Weighing The Benefits Of Using Cosmetics With Natural Preservatives vs. Synthetic Parabens

Image courtesy of beautiful-solutions.co.uk.

We hear a lot about parabens today, but what are they, and why are people making such a big deal about them?

Parabens are among the most commonly used preservatives in cosmetics and personal care products, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Parabens are used in things like makeup, moisturizers, hair care products, and shaving products. These preservatives are used in cosmetics products to prevent bacterial and fungal growth.

Chemists Corner explains how contamination can occur, saying that, “Cosmetics are often stored in the bathroom, where the environment is warm and moist,” adding that skin also carries an abundance of microorganisms which can contribute to contamination.

Chemists Corner adds that cosmetics, which contain water, oils, peptides, and carbohydrates are “a very good medium for microbes,” and all these factors can contribute to product spoilage and potential skin infection.

Chemists Corner also gives its comparative view (from an industry perspective) on some of the differences between natural and synthetic preservatives, saying:

Among the most effective natural preservatives are essential oils and various herbs such as rosemary, clove, thyme, cinnamon, tea tree, lavender, neem, grape seed, etc., which are more organism specific than their synthetic counterparts.

This means they (natural preservatives) may be effective against one organism, but not another. They must be carefully blended to create a synergistic effect against a range of organisms.

The subject of natural preservatives is one that probably has more academic interest than practical or economic virtue because cosmetic preservatives have to fight a broad range of microbes. However, natural preservatives do give a wonderful marketing angle.

There’s definitely industry bias here, but a lot of truth too. Cosmetic Test Labs also did a comparative study, again finding more benefits to synthetic over natural preservatives.

The lab listed among the benefits of synthetic preservatives as: having a broad-spectrum of activity against bacteria and fungi; being consistent from batch to batch; having relatively low cost; requiring low concentrations to effectively preserve products; and generally not interfering with fragrances, lather, color, or other aspects of a given formulation.

The lab listed drawbacks of synthetic preservatives including that they are often petroleum-based; some consumers find them irritating to the skin; and they may require a narrow pH range to be effective.

For the benefits of natural preservatives, the lab only listed their ability to “function over a broad pH range to be effective.”

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Johnson & Johnson Reformulating Personal Care Products To Remove Cancer Causing Chemicals

Years of public pressure has finally pushed Johnson & Johnson to ratchet up its efforts to remove several chemicals from its product formulations that have been documented as known carcinogens, hormone disruptors, and environmental hazards.

Photo courtesy of medicsindex.net.

Much of the pressure has come from an effort by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics in cooperation with the American Nurses Association, Physicians for Social Responsibility, and about 20 other parent and health groups asking the company for healthier changes to its product formulations.

Among the early complaints against the company, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics wrote a letter to Johnson & Johnson citing a report issued by the nonprofit coalition – No More Toxic Tub: Getting Contaminants Out of Children’s Bath and Personal Care Products – which documented laboratory tests that found chemicals including formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane (both highly toxic in large amounts) in Johnson’s Baby Shampoo and other products made by the company.

Both formaldehyde and 1,4 dioxane are considered to cause cancer in animals and listed as probable human carcinogens by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Johnson & Johnson makes popular global brands including Aveeno, Neutrogena, Johnson’s Baby Shampoo, Clean & Clear, Johnson’s Lubriderm, RoC, as well as local and regional brands like Sundown in Brazil, and Le Petit Marseillais in Europe.

As part of the ongoing dialogue, Susan Nettesheim, vice president of product stewardship and toxicology at Johnson & Johnson, responded in a letter to the campaign, saying, “While we would still disagree with the science and conclusions in your letter and report, we want you and those who count on our products everyday to understand our commitment to safety.

“Our products always meet and often exceed the standards of the agencies around the world responsible for the safety of personal care products in the markets where they are sold. But we understand that the bonds of trust we have with the people who use our products often means going beyond safety alone.”

Nettesheim went on to say, “We listen to consumers, and respond to their needs and values, and their desire for products that are more sustainable and gentle on both people and the environment. We are continually making changes.”

Johnson & Johnson is in the process of reformulating its baby and adult personal care products to remove the following chemicals: formaldehyde-releasing preservatives, diethylphthalate (DEP), and triclosan.

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Three Baby Mantra Products Achieve Certification From The Natural Products Association

Photo by Baby Mantra.

This was a great month for Baby Mantra – who makes natural and organic shampoos, oils, lotions, and body butters for both babies and their moms. 

First of all, the company qualified to particiapte in the New York City Green Festival. To qualify, exhibitors had to pass the Green America screening process and earn the Green America Seal of Approval.

Seal recipients are required to show their commitment to being socially and environmentally responsible by how they source, manufacture, and market their products, as well as how they run their offices and factories, explains the Green Business Network.

This month Baby Mantra also received Natural Products Association (NPA) certification for three of its products – Shampoo & Body Wash, Calming Massaging Oil, and Calming Lotion. The Baby Mantra Body Butter is currently in the process of gaining certification.

Baby Mantra’s products contain a combination of great natural ingredients including:

• Coconut Oil – helps protect skin against excessive sun damage.
• Apricot Kernel Oil – a moisturizer for sensitive skin with natural nutrients, including Vitamin A and E.
• Avocado Oil – rehydrates dry and damaged skin and contains nutrients, including Vitamin A, D, and C.
• Lavender – has antiseptic properties which are soothing and also great for relieving insect bites.
• Jojoba Oil – a moisturizer for sensitive skin with natural nutrients, including Vitamin E and B. It also relieves skin irritations, such as acne and insect bites.

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Hair Straightening Product Maker Settles With California Over Charges of False Advertising

GIB LLC, the maker of the famous Brazilian Blowout hair straightening products has reached a settlement with the California Attorney General’s Office on multiple charges of false advertising in describing two of its most popular products as formaldehyde-free and safe.

Image courtesy of beautystats.com.

The complaint alleges that the two products – Brazilian Blowout Acai Smoothing Solution and Brazilian Blowout Professional Smoothing Solution – were mislabeled as formaldehyde-free, and the company made no attempt to inform customer that the products released formaldehyde gas into the air during hair treatments.

Last year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration sent a letter with concerns about the products to the maker, saying that based on FDA sample analysis, Brazilian Blowout contains methylene glycol which releases formaldehyde when treated hair is heated with a blow dryer and then a hot flat iron.

The FDA said that methylene glycol is a toxic substance that at the levels present in these products could pose health problems, even when used as directed.

The FDA said that it received reports of “injuries associated with Brazilian Blowout,” including:

• Eye irritation.
• Blurred vision.
• Headaches.
• Burning sensations.
• Coughing.
• Nasal discomfort.
• Through irritation.
• Cheat pain or discomfort.
• Vomiting
• Rash.

In the FDA’s Hazard Alert Update it also found that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and several state OSHA programs were also investigating questions and complaints from hair salon owners and workers about possible formaldehyde exposure from straightening/smoothing products.

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