The Environmental Working Group reports that nearly 90 percent of the 10,500 personal-care-product ingredients known to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration have not been evaluated for safety. The average U.S. consumer uses anywhere from 15 to 25 personal care products each day containing about 200 chemicals, reports the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, without realizing how dangerous many of those ingredients can be. Although the list of these is long, there are a few that cause the most concern among health officials.
Fragrance
Synthetic fragrances fall into a loophole in federal law that doesn't require companies to list any of the chemicals in a single product's fragrance mixture, which can number in the hundreds, says the Environmental Working Group. The Cosmetics Database has reported that fragrances can contain neurotoxins and are one of the top five allergens in the world.
Glycol
There are several types of glycols, but the most common is a subclass called polyethylene glycol, or PEG. The "International Journal of Toxicology" says that PEGs make it easier for other chemicals to cross the skin barrier into the body, and that pollutants found in various PEG compounds can include ethylene oxide, used to manufacture mustard gas, as well as other toxins.
Parabens
Parabens are used to prevent microbial growth in products. They're a suspected carcinogen, and the Breast Cancer Fund has reported that measurable levels of six different parabens were found in breast tumor biopsies. Forms of paraben are included in more than 10,000 of the 25,000 products in the Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep database.
Petrolatum
Many skin care products contain a form of petrolatum, which is created from distilling gasoline. Coal tar is one of the most common, but one of the most potentially damaging types of petrolatum is 1,4-dioxane, included in products like baby shampoos. The FDA doesn't require 1,4-dioxane to be listed as an ingredient on product labels, but it can be suspected in any product that creates suds, like shampoo, liquid soap and bubble bath. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency lists 1,4-dioxane as a probable human carcinogen, and the National Toxicology Program lists it as an animal carcinogen.
Phthalates
One billion tons of phthalates are produced worldwide each year and are used in a wide variety of products. In cosmetics, they're used to hold color, such as in nail polish, and also in fragrances. Banned for use in personal care products in Europe, phthalates have been shown to cause sperm damage and infertility.
Sodium Laurel Sulfate (SLS)
The Environmental Working Group calls sodium laurel sulfate probably the most dangerous ingredient used in skin and hair-care products. It's used in 90 percent of products that foam. Animals exposed to SLS in the lab suffered damage to eyes, the central nervous system, and respiratory system, and in some cases, death occurred.
Triclosan
Triclosan is used as an antibacterial in cleansers and deodorants, among other skin care products. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has classified it as a probable human carcinogen, also linked to development problems and toxicity to the liver and lungs.
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