The Dirty Dozen Of Cosmetics

The ‘dirty dozen’ is a list of the top 12 fruits and veggies that are known to contain the highest amount of pesticides. It is advised to purchase these 12 fruits and veggies in organic forms. What if I told you the same is true for cosmetics (The dirty dozen of cosmetics) would you second guess what you choose to put on your skin? According to an online survey of 6,243 people and 12,550 products, the Suzuki foundation concluded that 80% of beauty products contained at least one of the “Dirty Dozen for cosmetics” ingredients.

For a moment, just think about everything we choose to put on our skin everyday: soap, toner, moisturizer, creams, exfoliators, shampoo, lipsticks and this list could go on. There are over 80,000 ingredients that are used to make these cosmetics and other personal care products. Such ingredients include, carcinogens, pesticides and reproductive toxins. The skin is the largest organ in our body and acts as a sponge, just soaking in everything it comes into contact with. Once these chemicals are absorbed into the body they can be stored in fatty tissue or organs like the liver, kidney, reproductive organs and brain. Do we really want these toxins circulating in our bodies? PROBABLY NOT....

What makes these toxins so harmful is not the one time use of a polluted lipstick, rather the continued use along with the cumulative factor. This means that these harmful chemicals are found in multiple products and are being used multiple times a day. For example, think about phthalates. They are found in conditioners, deodorants, moisturizers and so many more places. Single exposure to any one of these is unlikely to cause any permanent damage. The issue arises when we are using multiple of these products on a daily basis. Exposure adds up causing long-term bodily harm.

The first step to a toxic-free beauty regimen begins with reading the ingredient labels of your current personal hygiene products from your shampoos to sunscreens to nail polish to make-up products. Most of us have learned to read our food labels in so much detail which helps to avoid all added ingredients. It is with this scrutiny we need to also read the labels of ALL personal care products we are using on a daily basis.

Let’s take a closer look at the “Dirty Dozen of Cosmetics”. I have listed their score out of 10 on how hazardous they are according to the Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) Cosmetic Database. A score of 10 is the most hazardous and a score of 1 is the least hazardous.

The Dirty Dozen of Cosmetics

BHA and BHT (Butylated Hydroxyanisole)

Endocrine disruptor, possible carcinogen
Petroleum derived
Used as preservatives in lip products, hair products, makeup, sunscreens, deodorants, fragrances and creams (even diaper creams, YIKES!)
Score: 5-7 (Moderate hazard)

Coal Tar Dyes

Neurotoxin, human carcinogen
Coal tar is a mixture of many chemicals derived from petroleum
Look for: Pheyledediamine, Toluene, Hydroquinone, coal tar solution, coal tar solution USP, KC261, benzin B70, petroleum benzin
Will appear as “CI” followed by a 5 digit number
Found in hair dyes, shampoos and lotions
It is prohibited in eye make up in Canada but still used in other cosmetics
Score: 10 (High hazard)

DEA (Diethanolamine)

Associated with hormone disruption, allergies and immunotoxicity
Look for: Cocamide DEA, Cocamide MEA, DEA-Cetyl Phosphate, DEA Oleth-3 Phosphate, Stearamide MEA, Triethanolamine, Nitrilotris, Trolamine
Used to make cosmetics creamy
Mainly found in foaming products like moisturizers, sunscreens, soaps, cleansers, shampoos
Score: 5-6 (Moderate hazard)

DBP (Dibutyl phthalate)

Carcinogen + endocrine disrupter + reproductive toxin that can cause changes in the testes, prostate and reduce sperm count
Look for: 1,2 Benzenedicarboxylic acid, Dibutyl ester, Benzendicarboxylate
DBP is commonly used in polyvinyl plastic (PVC) to make it flexible
Used as a plasticizer in fragrances and coloured cosmetics
It can prevent nail polishes from becoming brittle
It is banned for children’s toys as it may cause liver and kidney failure in children if they are sucked or chewed for long periods of time
Score: 10 (High hazard)

