Health vs. Hair: I Gave/Threw Away all My Hair Products Away

Health vs. Hair: I Gave/Threw Away all My Hair Products

A few weeks ago, Nay posted a thread stating that after threw away her CON conditioner and shampoos because the contained parabens, a carcinogenic. Her post was a total eye-opener I NEVER thought hair products contained carcinogens until I read that post. I read some of the articles in the links she had posted and that when I learned that not only are hair products, cosmetics in general, loaded with toxins. But that products for blacks have more than average.

Within a few days of reading Nay's posts I decided that I would "transition" off all the products with parabens within 6 months and begin 2006 paraben-free lifestyle. I continued to research and learned that parabens were only the tip of the cancer-causing chemicals used in hair products and began to feel uncomfortable using most of the ones I had. Especially due to the fact that I was/am doing daily conditioner washes.

Today, while cleaning my bathroom I found myself taking out and bagging up pretty much all of my soaps, body washes, lotions, etc. after taking one look at the ingredients and noting that they all have AT LEAST two carcinogens. I am one of those people who buy in bulk (for example, I gave away 6 deodorants because they contain 17% aluminum each). I had two shopping bags full of that stuff.

Then later, I didn't plan on doing so, I began do the same with my hair products. This is what I gave or threw away:

- Crème of Nature Detangling and Conditioning Shampoo
- Tom’s of Maine Natural Aloe & Almond Shampoo
- Suave Daily Clarifying Shampoo
- Nexxus Therappe and Nexxus Botanoil Treatment Shampoo
- Nexxus Humectress
- 2x Kenra Volumizing conditioner
- 2x Kenra Moisturizing conditioner
- Suave Naturals “Milk & Honey” conditioners
- Suave Naturals “Citrus Smoothie” conditioner
- Crème of Nature Nourishing Conditioner
- 2x Infusium 23 Professional Original Formula -- the really big bottles
- Nexxus Keraphix Restorative Protein Crème Reconstructor
- 2x Emergencee Polymeric Reconstructor
- Lekair Cholesterol Plus
- S-Curl Activator & Moisturizer
- 4x African Royale Braid Sheen Spray
- Blue Magic Hair & Scalp Conditioner “Anti-Breakage Formula”
- Vaseline
- Razac Perfect for Perms
- Hollywood Beauty Castor Oil Hair Treatment
- IC Hair Polisher Styling Gel with Sparkle Lites
- Garnier Fructus Style “Wet Shine Gel”
- Motions Oil Moisturizer 30 oz “Moisture Silk Protein Conditioner”
- Keracare Dry & Itchy Scalp shampoo
- Keracare Humecto (the big tub, half full)


These are stuff I kept:

Good stuff
- Gary Null's Hair Repair
- Hot Six oil
- Jojoba oil
- Castor oil
- Glycerin
- Shea butter
- Amla power
- Gary Null shampoo
- Essential oils: rosemary, lavendar, peppermint
I'm also going to buy an Aubrey's organics conditioner or two (this will be my list of staples)

Bad stuff (from my self relaxer days, I'm going to try again, my hairdresser is destroying my hair. But from now on I'm going to relax no more than three times each year - every 16 weeks)

- Motions Oil Moisturizer “Mild Relaxer”
- Motions Oil Moisturizer 32 oz “Moisture Crème Neutralizing Shampoo”
- Creme of Nature netrualizing shampoo (this is the brand my hair dresser use, if I fail with motions again, I'll try CON on my own)

As you can see, almost all my products contained carcinogens. Almost all of them contained parabens, some like CON conditioner contained many; CON conditioner has 4/5.

I'm not sure if I'll be able to grow long, healthy hair without all that stuff, but I'm sure gonna try. My health is more important than my hair.

mzjones

Here are a few of the articles I read:

Cancer Link Discovered in Common Cosmetics
http://www.locateadoc.com/articles.cfm/search/120

Pregnancy Concern [regarding carcinogens in cosmetics]
http://www.ewg.org/reports/skindeep/report/pregnancy_concerns.php

Harmful/Harmless Products
http://www.3.waisays.com/skincare.htm

Think Before You Pink: Cosmetics Companies And Breast Cancer
http://www.thinkbeforeyoupink.org/Pages/CosmeticCompanies.html

I really admire you for this. I am on the way to cleaning out my things too. I plan to keep it simple and feel better. I also couldn't believe how many "toxic" things I owned. I threw a lot away just yesterday. I have already found some healthy alternatives and I think I will soon be able to completely clear out the toxic hair and skin products...not only for my sake, but for my daughter's sake too.

