NOT Your BFF: BHT And BHA

9/2010

Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene(BHT) in cosmetics?

Most people are familiar with the acronyms BHA and BHT ("added to preserve freshness" is how you see them on cereal boxes). But do you know what they are and what they do? Do we really need these chemicals in our skincare products?

BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole) is a white or slightly yellow waxy solid and BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene) is a white powder. Both are chemical compounds that are used as antioxidants or preservatives in cosmetics. The purpose of these ingredients is to extend the shelf life of products that contain oils. When oils are exposed to oxygen, they become rancid over time. BHA and BHT are added to combat this.

BHT and BHA are found in thousands of products including eyeliners, eye shadows, lipsticks, lip gloss, blushes, foundations, perfumes, moisturizers, skin cleansers, Preparation H and even Desitin Diaper Cream. BHT and BHA are also used as food preservatives and are found in processed foods (chips, baked goods, sweets) butter, meats, sausage, poultry, cereals, chewing gum, active dry yeast, dry mixes for beverages, vegetable oils and beer. Actually BHT and BHA are so prevalent in packaged foods. It really drives me crazy. My kids favorite cereals are by General Mills: Honey Nut Cheerios and Coco Puffs (I know, I know, not the healthiest but at least it's not a fatty muffin or trans fat laden donut!) Anyway, Honey Nut Cheerios has vitamin E as a preservative but Coco Puffs has BHT and BHA. Who knows why? All I know is I've stopped buying Coco Puffs and all the other cereals with these chemicals. There are alternatives that are safer.

Okay, back to skin care. BHA is rated a 10 (highest hazard) on

www.cosmeticsdatabase.com and BHT is rated a 6 (moderate hazard). BHT and BHA are classified as possible human carcinogens. Studies with animals have shown that BHT causes liver, kidney and thyroid problems and can act as a tumor promoter.  In California, products that contain BHA must carry a warning label notifying consumers that it may cause cancer.  Limited studies have shown evidence that BHA interferes with hormone function. BHA is banned in the EU as a fragrance ingredient.  What's more, BHT and BHA have also been shown to be toxic to marine species and bioaccumulate.

So what's a consumer to do? Look for natural vitamin E (tocopherol) and rosemary oil extract in your products in place of BHT and BHA. Avoid tocopheryl acetate which has been shown to cause cancer and synthetic vitamin E also called d-alpha-tocopherol. Buy only the natural products that you can use up in 3-6 months for lotions and creams and 12 months for products containing just oils like makeup remover, body oils, and facial serums.

Be Green Bath and Body products that contain oils have natural vitamin E or rosemary oil extract as antioxidants.

"Nourish your skin safely” ™
Karen

Red And Orange, Green And Blue, Shiny Yellow, Toxins Too

9/2010
Synthetic dyes are seemingly everywhere in our lives: Our cosmetics, our food, our clothing. Who doesn’t love to put on their favorite pair of blue jeans and a cute, bright colored top? Ever wonder how your jeans got to be that perfect shade of deep, dark blue? How about a tasty treat like an Oreo ice cream cone with strawberry ice cream? Chocolate is brown, right? Well, in our world it’s also red 40, yellow 5 and blue 1. Think about this: what is more appealing to you, strawberry lotion that’s a perfect shade of pale pink or strawberry lotion that’s a pretty shade of, well, um, beige? Of course, since strawberries are red, the pink appeals to us. We think that anything strawberry flavored (and this is not a natural flavor for lotions- refer to the note on synthetic fragrances) should be red or pink. We are conditioned to think that this is natural.

This is what sells. I admit that pretty colors make me smile too. They appeal to my senses and affect my moods. This is all good when added colors are natural but how about when they’re not?

Artificial colors became popular after World War II because they were cheaper and had a longer shelf life than plant based dyes. The FDA regulates dyes and it says they are tested for safety. Dyes that are approved bear the titles that you’re probably familiar with: FD&C (food, drug and cosmetics) and D&C (drug and cosmetics). So what’s actually in these dyes that are tested for safety? I knew that some contain coal tar which is a known carcinogen. I didn’t know that lead, mercury and arsenic were some of the ingredients. Are you kidding me? Aren’t these bad? YES! But, according to the FDA, the parts per million (ppm) that are acceptable are:

Arsenic 3 ppm

Mercury 1 ppm
Lead 10-20 ppm

These may be small numbers, but how do they add up in everything we eat, drink and put on our bodies on a daily, monthly and yearly basis? How do they affect babies and small children? Baby lotions, washes and shampoos contain synthetic colors. Check out this table from http://www.bluedominoes.com/:

Bathtime Colorblast Tablets- FD&C Yellow #5, FD&C Blue #!, D&C Red #33

Johnson Baby Shampoo- D&C Yellow #10, D&C Orange #4

Johnson Baby Lotion- D&C Red 33

Pampers hand soap- Yellow 5, Green 5, Orange 4

Dora Foam Soap- May contain FD&C Blue 1, FD&C Red 40, FD&C Yellow 5

Sesame Street Foam Soap - FD&C # 33

Disney Chapstick- D&C Red No. , FD&C Blue 1 alum lk

Crest Kids Sparkle Paste- FD&C Blue #1

The synthetic colors that we put on our skin are absorbed through our skin. Many are known to cause multiple issues:

