Distributed by New York Times Special Features
We primp, we perm, we powder—without blinking a mascara-lined eye about the potentially harmful ingredients we expose ourselves to in the name of beauty.
Yet, walking into most beauty salons is like entering a toxic cloud of ammonia and formaldehyde, not to mention an alphabet soup of chemicals you can't smell. Over-the-counter beauty products aren't much better, with most containing potential irritants and carcinogens.
Unfortunately, these hazards are virtually ignored by the $28-billion-a-year mainstream cosmetics industry.
How safe are the cosmetics we use? A recent report published by the American Journal of Public Health found that women who dye their hair have a 50-percent-higher risk of developing non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and men using commercial hair dyes have twice the risk of multiple myeloma, a malignant tumor of the bone marrow.
Another study, by Italy's University of Pisa, found a link between certain skin creams and thyroid toxicity.
Ruth Winter, author of ``A Consumer's Dictionary of Cosmetic Ingredients'' (Crown, 1989), notes that ``even though it has now been accepted that all chemicals penetrate the skin to some extent and many do so in significant amounts,'' the Food and Drug Administration neither requires pre-market approval for cosmetics nor mandates safety testing.
Although most cosmetics companies voluntarily test their products for common sensitivities, researchers from the National Research Council found that ``of the tens of thousands of commercially important chemicals, only a few have been subjected to extensive toxicity testing and most have scarcely been tested at all."
That doesn't surprise Denise Santamaria, a manicurist and owner of Natural Nouveaux, a nontoxic salon in Las Vegas. Santamaria has been diagnosed with chemically induced lupus.
``I started getting sick when I began taking cosmetology classes,'' she says. ``Over the next 10 years, I battled digestive problems, frequent sinus infections and excruciating pain in my back, chest and arms.
``It got so bad that there were days when I would crawl across the floor, almost as if I were trying to get away from the pain,'' she recalls.
Neither she nor the doctors who treated her detected any connection between her medical problems and her job, until a chemical screening showed high levels of the toxins benzene and toluene; both common ingredients in nail polish and polish remover.
GROWING AWARENESS
Unlike most European countries, which take a proactive stance on cosmetics safety, America rarely shows legislative interest in the potentially toxic ingredients used in cosmetics.
``There is vigorous industry and political pressure to keep using them,'' says Dr. Joni Loughran of the Paul Penders Company of Petaluma, Calif. ``It is claimed that the risk is small and change takes time.''
Another reason for this lack of interest is that most problems go unreported. Rather than filing a report, most people who experience problems with a product simply stop using it. Of those problems that are reported, the FDA estimates that manufacturers receive 50 complaints for every one made to FDA offices.
In an attempt to focus attention on the potentially harmful effects of mainstream cosmetics, consumer advocates in California are pushing for the reformulation of hair fixatives. Another group, As You Sow, has filed a lawsuit demanding warning labels on products containing toluene.
As public concern over the safety of cosmetics grows, a few states have begun taking notice. Indiana has implemented legislation to guard consumers against the mislabeling or adulteration of cosmetics. California and New York have both shown concern over cosmetics aerosols.
SMART SHOPPING
Where does that leave consumers? With all the new ``natural'' products on the market, it's easy to be fooled. A product boasting oatmeal, aloe vera or other plant-based ingredients isn't necessarily chemical-free.
``There are no standards for what `natural' means,'' says John Bailey, director of the FDA's division of colors and cosmetics. ``They could wave a tube of plant extract over the bottle and declare it `natural.'''
The only way to know what you're buying is by reading the fine print, scrutinizing contents lists carefully. Although not all chemicals are toxic, here are several to watch for:
+ Formaldehyde, used as a preservative and disinfectant, is a suspected carcinogen often found in shampoos.
+ Listed as ``FD&C'' or ``D&C colors,'' coal tar is a common ingredient in cosmetics, hair dyes and dandruff shampoos. Found to cause cancer, it's also been linked to frequent allergic reactions, including asthma attacks, headaches, nausea, fatigue, nervousness and lack of concentration.
+ Both benzene and toluene are found in nail polishes and polish removers. Used as solvents, they are highly toxic and can cause depression, convulsions, coma or even death.
+ Propylene glycol, a solvent used for texture and stability, can cause allergic reactions. Frequently used in cosmetics, it's also found in brake fluid and antifreeze.
+ Nitrosamines, though not primary ingredients in cosmetics, are also cautionary chemicals.
According to Dr. Aubrey Hampton, founder of Aubrey Organics, nitrosamines are formed when two otherwise safe ingredients, nitrous acid and amines, are combined. Readily absorbed into the skin, the resulting compounds are highly carcinogenic.
``In fact,'' Hampton says, ``nitrosamines are absorbed through the skin in far greater amounts than when nitrite-preserved foods (such as bacon) are eaten.''
To avoid the problem, he advises steering clear of products containing DEA or TEA in the name;for example, TEA-lauryl sulfate or cocoamide DEA.
HEALTHY ALTERNATIVES
Luckily, there are natural alternatives to chemical-laced cosmetics. Besides being chemical-free, natural products are ecologically friendly, containing no petrochemicals which pollute our waterways and harm marine wildlife. And they're usually manufactured with minimal packaging.
Another plus: Because the ingredients come from nature and have been used for centuries without harmful side effects, natural products don't require animal testing.
The Minnesota-based Aveda Corporation, which makes hair- and skin-care products from natural flower and plant ingredients, recently proposed a set of organic standards for cosmetics. And Aubrey Organics filed a citizen petition with theFDA last year to extend the new, federally adapted organic-food guidelines to hair- and skin-care products. The petition is still pending.
Natural-products companies such as Paul Penders, Aveda, Aubrey Organics, Avalon Natural Cosmetics and EarthPreserv can be found in most health-food stores. If your store doesn't carry natural cosmetics, many companies offer mail and Internet service.
For those with the time and inclination, it's also possible to make your own skin- and hair-care products at home. Renewed interest in homemade beauty products has prompted a growing number of books and articles on the subject; check your library for step-by-step ``recipes'' for custom-made formulas using herbs and whole foods.
To find out more about the hidden dangers on your dresser top, take a look at Hampton's ``What's In Your Cosmetics: A Complete Consumer's Guide to Natural and Synthetic Ingredients,'' available for $14.85 from Aubrey Organics.
SIDEBAR: WHERE TO CALL
The following companies offer a variety of naturally oriented cosmetics products. Call or write for further information.
Aubrey Organics, 4419 N. Manhattan, Tampa, FL 33614/(813) 877-4186.
Avalon Natural Cosmetics, 1129 Industrial Avenue, Petaluma, CA 94952/(707) 769-5120.
Aveda Corporation, 4000 Pheasant Ridge Drive, Minneapolis, MN 55449/(800) 283-3224.
Paul Penders Company, 1340 Commerce Street, Petaluma, CA 94954/(707) 763-5828.
(Kim Erickson is a Las Vegas-based free-lance writer.)
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