Thanks Cichelle.

I'm happy that you working at detoxifying your home as well. Best wishes to you and your daughter.

Hey Mzjones

That was a lot of cleaning out you did!! I, too, have revamped my whole hair care system and streamlined the products I'll be using. Fortunately, I right away found products that I like and that are responding well to the way I wear my hair. I hope that you find alternative products too!

What kills me is how expensive it is to try to use healthier products But I'm not going to let price keep me from putting better quality stuff in and on my body/hair.

For my hair my staples have become Aubrey's shampoo and conditioner. Castor Oil. And three products that I bought from www.myhoneychild.com

For my face/body I use a pure olive oil soap bar from kiss my face, and jojoba oil as a moisturizer. And I found a nice (but expensive) sunscreen at www.bewellstaywell.com

I'm actually really enjoying all of my new finds, and I REALLY do feel healthier and have more peace of mind since making these changes. I wish the same for you!

* On a side note, since I've stopped using my old products that contained all of those parabens, I have become more tone. My workouts seem more effective, and I have lost about three pounds and my body fat percentage has gone down a few points. This was a nice bonus, and I'm curious if anyone else has or will experience this.

We should compile a list of safe products. I have been surfing for some.

Thanks Nay! I'm checking out those sites as you speak. Toxin-free products are expensive, but I'm also looking into using cheaper food items such as coconut milk, avocado, banana, honey, etc. as well.

This is interesting. How do you know which products contain these parabens? Is it listed as one of the ingredients? Could you make a list of things we should look out for. Thanks in advance

Yes, perhaps another thread should be started with a more distinctive title, identifying those ingredients which are carcinogenic. This would be extremely helpful for younger and older members alike. Then members could go through their stash and determine what they should keep or discard based on the ingredient listing. While the healthy alternatives may be more expensive, if you think about it, if we had selected them in the first place we would not have expended a gazillion dollars on the not-so-healthy products.

Thanks for providing the list of what you got rid of and what you kept - definitely an eye opener. Also, thanks to the original poster who got this conversation started. If we're not already, we must become educated and health-conscious shoppers.

I wish someone would look at the dominican products many of us are purchasing and let us know which contain carcinogenic ingredients. I can't even see the ingredients let alone interpret them when they are large enough to read.

Those posts also spurred me on to culling a lot of my products. I basically went thru looking for things with placenta. After reading how it affects your hormones I thought back to when I was using the Hask placenta conditioner. My cycles were VERY heavy, and I think it helped cause problems with my PCOS. Tho I had this problem BEFORE I used the conditioner. I stopped using it during my transistion so I havent used it in about a year. My cycles have been lighter so far, tho they are still a problem. (I hope this isnt TMI but hey we're here to help each other). I'm also wondering if the fact that I dont relax anymore is affecting this.

Most everything has parbens in it, even the shampoo and conditioner I got at trader Joes which are 85% organic. I love the conditioner, my hair hasnt felt this good since I went natural and I've only been using them a week.

Body washes normally break me out anyway, but there is this soap by spudz called "naked" which is basically palm oil and glycerine that I have been using and getting good results thus far. I thought the bar wouldnt last long, but its nice sized and its not wasting away fast like some glycerin soaps. Also it has good lather. I also have been using the liquid rock deordorant, tho I havent tossed my other ones yet.

I will go through the rest of my things gradually and elminate what I can when I find a good substitute for it.

Nay, I know you said you want to see how your program is working out for you before you give detailed info. I'm glad what you're doing is working for you and I look forward to you sharing more information.

Re: Health vs. Hair: I Gave/Threw Away all My Hair Products

This site http://www.ewg.org/reports/skindeep/browse_products.php is the site I look at frequently to check up on ingredients to see if they are safe or not. I still have other products that I don't use because of bad ingredients, they're just sitting under my sink cabinet. I want to sell or give them away.

Right now, I only use 3-4 products and those products have some harmful ingredients in them but my hair likes them. Here are the hamrful ingredients they have:

Elasta QP Creme Conditioning Shampoo: even though it's free of SLS,SLES,ALS, nor ALES... it contains harmful ingredients like DMDM Hydantoin, Fragrance, & FD&C Color pigments.

