A Hair - Raising Experience: Toxic Beauty
Numerous hair dye ingredients are also potent irritants, allergens and sensitizers, with some consumers reporting hair loss, burning, redness and irritation from hair dye use. Hair dyes sold in the EU containing phenylenediamines, resorcinol and 1-naphtol must carry a cautionary statement 'can cause allergic reaction. Do not use to colour eyelashes or eyebrows.'
In a memorandum published in March 2007 the Scientific Committee on Consumer Products (SCCP) - a scientific advisory body to the European Commission - assessed and ranked the skin-sensitizing potential of 46 hair due substances, and noted that a high proportion were found to be skin sensitizers.
The European Commission has also acknowledged that further epidemiological studies ae needed to examine the extent of skin allergies to hair dyes in the EU population. Aside from the synthetic chemicals briefly outlined here there are a plethora of other substances used in cosmetic products that can potentially cause allergic reactions. The following table names a few of them.
SUBSTANCES THAT CAN POTENTIALLY CAUSE ALLERGIC RACTIONS.
Chemical Ingredient | Commonly Found In |
Alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) | Moisturizers, cleansers, eye cream, sunscreen, foundations |
Ammonium thioglycolate | Hair relaxer, perm and straightener, depilatories |
Azo dyes | Hair dyes and cosmetics |
Benzalkonium chloride | Eye drops, cleansers, moisturizers, acne treatment, sunscreen, baby lotion, hair conditioner |
Benzophenone-3 (oxybenzone) | Sunscreen and other products with spf (sun protection factor) |
Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) | Lipstick and lip liner, moisturizers, eyeshadow and eye liner, skin lightener, ant- ageing products, concealer |
Butylated Hydroxytoluene (BHT) | Lipstick, moisturizers, concealer, foundation, anti-ageing products, antiperspirant/deodorant fragrance |
Cetrimonium bromide | Cleansers, conditioner, moisturizers, exfoliants, styling gel, shampoo, hair relaxer, hairspray, scalp treatment |
Cetrimonium chloride | hair dyes and bleaching products, conditioner, styling gel, shampoo, hair relaxer, hairspray, scalp treatment |
Cinnamates | Sunscreen and other products with spf such as moisturizers and lip balm; lipstick, foundation, styling gel |
Cocamide DEA | Shampoo, body wash, cleansers, dandruff treatment, bubble bath, liquid hand soap, bath oil, hair relaxer, exfoliants, hair dyes and bleaches |
Cocamidopropyl betaine |
Body wash, shampoo, cleansers, hair dyes and bleaching products, bubble bath, exfoliants, liquid hand soap, acne treatment, toothpaste, conditioner |
Chemical Ingredient | Commonly Found In |
Colourants (e.g.2,5- toluenediamine,3,4-toluenediamine, acid blue 9, acid orange 3,acid yellow 6, FD&C Red 2, FD&C Blue 2, paraphenylenediamine, resorcinol |
Make-up (lipstick, eyeshadows, face powder etc) and hair dyes |
Coumarin | Acne treatments, deodorants, cleansers, skin fresheners, moisturizers, hand cream, body firming lotion, hair dyes, fragrance, sunscreens, soaps tanning products, shampoo |
Diazolidinyl urea | Moisturizers, cleansers, sunscreen, styling gel conditioner, acne treatment, shampoo, eye cream |
Dihydroxyacetone | Tanning products, sunscreen, moisturizers, bronzer, skin lightener |
Disodium cocoamphodipropionate | Hair dyes, and bleaching products, shampoo, hair relaxer, cleansers, hair conditioner, styling gel, exfoliants, body wash, foundation |
DMDM hydantoin | Shampoo, hair conditioner, body wash, moisturizers, styling gel, cleansers, anti-ageing products, sunscreen |
Formaldehyde | Nail treatments, hair colour and bleaching products |
Iodopropynyl butylcarbamate | Moisturizers, sunscreen, shampoo, cleansers, styling gel, anti-ageing products, body wash, baby wipes |
Lanolin | Lipstick, lip balm, lip gloss, foundation, moisturizers, hair conditioner, styling gel, foundation |
Para-aminobenzonic acid (PABA) | Shampoo, conditioner, hair-loss treatment, body wash, exfoliants, moisturizers, cleansers some sunscreens |
Parabens | Moisturizers, anti-ageing products, cleansers, lipstick, sunscreen, foundation, eyeshadow, lipgloss |
Phthalates (dibutyl phthalate, benzyl butyl phthalate and diethyl phthalate banned in the EU | Nail polish, nail treatment and cuticle treatment; fragrance |
Polyethylene glycol (PEG) compounds | Numerous skincare products; hair dyes and bleaching products; shampoos and conditioner; make-up |
Propylene glycol | Moisturizers, hair dyes and bleaching products, anti-ageing products, hair conditioner, shampoo, body wash, sunscreen |
Salicylates |
Sunscreen, fragrance, hair dyes and bleaches. moisturizers, styling gel, body wash |
Thimerosal |
Mascara and other eye make-up (not commonly used) |
Turpentine |
Fragrance |
Reference: Toxic beauty: Dawn Mellowship