- Coal tar dyes are tied to bladder cancer: D&C violet 2, FD&C blue 1

- Skin and eye irritant: FD&C yellow 6

- Nervous system toxicant: D&C red 30 lake

- Causes cancer in animals (prohibited in EU): FD&C green 3

You’re probably thinking, well, I could eliminate many of the dyes in personal care products by switching to natural or organic one’s that either don’t contain synthetic dyes or contain natural colors. What about hair color? No way can I go gray!! My 40-something hair makes my 20-something mind and body feel old (yes, I actually do feel like a 20-something not the 40-something that I am!) Unfortunately, hair dyes are among the worst offenders and contain the strongest most toxic ingredients. They smell bad and they are bad. Dark colored dyes routinely contain coal tar. They also frequently contain cancer causing chemicals such as: phenylenediamine, aminophenol, ethanolamine, hydroquinone and 2,4

diaminophenoxyethanol. A safer alternative is to use henna dyes for going darker. If you go lighter, know that lighter colors often use bleach which, although not great, is a less unsafe alternative. Also consider hair foils which lighten the hair without the dye coming in contact with the scalp. There are also less toxic dye options now available:

Herbatint, Light Mountain, Organic Color Systems, Surya Henna, Naturcolor, Rainbow henna, Color me naturally by Aubrey, and Ecocolors. 

 In summary, read the labels! Avoid synthetic dyes in your personal care products and food as much as possible. At  www.begreenbathandbody.com, the color of the product is the color of the ingredients. The brown sugar scrub is, well, brown. The lotions and creams are cream colored. Sometimes the shade of cream may change if my beeswax or cocoa butter vendor changes their source. The salt scrub? You got it- white! Facial cleanser? A shade of muddy brown!  The apricot kernel meal that gently exfoliates your skin turns it that color.  What about those blue jeans? Not to rain on your parade but it’s a combination of caustic soda, sodium phenylglycinate and sodamide to form a chemical called indoxyl. Ultimately this is from chlorobenzene. that can come from either petroleum or coal. Maybe organic jeans will become more widely available.(sigh).

“Nourish your skin safely” ™ Karen

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) And Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES)

5/2010

If you're reading this blog, chances are you've starting reading the ingredient labels of you personal care products.

A couple of years ago when I started reading the labels, I was amazed at all the names I didn't recognize. Seems like you need a chemistry degree in the US if you want to understand labels! It's pretty overwhelming to learn about the chemicals. Where do you start? How do you know which one's are worst? Why are they bad? What are safer alternatives to these ingredients? And the important question- will products work without these harmful ingredients?

If you take a walk down the hair care aisle at your local discount store or pharmacy, you'll probably find (and I'm guessing here) that at least 98% of shampoos contain the ingredient Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (also known as SLS) or it's partner in crime Sodium Laureth Sulfate (also known as SLES). If nearly 100% of products contain this ingredient it must be necessary, right?  WRONG! It must be safe, right? WRONG! Well, there must be at least a good reason why it's being used, right? WRONG!  Well, actually, companies use it since it's an incredibly CHEAP ingredient. Cheap, not safe. Well, the government must regulate it? WRONG again! So what are SLS and SLES you ask?

SLS and SLES are chemical ingredients that make your products lather and foam nicely. (Also called surfactants- in case you’ve seen that term and wonder what it means!) They also work to break your skin down so other ingredients in the product (good and bad) can penetrate and be absorbed. They effectively remove oils (which is why garages use them to degrease car

engines and clean floors).  SLS and SLES are really cheap ingredients for companies to buy. Over the years, people have become accustomed to their products foaming and making nice little bubbles. Yes, marketers have convinced us that for a product to work, it must foam a lot.

You'll find SLS and SLES in shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, mouthwash, body wash, liquid hand soap, bar soap and sometimes moisturizers. (You'll also find it in laundry soap, dish soap and other household cleaning products.) Sometimes labels will say "derived from coconuts" or "comes from coconuts". Don't be fooled by greenwashing from so-called natural cosmetic companies.

The health impacts of these ingredients are numerous. SLS is incredibly irritating to your skin and causes dryness (remember how well it removes oil?). It is very irritating to the eyes- so much so that manufacturers add other chemicals (like cocamide MEA and DEA, and lauramide MEA and DEA) to anesthetize the eyeballs so you don’t feel the SLS sting. SLES, cocamide and lauramide are also commonly contaminated with 1,4 dioxane (considered a probable carcinogen by the EPA) and nitrosamines. The FDA “encourages” companies to remove these contaminants but doesn’t require it.