Clairol Herbal Essence Fruit Frusions Hydrating Conditioner: Dimethicone, Fragrance, Benzyl Alcohol, & color pigments

Citre Shine Gel: Dimethicone, Disodium EDTA, DMDM Hydantoin, & Fragrance

Most of these ingredients are at the bottom of the ingredient list of each product. This is what I wonder...can they still be harmful even with little amounts of them in a product???

OnPoint said:

This is interesting. How do you know which products contain these parabens? Is it listed as one of the ingredients? Could you make a list of things we should look out for. Thanks in advance.

Click to expand...

tal said:

Yes, perhaps another thread should be started with a more distinctive title, identifying those ingredients which are carcinogenic. This would be extremely helpful for younger and older members alike.

Click to expand...

Parabens are usually the end of the chemical, such as methylparaben and butylparaben. Informations carcinogenic ingredients are in the links I posted.

poohbear said:

Most of these ingredients are at the bottom of the ingredient list of each product. This is what I wonder...can they still be harmful even with little amounts of them in a product???

Click to expand...

Just because it's at the end of the list doesn't mean there isn't alot. For example: if there conditioner has 20% water, 15% glycerin, 14% Aloe extra, and 7% methylparaben, 5% butylparaben, and 3% propylparaben. They would be listed in that order, but in actuality there is 15% parabens in the product; more paraben than aloe. Another thing is the fact that we use alot of products that contain parabens everyday. So on wash day, for example I would use therapee/CON, humectress, lekair, s-curl. All those have multiple parabens in each. It really doesn't take alot of chemicals to have a significant effect on the body. Think of a birth control pill or a B-vitamin, only a few mcg or mg is require to change the way the body operates.

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.

Don’t see your cosmetics company here? Want to know if your product contains parabens? Here are some steps to take:

Find out which company makes the product you use. See if they have an ingredient list available on the product itself or on the company’s web site.
Try emailing or calling the company and asking them if your product contains parabens.
If you find a cosmetics company that is completely paraben-free, let us know!
Keep in mind that if a company is not forthcoming with the information you seek, you may want to purchase your products from another company.

Here are some companies that do not use parabens for preservation, but instead use other procedures, packaging choices, and ingredients to achieve product stability:

Agoo Agii
Alexandra Avery
Amúrie Toxic-Free Products
Aubrey Organics Skin, Body & Hair Care Products
Barefoot Botanicals
Blue Moon Herbals & Aromatics
Botanical Skin Works
Burt’s Bees
Crystalux Personal Care Products
Doc Hills Natural Skin Care
Dr. Hauschka
Earths Beauty Cosmetics
Eco-Beauty Organics
InerQi (inner chi) Toxic Free Body Care
Integral Sense
Kettle Care Herbal Body Products
Larénim
Living Nature Products
Logona Cosmetics
Martina Gebhardt Naturkosmetiks
Max Green Alchemy
MyChelle Dermaceuticals
Natural Solutions–Holistic Beauty & Health
Naturopathica
One Group
Organic Essentials Skincare (and Nutritional Product)
Organic Excellence Hair Care Products
Rainforest Organics Natural Soap Co.
Real Purity Cosmetics
Restored Balance Herbal Products
Saje Natural Wellness
Santé Kosmetics
Suki's Naturals
Sumbody
Super Salve Company
Susan's Soaps & More Natural Skin Care Products
Terressentials
Tom's of Maine
WELEDA
Wood Sprite Natural Body
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.

The following is a list of companies that have contacted BCA to confirm that they do not use phthalates in their products:

Agoo Agii
Alexandra Avery
Amúrie Toxic-Free Products
Aubrey Organics Skin, Body & Hair Care Products
Blue Moon Herbals & Aromatics
Botanical Skin Works
Crystalux Personal Care Products
Doc Hills Natural Skin Care
Eco-Beauty Organics
Honeybee Gardens
Integral Sense
Larénim
Max Green Alchemy
MyChelle Dermaceuticals
Naturopathica
Rainforest Organics Natural Soap Co.
Saje Natural Wellness
Suki's Naturals
Sumbody
Super Salve Company
Susan's Soaps & More Natural Skin Care Products
Terressentials
Tom's of Maine
WELEDA
Wood Sprite Natural Body

More about Phthalates

Not Too Pretty: Phthalates, Beauty Products and the FDA

Five percent of the 20 to 40 year old women tested by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), are getting up to 45 times more phthalates (pronounced tha-lates) than previous daily intake estimates and they are at levels of concern. While the CDC found evidence of phthalates in virtually every one of the cross-section of Americans tested, evidence of the highest levels of exposure to the phthalate DBP (dibutyl phthalate) were found in women of childbearing age.

