BEAUTY products in the US and UK could be putting you at risk of cancer-causing chemicals, warn scientists.
In recent years, there have been growing concerns about the exposure of formaldehyde in personal care products.
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Recent studies have linked exposure to formaldehyde in hair relaxers to increased risk of uterine and breast cancer among Black women.
Now, a new study has demonstrated formaldehyde-releasing preservatives are present in a wide range of beauty products, including shampoo, lotions, body soap, and even eyelash glue.
Lead author Dr Robin Dodson, an exposure scientist at Silent Spring Institute, said: “We found that this isn’t just about hair straighteners.
“These chemicals are in products we use all the time, all over our bodies.
“Repeated exposures like these can add up and cause serious harm.”
Formaldehyde is a colourless, strong-smelling gas often used in cosmetics for its preservative properties.
Formaldehyde-releasing preservatives are often used as an alternative – these are chemicals that slowly release formaldehyde over time and serve the same purpose.
As part of the study, the researchers recruited 70 Black women and Latinas living in the Los Angeles area and asked them to track their use of personal care products over a period of five to seven days.
Each time participants used a product, they logged the information using a smartphone app developed by Silent Spring.
The app also prompted participants to take a photo of each ingredient label.
Co-author Dr Elissia Franklin, an analytical chemist at Silent Spring, says previous studies on people’s use of personal care products have relied on imprecise surveys, asking participants questions like, ‘Did you use lotion in the past 24 hours?’
But lotions can vary widely – some might have a few natural ingredients, like beeswax and shea butter, while others might have many toxic chemicals like formaldehyde releasers, phthalates, and parabens, says Franklin.
“We wanted to capture all that information,” she explains. “Everybody uses lotions. Saying ‘I used lotion’ is like saying ‘I am human!’ We wanted a much more detailed picture—an accurate reading of all the chemicals in that lotion, and any other products the women were using.”
The team analysed over 1,100 products, looking for formaldehyde and formaldehyde releasing preservatives in the products’ ingredient lists.
Fifty-three percent of participants reported using at least one personal care product that listed formaldehyde releasers on its label.
And many of the products with formaldehyde releasers that participants reported using were applied daily or multiple times per week.
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DMDM hydantoin was the most common formaldehyde releasing preservative.
Roughly 47 per cent of skincare products and 58 per cent of hair products with formaldehyde-releasing preservatives contained DMDM hydantoin.
The team also identified several others, but Dodson stresses that their list is not definitive.
“Those are just the ones we knew to look for. There could be more that we’re not aware of,” Franklin says.
In the UK, formaldehyde is regulated under both the Cosmetic Products Regulation and the UK REACH regulations, with the UK Cosmetics Regulation being based on the EU Cosmetics Regulation.
While formaldehyde is generally prohibited in cosmetics, its use is allowed in certain nail hardening products, but with specific labelling requirements.
Formaldehyde-releasing substances are also regulated, requiring labelling when the released formaldehyde concentration exceeds a certain threshold.
Dodson says one way to reduce exposure in the US would be to require that companies add warning labels to formaldehyde-releasing products like they do in Europe.
She agrees that it can be hard for the average consumer—and even chemists—to identify a formaldehyde releasing preservative on a label.
“They have long, weird, funny names, and they typically don’t have the word formaldehyde in them,” she says.
While warning labels might be a good first step, Dodson says banning the use of formaldehyde releasers altogether would be the best-case scenario.
“Ideally, companies shouldn’t be putting these chemicals in products in the first place,” she adds.
Other toxic chemicals in beauty products to avoid
Benzophenone: this is a UV filter commonly found in sunscreens. Some small studies have suggested that it and its derivatives oxybenzophone and avobenzophone can be hormone disrupters. This has led to many cosmetic formulations using alternative UV filters while further research is underway.
Butylated compounds are antioxidant preservatives. There are concerns that they may have endocrine disruptive effects however this is thought to be in much higher concentrations than found in skincare for human beings.
Coal tar has been used for dandruff and psoriasis for years. At concentrations used in skincare, coal tar is considered safe although may be irritant and induce photosensitivity in some people. In much higher concentrations, there are concerns around coal tar being carcinogenic, in particular skin cancer.
With Ethanolamines, the concern here is that under certain situations, ethanolamines can undergo a reaction to make nitrosamines which are potentially carcinogenic.
Homosalate is another chemical sunscreen filter that absorbs UVB light. It can also trigger allergic skin reactions in susceptible individuals. Similar to many other chemical sunscreens, there are concerns it can negatively impact on aquatic ecosystems. As it can penetrate the skin, there are concerns that it can disrupt human hormones.
Hydroquinone is commonly used in prescription based creams to lighten dark areas on the skin such as in melasma or large sun spots. In the UK it is prescription only, so comes from a doctor who should assess the patient’s skin. At high concentrations or in susceptible individuals it can trigger skin irritation. Used for prolonged periods it can cause a paradoxical darkening or discolouration of the skin known as exogenous ochronosis. When used in large amounts over a prolonged period it can be associated with low birth weight in a fetus.
Mica is a mineral often used in skincare and make-up to give a shimmer- like finish. It can be irritant to susceptible individuals. Larger particles of mica can cause sensitivity to light leading to unaffected sunburns. There are concerns that when inhaled, it can exacerbate respiratory problems. As it is mined, it can be contaminated by highly toxic heavy metals such as mercury therefore it is important that skincare companies using mica have responsible supply chains that limit contamination.
Parabens are very commonly used preservatives as they prevent the growth of bacteria, moulds and yeast. The potential risks are skin irritation and the risks of hormone disruption. It has weak oestrogen mimicking abilities which are thought to disrupt the natural order/ balance of hormones. It has been found in some breast cancer tumours although whether this is coincidental or causal is not understood.
P-phenylenediamine, also known as PPD, is commonly used in hair dye and is known to be an important trigger for allergic reactions to hair dye, some of which can be so severe as to be potentially life threatening. This is why a patch test is mandated in hair dyes. PPD is also found in black henna.
Triclosan is a commonly used antimicrobial which can extend the shelf life of numerous products. It has been associated with a number of skin toxicities including skin irritation, contact allergic dermatitis and antibiotic resistance when used for prolonged periods of time and in high concentrations. It has been banned in some countries as an anti- microbial wash.
Source: British Skin Foundation