Luckily, there are safer alternatives- Coconut oil or corn oil soap, Castile soap (sometimes listed as saponified olive or coconut oil) Sodium Coco Sulfate (a coconut derivative), anything with Glucoside (unless the ingredient has PEG or –eth in the name) or Sodium Cocoamphoacetate. You can find these ingredients in products in the natural section made by Burt’s Bees, Aubrey Organics and many others . You can also search for safer alternatives at http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/.  As far as toothpaste, I like Trader Joe's Peppermint Toothpaste. Watch out for some "natural" brands. Tom's of Maine toothpaste contains SLS. For mouthwash, I don't know about you, but I don't WANT to be foaming at the mouth so who needs SLS. I like my homemade recipe of water, vodka, baking soda and peppermint essential oil better.

At Be Green Bath and Body products we don't use SLS or SLES. Only organic castile soap is used in foaming products. 

 A word of advice- truly natural products may feel different, but different in a good way. We've all grown up with chemical ridden products and have become accustomed to the way toxins feel. We're only beginning to understand how natural feels. Will your SLS-free shampoo foam the way you're accustomed? No, I haven't found that to be the case. Your hair may feel different- not that squeaky clean you may be used to. This is OKAY. It's still clean. This is the way your hair is supposed to feel. I like to rinse my hair with a homemade cider vinegar rinse after using a natural shampoo. (Mix 1/4 cider vinegar with 3/4 water in a recycled squeeze bottle and leave it in the shower.) The rinse leaves my hair soft and detangled and no, it doesn't leave my hair smelling like vinegar!

“Nourish your skin safely” ™ Karen

I've been meaning to blog for quite some time....

4/2010

It was a little over 2 years ago that I began my journey towards healthy and green living. Like many people, I had been recycling my newspapers and plastic containers but that was about it. With a neighbor and friend, I went to a seminar at a local museum called "Non Toxic Living for Families". That changed EVERYTHING! I started to define my life in 2 segments. There was the "before" the awakening and the "after" the awakening. Before, I ate what ever I wanted without thinking about it. Seriously, I had really no idea where my food came from. I didn't know much about organics and I had no idea what CSA stood for.

Before, I didn't think about what I was putting on my body. I didn't know that the products I was using everyday were filled with dozens of synthetic chemicals, some of which are known to be dangerous. I just went to the discount store and loaded up on whatever was cheapest, came in the biggest container or I had a coupon for. I thought (wrongly) that in the US, whatever was on the store shelves was safe, tested and regulated by the FDA.

Before, I didn't think about what household products I used. I thought that I needed a cleaner for everything. I had all purpose cleaner, window cleaner, floor cleaner, carpet cleaner, toilet bowl cleaner, sink cleaner, stainless steel cleaner...  My cupboards were full of cleaners. I thought that all my cleaning products were necessary. It was like a mystery in a bottle. There were no ingredients on the label but they worked so they must be some kind of miracle substance. Again, I thought they were safe, tested and regulated. Who knew I was so wrong?

At the Seminar I went to, I learned a few things. Well, actually a lot of things but the gist of it was that there are a lot of scary chemicals everywhere and in everything. I learned that children were more vulnerable. They I went home and freaked out. I went through my cupboards the next day on a mission to see if I had any of those dreaded chemicals lurking in my products. Well, what do you know? Every product had the nasty names that I had learned about. There wasn't one thing that was considered non-toxic, save my Bon Ami cleaner for the sink!

I spent a couple of, no DOZENS of hours on www.cosmeticsdatabase.com looking up my personal care products for a safety rating. Yikes! That was an eye opener. I ended up throwing out the one's that were rated the most dangerous.  The one's that were moderate hazards, I kept using until they were finished. I mean, I'm not exactly made out of money and replacing EVERYTHING all at once was going to make me max my credit card. Slowly, I began buying safer personal care products from companies I had learned about on the cosmetics database. I tried to buy mostly from companies who had signed the Compact for Safe Cosmetics because this way I knew that none of the 1100 chemicals banned in the EU countries would be in my products (that's a topic for another day!)

After a few months, I began to experiment on my own. These new and safer products were really expensive. I spent a lot of time reading and researching and buying some basic ingredients. Then I spent even more time mixing the ingredients and testing the outcome. My neighbor and family members tested too. Some things were a flop, some were hopeful, some were down right great! I was on to something. I kept mixing and testing away in my kitchen until I was finally happy.

Success was nice but I realized the the journey was greater calling. I had "discovered" something I was really passionate about and that I loved doing! I mean, here I am in my 40's, three kids in school, hadn't been working for 5 years and wondering what I was going to do with my life. Then "POW", I realized I needed to share what I had learned and created with others. This is how Be Green Bath and Body was born. I'm so happy to be able to share my products,

that are safe AND affordable with others. I really enjoy experimenting with different ingredients. I love learning what the different ingredients do and about the healing properties of carrier oils, herbs and essential oils.

Since my journey began, I've learned a lot about what's in the products that you find on the shelves at the store. The average woman uses over 10 personal care products each day. Shouldn't we understand what's in them? YES, YES, YES! In the coming weeks and months, I'll be blogging about different chemicals you should watch out for in the products you are using. I'll tell you what some of the worst one's are, why they're bad, what types of products they're in and I'll offersafer alternative ingredients for you to look for.

So welcome and I hope you are ready to start or continue on your own journey.

“Nourish your skin safely” ™ Karen