What are phthalates?
Phthalates are a family of industrial chemicals that are used as a plastic softeners or solvents in many different consumer products. They can be absorbed through the skin, inhaled as fumes, ingested when they contaminate food or when children bite or suck on toys, and are inadvertently but directly administered to patients from some PVC (polyvinyl chloride or vinyl) medical devices.

Phthalates are dangerous.
Hundreds of animal studies have demonstrated that phthalates can damage the liver, the kidneys, the lungs and the reproductive system, especially the developing testes. Some patients who receive treatment using PVC medical devices softened with phthalates have developed the same health problems that animal studies show come from exposure to these chemicals. Other health problems seen in animal studies have never been looked for in people. But scientists in the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Health Canada and the National Institutes of Health's Toxicology Program agree that animal studies predict that phthalates can be dangerous to humans.

Where are these phthalates coming from?
Why do women between the age of 20 to 40 years have higher levels of dibutyl-phthalate (DBP) in their bodies than anyone else? We don't know for sure, but government databases state that DBP is used in cosmetics, toys, flooring, adhesives, wallpaper, furniture, raincoats and shower curtains. So cosmetics and other personal care products seem the most likely reason that women would be more exposed than anyone else. While more than 5,000 beauty and personal care products for women can be found on a drug store website, phthalates are only listed as an ingredient on some nail polishes. Could nail polish be the only source?

To answer that question, Health Care Without Harm, the Environmental Working Group and Coming Clean recently released "Not Too Pretty," a report that outlines the harmful effects of aggregate exposure to phthalates and discusses human exposures. [link to the report] The report tested popular fragrances, hair sprays and deodorants purchased from four drug stores. To see which brands were tested and which ones tested positively for phthalates click [here].

The testing done for Not Too Pretty covers less than one percent of the beauty products sold in drug and discount stores across the United States. But it appears to be the most comprehensive phthalate testing ever made available to American consumers. Because the FDA has not mandated and enforced a strict labeling requirement, we cannot know if there are 5 or 50 or 500 more beauty products that contain unlabeled quantities of phthalates.

These exposures to phthalates are unnecessary because alternatives are available. For virtually every single product that contains phthalates there are phthalate-free products on the market that perform just as well. The limited testing done for Not Too Pretty revealed that the same big companies that produce phthalate-laden beauty products also make products free of phthalates.

What can you do?
We can't protect ourselves unless we get manufacturers and the government to change. The FDA and the cosmetic industry need to stop living in a make-believe world where people are exposed to single chemicals, one at a time. We need public policies that recognize how, in the real world, exposures from many products are adding up. Cosmetic, food-containing and medical products that contain phthalates must be labeled and manufacturers should publicly pledge to voluntarily remove phthalates as quickly as they can.

American Products

Phthalates are virtually everywhere. Deodorants, car seats, hair spray, IV bags, perfume, vinyl flooring, wallpaper, and siding all contain phthalates. Some of the leading beauty manufactures use phthalates in their products -- such as Pantene Pro V "Healthy Hold" and Aqua Net hair sprays, Arrid and Degree deodorants, many fragrances including Poison by Christian Dior and Coty's Healing Garden contain phthalates, as well as Cover Girl, Sally Hansen and Maybelline (L'Oreal) nail polishes. However, for every ubiquitous use, there are readily available alternatives that are already in use.

The chart outlines products that were tested for phthalates. Because of lax FDA labeling rules, we cannot know if there 5, 50 or 500 more beauty products that contain unlabeled quantities of phthalates. So just because you don't see your favorite product on the list doesn't necessarily mean it's phthalate free. We encourage you to check with the manufacturer.

Contains Phthalates Phthalate Free

HAIRSPRAY
Contains Phthalates
Aqua Net Professional Hair Spray
Herbal Essences Non Aerosol Hairspray
Jheri Redding Finishers Flexible Hold Hairspray
Pantene Pro V Strong Hold Spray
Pantene Pro V Stronghold Healthy Hold Spray
Rave 4x Mega
Redken Cat Finishing Spritz
Salon Selectives Hold Tight Style Freeze Maximum Hold Finishing Spray
Sebastian Collection Shaper Plus
Suave Maximum Hold Hairspray Unscented, non-aerosol
Suave Naturals Extra Flexible Hold Non Aerosol Hairspray Freesia
TRESemme European Freeze-Hold Hair Spray
VO5 Crystal Clear 14 Hour Hold
Vidal Sassoon Microfine Mist Hair Spray, Aerosol

