Imidazolidinyl Urea & DMDM Hydatoin

For dead humans, they won’t probably mind getting a good dose of formaldehyde. Formaldehyde is used in embalming and it is also emitted by imidazolidinyl urea and DMDM hydatoin. These two formaldehyde-emitting chemicals are found in most of our personal care products in the market today. This substance can be in liquid or gas form, colorless and with a very distinctive smell.

Initially, formaldehyde is used for synthetic resins and textiles. Nowadays, it can also be found with your makeup, lipstick, baby shampoos, and moisturizers. For personal care products, they inhibit bacterial growth thus prolonging shelf life. Other uses of formaldehyde are for waterproofing fabrics, enhancing dyes, production of adhesives and binding construction materials.

This substance is known to cause cancer. Aside from that, it can also induce skin blisters, skin inflammation or dermatitis, dryness of skin and severe breathing problems. When absorbed in large doses, it can cause cancer while if inhaled, it can induce serious irritation to the eyes, nose and throat.

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PAHs, or polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

Perhaps the most common example of PAH or polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons is petroleum jelly or Vaseline.  Vaseline was discovered during the late 1850’s and has since been marketed to the public for an array of uses.  Most of us use petroleum jelly for chapped lips, dry skin, as a make up remover and moisturizer.
Products containing PAH are baby lotion, lipstick, oil and petroleum jelly.

A study conducted by the Columbia University show that women breast tissues that were already cancerous had 2.6 more PAH levels than breast tissues of women who do not have cancer.

Vaseline is not cancerous per se.  It is the petrolatum present in the PAH that causes cancer.  Studies also show that they way a product is manufactured may cause petroleum jelly mixtures that contain possible human carcinogens.

The European Union has banned PAH in cosmetics since 2004.  The EU has called for cosmetic companies to remove PAH impurities from cosmetic products before they are manufactured for public consumption.

However, in the United States, no such regulation exists.  There may be some manufacturers which opt for petrolatum with lower PHAs but as we cannot be sure, it is better to be on the safe side.

If unsure, you can look for products which have been certified as organic or natural.  Manufacturers are now answering the call of the public to produce more products which promote health and environment issues so be sure to buy one which has been deemed safe for human consumption.

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Lead in Lipsticks

Lipsticks contain lead.  According to the cosmetic industry: false.  According to the FDA: true.  So which is it?

The FDA regulates the amount of chemicals which is found in our food, cosmetics, detergent, medicine and other details concerning the food we eat and the drugs we have to take.  This includes cosmetic companies submitting a test sample to the FDA for every batch of cosmetic—lipstick, mascara, etc—they make, before that batch is made.  The FDA has released in a statement that lipsticks do contain a certain amount of lead, however these doses are so small that they do not pose as a health risk.

It is impossible to tell if the lead in lipsticks and other cosmetics cause cancer, since cancer research has pointed out that there seems to be no one cause, but rather a combination of elements and factors that cause cells to become cancerous.

However, it is still best to be cautious.  During the FDA tests, some lipsticks contained more lead than the others.  Lipsticks which do not easily wipe off contain more lead than those that wipe off easily.

Lead builds up in the body over time, so limiting your exposure to lead might help improve your health in the long run.

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