingredients in your cosmetics and personal care products, visit
www.dyingtolookgood.com

This is a "Shareware" Article. Give this article away for free on your site, or include it as part of any paid package as long as the entire article is left intact including all links and this notice. Copyright © 2005 Christine Farlow.


Wednesday, December 21, 2005

Cancer-Causing Ingredients in Your Cosmetics and Personal Care Products

Cosmetics make you attractive, but some of the ingredients in your cosmetics and personal care products may be killing you!

If you’re like most Americans, you may be unknowingly poisoning yourself and your family everyday with the many cancer-causing ingredients in today’s cosmetics, toiletries and personal care products. Makeup, shampoo, hair coloring products, baby powder (Yes, baby powder!), shaving cream, mouthwash and toothpaste are just a few of the products that contain cancer-causing ingredients.

But don’t despair! In just a minute, you’ll know what products to avoid and how to choose those that are safe for you and your family.

You may be asking yourself, “Why do I have to check the ingredients to see if they’re safe? Doesn’t the government do this?” The answer is: Well, kind of…, but not really!

The truth is the cosmetics industry is very poorly regulated. With the exception of a handful of extremely toxic chemicals, manufacturers can put almost anything in their cosmetics without testing to see if the ingredients are harmful. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) can only make suggestions or recommendations to manufacturers about cosmetic products or their ingredients, but the manufacturers don’t have to follow them.

To make matters worse, most products are labeled to “sell” rather than to provide accurate information. Words like “natural” and “hypoallergenic” (which give us a nice warm feeling about the product and persuade us to believe that a product is safe) do not have official definitions. This means the manufacturers can use them to mean anything they want and not get in trouble with the regulatory agencies. This often leads to misleading information on the label…and more sales.

Here’s a rogue’s list of ingredients in cosmetics, toiletries and personal care products you should avoid:

Fragrances. Each fragrance can have up to 600 different ingredients which are not required to be listed on the label. Even if you’re not sensitive to fragrances, it’s wise to avoid them because they often have hazardous ingredients and there’s no way of knowing if they do.

Preservatives. Many preservatives contain or release formaldehyde which is a carcinogen, neurotoxin, irritant and sensitizer. These include DMDM hydantoin, Imidazolidinyl urea, Diazolidinyl urea, quaternium 15 and bronopol (2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol). Other preservatives that may also cause reactions include the parabens, methylchloroisothiazolinone and methylisothiazolinone.

Talc. It’s a carcinogen and products containing talc, including baby powder, should never be used on babies and children.

Artificial colors. Many of them cause cancer. Most of the D&C and FD&C colors are derived form coal tar, a known cancer-causing agent.

Silica. By itself, silica is not harmful, but it’s often contaminated with crystalline silica which causes cancer. Manufacturers are not required to list contaminants so you’ll never see it on the label.

How big of a threat are contaminants to you and your family? From 1978 to 1980, the FDA analyzed 300 cosmetic samples for carcinogenic contamination. Forty percent of the samples analyzed contained carcinogens. Things actually got worse the next time they analyzed cosmetic samples. In 1991-92, they found that 65% of the cosmetic products sampled contained carcinogenic contaminants.

Polysorbate 60 or 80, polyoxyethylene, polyethylene, polyethylene glycol, PEG, anything ending in “-eth,” such as sodium laureth sulfate. These ingredients may be contaminated with cancer-causing 1,4-dioxane, which is easily absorbed through the skin. Again, manufacturers are not required to tell you about the contaminants.

Diethanolamine (DEA) and triethanolamine (TEA). These two ingredients are found in many cosmetic and personal care products. Even though they don’t cause cancer by themselves you should avoid all products that contain them because DEA and TEA can react with nitrites to form nitrosamines which can cause cancer. The tricky thing is that nitrites can be present as a contaminant and not listed on the label. So there’s no way of knowing whether or not a product with DEA or TEA ingredients is contaminated with the cancer-causing nitrosamines.

Propylene glycol and sodium lauryl sulfate. These are common ingredients in shampoos and they’re both toxic. Propylene glycol is a skin irritant which causes kidney and liver damage. Sodium laurel sulfate causes genetic damage.

So what’s the bottom line? Even though a great many cosmetics and personal care products are harmful, there are products that are safe and healthy to use. But you’re the one who needs to know what cosmetic and personal care products you're using are safe. The way the current regulations are structured, the government simply cannot protect you. Their hands are tied. According to John Bailey, Ph.D., director of the FDA’s Office of Cosmetics and Colors, “Consumers believe that ‘if it’s on the market, it can't hurt me,’ and this belief is sometimes wrong.”