HAIRSPRAY
Phthalate Free
Aussie Mega Styling Spray
Helene Curtis Finesse Touchables Silk Protein Enriched
Helene Curtis Thermasilk Heat Activated Firm Hairspray
Suave Naturals Aloe Vera Extra Hold Hairspray


DEODORANTS
Contains Phthalates
Arrid Extra Extra Dry Maximum Strength Solid
Arrid Extra Extra Dry Ultra Clear Ultra Clean Spray
Arrid Extra Extra Dry Ultra Clear Ultra Fresh Spray
Ban Delicate Powder Roll On
Degree Original Solid Anti-Perspirant & Deodorant
Dove Solid Anti-Perspirant Deodorant
Secret Sheer Dry Regular
Secret: Powder Fresh Aerosol
Sure Clear Dry Anti-Perspirant & Deodorant

DEODORANTS
Phthalate Free
Certain Dri Anti-Perspirant Roll-On
Dove Powder Anti-Perspirant Deodorant
Lady Speed Stick Soft Solid Anti-Perspirant
Secret Anti-Perspirant & Deodorant Platinum Protection Ambition Scent
Soft & Dri Anti-Perspirant Deodorant Clear Gel


FRAGRANCES
Contains Phthalates
Calgon Hawaiian Ginger Body Mist
Calgon Turquoise Seas Body Lotion
Charlie Cologne Spray
Escape by Calvin Klein
Eternity by Calvin Klein
Fire & Ice Cologne Spray
Freedom
Jovan White Musk
Lancome Paris Tresor
Liz Claiborne Eau De Toilette Spray
Oscar
Parfums de Coeur White Tahitian Ginger Fantasy
Poison by Christian Dior
Red Door
The Healing Garden Pure Joy Body Treatment
White Diamonds Elizabeth Taylor
Wind Song Extraordinary Cologne by Prince Matchabelli

FRAGRANCES
Phthalate Free
All of the fragrances we tested contained phthalates


HAIR GEL
Contains Phthalates
Clairol Herbal Essences Natural Volume Body Boosting Gel
Dep Level 4 Shine Gel
LA Looks Styling Gel: Extra Super Hold
Suave Naturals Ocean Breeze Extra Control Spray Gel
TRESemme European Slick Melting Gel
Pantene Pro V Spray Gel Volumizing Root Lifter


HAIR GEL
Phthalate Free
Physique Extra Control Structuring Gel


HAIR MOUSSE
Contains Phthalates
Aussie Megahold Mousse
Clairol Herbal Essences Styling Mousse Maximum Hold
Helene Curtis Salon Selectives Rise Up Volumizing Mousse
Pantene Pro V Mousse Body Builder

HAIR MOUSSE
Phthalate Free
Finesse Touchables Silk Protein Enriched Mousse
Helene Curtis Thermasilk Heat Activated Mousse for Fine/Thin Hair
L'Oreal Paris Studio Line: Springing Curls Mousse



NAIL POLISH
Contains Phthalates
Avon beComing Radiant Long Last Nail Gloss
Cover Girl NailSlicks
Maybelline Express Finish Fast-Dry Nail Enamel
Maybelline Ultimate Wear Nail Enamel
Naturistics Super Shine Nail Gloss
Oil of Olay Nail Laquer
OPI Nail Laquer
Orly Salon Nails French Manicure
Orly Salon Nails Nail Color
Sally Hansen Chrome Nail Makeup
Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Nail Polish
Sally Hansen Hard as Nails With Nylon Nail Polish
Sally Hansen Teflon Tuff Nail Color
Tropez Nail Enamel
Wet N Wild Crystalic Calcium Enriched Nail Color
Wet N Wild Nail Color

NAIL POLISH
Phthalate Free
Kiss Colors Nail Polish
L'Oreal Jet Set Nail Enamel
L'Oreal Jet-Set Quick Dry Nail Enamel
Maybelline Shades of Your Nail Color
Naturistics 90 Second Dry! Super Fast Nail Color
Revlon Nail Enamel
Revlon Super Top Speed
Urban Decay



HAND AND BODY LOTION
Contains Phthalates
Jergens Skincare Original Scent Lotion
Nivea Creme