Formaldehyde-Releasing Preservatives

Human carcinogen, allergic skin reactions
Look for: Formaldehyde, quaternium-15, DMDM hydantoin, diazolidinyl urea, polyoxymethylene urea, DMDM hydantoin, dizolindynl urea, methenamine
It is a gas used for industrial applications like wood products, vinyl flooring, cabinet furniture and toilet bowl cleaners
Found in nail polish, hair products, baby shampoo, body soap, color cosmetics
Health Canada allows for concentrations up to 5%
Score: 10 (High hazard)

Parabens

Endocrine disruptor, mimics estrogens and associated with breast cancer
Look for: 4-hydroxy-methyl ester benzoic acid, methyl ester, methylparaben, propylparaben, butylparaben and ehtylparaben
75-90% of cosmetics contain parabens as it is used as a preservative
Used in makeup, moisturizers, shaving products, hair care products
Score: 4 (Moderate hazard)

Parfum (Fragrance)

Associated with allergies, asthma and reproductive toxicity
Look for: Fragrance, perfume, parfum
Used in perfumes, laundry detergents and softeners, body wash, facial creams, skin toners, skin serums, exfoliating scrubs
Manufacturers are not required to disclose specific fragrance ingredients on the product label. They use terms like “parfum” which contains a mixture of potentially dangerous chemicals
Score: 8 (High hazard)

PEG Compounds (Polyethylene Glycols)

Toxic to damaged skin
Look for PEG and ingredients with the letters “eth”
May contain many impurities like: 1,4- dioxane, heavy metals (lead, iron, cobalt, nickel, cadmium and arsenic)
Commonly used in hair products, conditioners, moisturizers and deodorants to enhance penetration of the product in the skin
Score: 3 (Moderate hazard)

Petrolatum

Linked to organ system toxicity
Look for: mineral grease, mineral jelly, petrolatum white, petroleum jelly
Used for shine in hair products and as a moisturizer in lip balms, lip sticks and shaving products
Score: 4 (Moderate hazard)

Siloxanes

Linked to organ system toxicity
Look for ingredients ending in silixane or anything ending in “cone” like dimethicone or cyclomethicone
Used in skin and hair products as moisturizers
Score: 3 (Moderate hazard)

Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLS)

Can be contaminated with ethylene oxide and 1,4 dioxane which are human carcinogens. These 2 ingredients are banned from Health Canada
At high levels it can cause skin and eye irritation
Look for: Dodecyloxy, Lauryl Ether Sulfate, Polyethylene glycol
Used in cosmetics as a detergent and also to make products bubble and foam like, cosmetics, shampoos, cleansers and bubble baths
Score: 3 (Moderate hazard)

Triclosan

Endocrine disrupter, linked to organ system toxicity, may contribute to antibiotic resistance
Look for: Triclosan, triclocarban, Trichloro hydroxyl diphenyl ether, Dichlorophenoxy phenol
Used as an antibacterial agent in laundry detergents, facial tissues, toothpastes and antiperspirants
Health Canada allows up to 0.3% in cosmetics
Score: 7 (High hazard)

I hope that everyone's eyes are a bit more open after reading more about these 12 chemicals! Skincare does not need to be this dirty. Get familiar with the ingredients in your products, don’t blindly trust the labels! Use sites like EWG.org to check the ingredients or the Think Dirty App to rate the products you use.

Go through all your personal care products today and count how many of these 12 toxic chemicals are found in EACH of them. Work to minimize exposure to these chemicals by reducing the number of conventional personal care products you use on a daily basis. Now, getting rid of all your personal care products at once is quite a daunting task. The best way to start going more natural in terms of cosmetics is to do it slowly over time and focus on one product at a time. So, once a cosmetic product is finished, replace it with a more natural alternative and continue along this path until all your cosmetics have been switched over!

There are so many wonderful certified organic skincare products on the market that are free of all these harmful ingredients. Ideally, you want to look for products that have ingredients you can recognize and have a small ingredient list. Some of my favourite clean personal care brands include, Alaffia, Tropic, Green Beaver, Weleda, Derma E and Andalou. Just like you make smarter choices in terms of produce and pesticide exposure make smart choices with what you choose to put on your skin.