Avoiding Parabens

There are many different types of parabens (methylparaben, propylparaben, isoparaben, and butylparaben).  After extensive research, BCA was able to find some natural cosmetics companies that make products without parabens, but this is not meant to be an exhaustive list of all companies that are paraben-free.

The Difficulty in Avoiding Phthalates

All US cosmetics and personal care products are required to have a list of ingredients placed in order of their relative quantity.  However, any ingredients used in fragrances or mixtures that are considered trade secrets are exempt from these requirements. Phthalates are frequently components of fragrance, which often contain dozens of chemicals.  The entire mixture simply appears as “fragrance” on the ingredient list. Thus, reading labels cannot assure there are no phthalates in a product.

In May 2002, a coalition of environmental and public health organizations contracted with a major national laboratory to test 72 brand name, off-the-shelf beauty products for the presence of phthalates. See www.nottoopretty.org. The majority of the products tested contained phthalates, yet none of them included phthalates on their ingredient list.  The Not Too Pretty report applauds Aveda, The Body Shop and Neways for offering phthalate-free products. (However, all three of these companies do use parabens for preservation.) 

This fragrance and trade secret loophole gives consumers little power to avoid phthalates when purchasing their personal care products.  E-mail or call the company to ask them if your product contains phthalates.

After extensive research, BCA was able to find some natural cosmetic companies that make products withour phthalates, but this is not meant to be an exhaustive list of all companies that are phthalates-free.

Reports and Studies

Breast Cancer Action's report, State of the Evidence: What Is the Connection Between Chemicals and Breast Cancer? summarizes the body of evidence suggesting that synthetic chemicals in the environment, including phthalates, must be factored as possible causes of breast cancer and other health problems. It also recommends new directions for future research based on the precautionary principle.

The Center for Disease Control Second National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals is an assessment of the U.S. population’s exposure to environmental chemicals, including phthalates, using biomonitoring.  Biomonitoring is a way to assess our exposure by measuring the chemicals or their breakdown products in things such as our blood or urine.

The Environmental Working Group Body Burden Report—The Pollution in People is the most comprehensive study ever conducted of multiple chemical contaminants in humans. Nine people were tested for 210 chemicals that occur in consumer products and industrial pollution.  The Environmental Working Group also recently released Skin Deep, a safety assessment of ingredients in cosmetics and personal care products. 

Research into the role that parabens and phthalates may play in the development of breast cancer is limited, but recent studies indicate cause for serious concern.  For more information, visit the Safe Cosmetics Campaign website, a coalition working to protect the health of consumers by requiring the health and beauty industry to phase out the use of chemicals that are known or suspected carcinogens, mutagens and reproductive toxins. 

More Resources

• The Safe Shopper’s Bible: A Consumer’s Guide to Nontoxic Household Products, Cosmetics, and Food, by David Steinman & Samuel S. Epstein, M.D. (Macmillan USA, 1995)
  This convenient reference guide lists thousands of brand name household products, personal care products, foods, and beverages, enabling shoppers to make informed decisions about the products they buy.
• Drop-Dead Gorgeous: Protecting Yourself from the Hidden Dangers of Cosmetics, by Kim Erickson (Contemporary Books, 2002)
  This book reveals the dangers of common over-the-counter products, and shows readers how to interpret misleading product labels to identify the most hazardous ingredients. It also provides natural alternatives and easy-to-follow recipes for safely creating your own cosmetics at home.
• Dying to Look Good : The Disturbing Truth About What's Really in Your Cosmetics, Toiletries and Personal Care Products, by Christine H. Farlow (Kiss for Health Publications, 2000)
  This book tells you if the cosmetic and personal care products you're buying contain dangerous ingredients. It reveals what manufacturers don't want you to know about their products and shows you how to find the truth behind deceptive product packaging. You will learn how to confidently read labels so you know how safe your cosmetics are.
• Home Safe Home: Protecting You and Your Family from Everyday Toxins and Harmful Household Products, by Deborah Dadd (Putnam Publishing, 1997)
  Home Safe Home offers more than 400 tips, including do-it-yourself formulas for inexpensive, safe products to replace harmful substances we are exposed to in our own homes.
• International Cosmetic Ingredient Dictionary (Ninth Edition, 2002), published by the Cosmetic, Toiletries and Fragrance Association
  The dictionary provides a complete list of the most widely known cosmetic ingredients and their definitions and trade names. Check the reference section of your local library for this book’s availability.
• Hormone Deception: How Everyday Foods and Products Are Disrupting Your Hormones—and How to Protect Yourself and Your Family, by D.L. Berkson (Contemporary Books, 2001)
  The first prescriptive book on the subject, Hormone Deception reveals where hormone disruptors come from and how they affect adults, children, and the unborn child. It also gives you easy, practical tips for protecting your home and your family, such as vacuuming frequently and using water filters.
• Our Stolen Future: Are We Threatening Our Fertility, Intelligence, and Survival?—A Scientific Detective Story, by Theo Colborn, Dianne Dumanoski, John Peterson Myers (Penguin Group, 1997)
  Picking up where Rachel Carson's Silent Spring left off, this book gives an utterly gripping account that traces birth defects, sexual abnormalities, and reproductive failures in wildlife to their sources—synthetic chemicals that mimic natural hormones, upsetting normal reproductive and developmental processes. And humans appear far from immune to the effects of these "hormone imposters."
• Unreasonable Risk. How to Avoid Cancer from Cosmetics and Personal Care Products: The Neways Story, by Samuel S. Epstein, MD. (Environmental Toxicology, 2001)
  This book explains how to recognize carcinogens on product labels, boycott such products, and shop for safe alternatives from non-mainstream industries.