Knowing how to read and interpret the ingredient label on cosmetics, toiletries and personal care products is a powerful shield. But the manufacturers are fighting back. They’re designing packaging with seductive designs to make it look like their products are healthy and made from natural ingredients. Don’t be fooled by the fancy packaging and persuasive words like “natural,” “gentle” and “hypoallergenic.” When you read the label, you’ll probably find that is not the case.

As you might suspect, there are more ingredients that can harm you. But if you start avoiding products with the above ingredients, you may find that you and your family feel better and more energetic, allergic reactions may disappear, and your risk for cancer will, most definitely, be decreased.


Learn more about protecting yourself and your family.

Dr. Christine H. Farlow, D.C. has been researching ingredient safety since 1991. She is the author of three books, including the new, second edition of DYING TO LOOK GOOD. To learn more about the safety of ingredients in your cosmetics and personal care products, visit www.dyingtolookgood.com.

This is a "Shareware" Article. Give this article away for free on your site, or include it as part of any paid package as long as the entire article is left intact including all links and this notice. Copyright © 2005 Christine Farlow.

More Common Sense Needed on Cosmetics

Note: On June 27, 2005, "Applying common sense to cosmetics" by Carrie Lukas, appeared in the North County Times. In this article, Ms. Lukas downplayed the concern for the safety of ingredients in cosmetics. The following article, which appeared in the North County Times on July 22, 2005, is my response to her article.

I read, with interest Ms. Lukas’ article, “Applying common sense to cosmetics.” I would like to present another point of view.


I’ve done considerable research into the safety of ingredients used not only in cosmetics, but also in foods. The concern about ingredients in cosmetics is not just another thing for women to worry about. There’s a valid basis for knowing what’s in the products you use and how safe the ingredients are.

There are over 12,000 ingredients that manufacturers may use in the cosmetics and personal care products you buy. Most of these chemicals haven’t been tested for safety. Many are harmful or contaminated with toxic by-products from manufacturing.

The Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR), the industry’s self-appointed watchdog, has completed safety assessments for only 1269 ingredients in 29 years, merely 10% of the ingredients available for manufacturers’ use. Their assessments focus primarily on irritation and sensitization, ignoring risk of cancer, birth defects or other health issues.

Last summer, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) evaluated ingredients in 7500 personal care products. Almost all (99.6 percent) products examined contained one or more ingredients never assessed for potential health impacts by the CIR.

Ms. Lukas questions the European ban on phthalates and suggests that proving the safety of chemicals used in our personal care products “is an impossibly high standard.” What she failed to mention is that phthalates have been shown to cause reproductive damage in both females and males. One product testing program found phthalates in 75% of products tested and they weren’t listed on the label. Another test by the CDC, of 289 people, found phthalates at “surprisingly high levels” in every single person.

Take a look at the ingredients in the shampoo, conditioner and lotions you have at home. If you buy popular or common brands, you’ll probably find butyl-, ethyl-, methyl- or propylparaben in them. Parabens disturb hormonal balance, may impair fertility and have been found in breast cancer tumors. It’s not known if they were a cause of the cancer or were just in the tissue where the cancer developed. It is known that they are absorbed through the skin.

Parabens are endocrine disrupters. They mimic estrogen and interfere with your hormones. They’ve been implicated in early puberty in girls, and causing PMS, menstrual cramps, ovarian cysts, endometriosis, and fibrocystic breast disease. They’ve also been associated with male reproductive disorders.

If you’re out enjoying the summer sun and lathering on the sunscreen, you might be getting a dose of endocrine disrupters from sunscreen ingredients like octyl-methoxycinnamate or octyl-dimethyl-PABA. These aren’t only strong endocrine disrupters but also have been shown to increase the growth of cancer cells.

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals build up in fatty tissues of the body and may remain there for decades. Might this be a factor in the link between obesity and cancer that Ms Lukas refers to?

We live in a toxic world. We have no control over many toxins we come in contact with daily, like air pollution. But you do have control over the toxins in the products you buy. You just need to become informed and choose safe and healthy products. Dying To Look Good is the book that will give you the information to confidently choose safe and healthy products for yourself and your family.

Dr. Christine H. Farlow, D.C. has been researching ingredient safety since 1991. She is the author of three books, including the new, second edition of DYING TO LOOK GOOD. To learn more about the safety of ingredients in your cosmetics and personal care products, visit www.dyingtolookgood.com.

This is a "Shareware" Article. Give this article away for free on your site, or include it as part of any paid package as long as the entire article is left intact including all links and this notice. Copyright © 2005 Christine Farlow.