Why Do We Need Safe Products?

Did you know that women are four times more “toxic” than men because they “take care” of themselves, and that hairdressers and beauty therapists are four times more “toxic” than the average woman because they use beauty products and shampoos etc. all day long?

Did you know that the highly respected, world-renowned toxicologist and advisor to governments around the globe on cancer prevention, Dr Samuel Epstein, says that “the public-at-large has been and continues to be unknowingly exposed to avoidable carcinogens from conception to death”.

Did you know that lifetime risks of cancer are now approaching one in two? That could mean you or me?

Did you know that the modern cancer epidemic can not be explained away on the basis of increasing longevity, numbers of smokers, high fat diets, nor genetic factors?

Who, or What, is Responsible for this Increase In Cancer Rates?

The answer is based on a strong body of scientific evidence incriminating the role of run-away technologies, particularly the petrochemical and nuclear industries, since the 1940s. “Our total environment – air, water, the workplace, prescription drugs, consumer products (food, household products, and cosmetics and toiletries), has become pervasively contaminated with a wide range of industrial carcinogens, including persistent organic pollutants (POPs), such as organo-chlorine pesticides.” (Dr Samuel Epstein, “Unreasonable Risk – How to avoid cancer from cosmetics and personal care products” ISBN 097151860-2).

How to Reverse the Epidemic?

Legislation would be a start but although the Government knows there is a problem they haven’t the money to do anything about it. In a letter from the Minister for the Environment in response to concern over the toxins and carcinogens in personal care products he states that the Government needs to identify, ban and phase out these harmful ingredients, but that in the meantime it is considered the responsibility of manufacturers and downstream users to warn their customers of the risks. If they were to do this they would go out of business as practically every product you can buy in the high street contains a number of these harmful ingredients. Whilst this is not, as yet, illegal, it could be argued that this is morally wrong.

Personal action by shopping for safe products, thus tilting the market place in favour of safe alternative non-mainstream companies and industries at the expense of the unsafe mainstream, would be another way.

Right-to-Know

We have a right to know and there is an urgent need to develop international rules to restrict industry claims of confidentiality. Information on the carcinogenic and otherwise toxic risks of a product, drug or process must be automatically and fully released to the public.

Labelling

Responsible product labelling per se is inadequate unless accompanied by an explicit “Red Flag” warning of recognised cancer, health, environmental and occupational risks. Ingredients of cosmetics and personal care products (CPCP) are generally identified on their labels by long lists of chemicals. However, this is meaningless to the overwhelming majority of consumers, let alone to expert toxicologists and cancer prevention professionals.

What is more, mainstream industry consumer products – foods, beverages, cosmetics, toiletries, and household products – contain a wide range of undisclosed carcinogens in the form of ingredients, contaminants and precursors. These pose major, but generally unrecognised, avoidable risks of cancer.

What Can We Do About This?

Familiarising yourself with the most common harmful ingredients is a start but your best way forward is to seek out companies who only manufacture safe products so that you don’t even have to label check.

Dr Samuel Epstein says that he has come across one company, Neways International, who only manufacture and distribute toxin and carcinogen free products. They are in over 40 countries, have an annual turn over in excess of $400,000.00 are privately owned and are completely debt free. They distribute their products directly to the customer so are not found in high street shops. To purchase their products you either have to register with them, which entitles you to buy at wholesale prices, or buy from someone else who is registered with them. To register you need to obtain a form from a recognised Independent Distributor.

We at the Specialist Health and Beauty Clinic in Emsworth can provide you with joining forms. We use their products wherever possible in the clinic and have a small selection for retail sale. We can provide you with further information that we can email to you, and have books, tapes and leaflets for sale, or loan, from the clinic. We have two ranges of toxin free make-up, Neways and i.d. Bare Escentuals pure mineral make-up.

Unique Cancer Risk from Cosmetics and Personal Care Products

Dr Samuel Epstein, chairman of the Cancer Prevention Coalition, states that mainstream industry CPCPs are the single most important, yet generally unrecognised, class of avoidable carcinogenic exposures for the overwhelming majority of citizens in major industrial nations. The reason for these unique risks reflects a complex of individual and interactive factors such as:-

Interaction between different ingredients: even though a specific ingredient might not be in itself a “frank” carcinogen it might be a “hidden” carcinogen that may, under certain conditions, have carcinogenic properties when it combines with other ingredients in a product.

Prolonged duration of exposure: the concern is that daily exposure, over a lifetime, of toxic ingredients, many of which are left on skin, has a cumulative negative effect.

High permeability of skin: the skin is highly permeable to carcinogenic and other toxic ingredients, especially following prolonged exposure.

Effect of wetting agents on skin permeability: the permeability of skin to carcinogens, besides other toxic ingredients, is further increased by the presence of wetting agents or surfactants, probably the most common class of ingredients in the majority of CPCPs.

Bypassing detoxifying enzyme: carcinogens in CPCPs pose greater cancer risks than does food contaminated with carcinogenic pesticides and other industrial carcinogens as they are not detoxified by the liver but reach the general blood circulation without this protective detoxification.

Some of the Main Harmful Ingredients Commonly Found in Products

Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS) (shampoo, bubble bath, shaving foam, cleansers etc)

Sodium Laureth Sulphate (SLES) (as above)

Propylene Glycol (moisturisers, shaving cream, deodorants, baby products)

PABA (sunscreens)

DEA, TEA, BHA (hair sprays and styling, shaving cream)

PEG (cosmetics, make-up, shaving cream)

Sodium Fluoride (toothpaste)

Alcohol (mouthwash, toners, baby products)

Artificial flavours (toothpaste)

Artificial colours (make-up, toothpaste)

Cocamidoproply Betaine (shampoo, conditioner)

Ether (nail treatments, shampoo, conditioner)

Phenylenediamine (hair dye)

Coal Tars (shampoo, conditioner, hair dyes, soap, skin care, cosmetics)

Aluminium (antiperspirants)

Acetone (nail polish remover)

Formaldehyde (antiperspirants, nail treatments, perfumes)

Talc (baby powder, make-up, foot preparations)

Fluorocarbons (hair spray)

Dioxins (shampoo)

Petrolatum (baby products, washes)

This list is not exhaustive and the above ingredients are found in many more products than just those indicated. The list of harmful ingredients commonly found in make-up is too long to include here.

If you would like to view the Neways product range please click here

If you would like to view the i.d. Bare Escentuals range please visit www.skin-health.co.uk

If you would like information on how to prevent and beat cancer the following sites may be of interest… www.iconmag.co.uk and www.credence.org