A Hair - Raising Experience: Toxic Beauty

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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

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