HAND AND BODY LOTION
Phthalate Free
Curel Soothing Hands Moisturizing Hand Lotion
Eucerin Dry Skin Therapy Original Moisturizing Lotion
Lubriderm Skin Therapy Moisturizing Lotion
Neutrogena Hand Cream
Suave Naturals Sun Ripened Moisturizing Body Lotion
Vaseline Intensive Care Advanced Healing
Vaseline Intensive Care Dry Skin Lotion

European Products


HAIRSPRAY
Contains Phthalates
Boots Hair spray: Essentials Natural Hold Hair gel: Stuff Rok
L’Oreal Hair spray: Elnett Satin
Lever Fabergé Hair gel: Finesse Gel
Procter & Gamble Hair spray: Pantene Pro-V Extra Hold
Procter & Gamble Hair spray: Vidal Sassoon
Wella AG Hair spray: Wella Super Strong

HAIRSPRAY
Phthalate Free
All of the hairsprays we tested contained phthalates


DEODORANTS
Contains Phthalates
ACO Hud AB Deodorant: ACO snabbtorkande
Beiersdorf Deodorant: Nivea "deo compact"
Cederroth AB Deodorant: Bats, extra effektiv
Lever Fabergé Deodorant: Degree Fresh
Lever Fabergé Deodorant: Rexona 24 hr intensive
Lever Fabergé Deodorant: Dove Original
Lever Fabergé Deodorant: Impulse Oxygen
Lever Fabergé Deodorant: Sure Ultra Cotton Fresh
NOIRO Deodorant: Herbina antiperspirant
The Body Shop Deodorant: Aloe Vera

DEODORANTS
Phthalate Free
All of the deodorants we tested contained phthalates


FRAGRANCES
Contains Phthalates
Chanel Perfume: Chanel no 5
Christian Dior Perfume: Poison
L’Oreal Perfume: Lancome Tresor
Tommy Hilfiger Perfume: Tommy Girl
Unilever Perfume: Calvin Klein Eternity

FRAGRANCES
Phthalate Free
All of the fragrances we tested contained phthalates


HAIR GEL
Contains Phthalates
None of the hair gels we tested contained phthalates


HAIR GEL
Phthalate Free
Boots: Stuff Rok
Coop Hair gel: Blavitt Hargel
L’Oreal: Hair gel: Studio Line
Proctor and Gamble Hair gel: Pantene Pro-V Classic
Wella AG Hair gel: Shockwaves
Wella AG Hair gel: Wella Styling Gel


HAIR MOUSSE
Contains Phthalates
Boots Hair mousse: Essentials
L’Oreal Hair mousse: Studio Line
Lever Fabergé Hair mousse: Fructis
Lever Fabergé Hair mousse: Finesse
Wella AG Hair mousse: Wella Volume
Wella AG Hair mousse: Shockwaves



HAIR MOUSSE
Phthalate Free
Proctor and Gamble Hair mousse: Pantene Pro-V

ALLANTOIN

Is an antibiotic, and can therefore impair the balance of bacteria naturally present in the skin.





BETAINE (Trimethylglycine)
This compound is also produced by the body, to aid in the metabolism of homocysteine.





BUTYLENE GLYCOL

Butylene glycol has neuropharmacological properties, but is not considered carcinogenic





BUTYLPARABEN

Butylparaben has an adverse effect on the secretion of testosterone and on the function of the male reproductive system. Of the parabens, butyl- and isobutylparaben are most toxic.

The parabens are preservatives that may irritate your skin and can cause allergic reactions.





CANDELILLA
Candelilla is considered safe for cosmetic use but can cause skin appendages





CETEARETH

Ceteareths are the polyethylene glycol (PEG) ethers of Cetearyl Alcohol.

Ceteareth 15 can irritate the skin.





CETEARETH 20 (Eumulgin B3, polyoxyethylene cetylstearyl ether)

Doesn't affect the lipid layer of the skin, but it does increase the absorption of accompanying ingredients into the skin, so these need to be harmless. It may also irritate the skin.





CETEARYL ALCOHOL

It increases viscosity of the product. It is practically non-toxic, but may cause slight skin irritation in some





CETIOL HE

Disturbs the lipid layer of the skin.





CETYL ALCOHOL

It increases viscosity of the product. Practically non-toxic, but may cause slight skin irritation in some





CHLORINE
Likely irritates the skin. Accelerates aging of the skin.





COLOR PIGMENTS (FD & C)
Many color pigments are carcinogenic and cause skin sensitivity and irritation. Certain colors can cause death of skin cells, accelerating the aging process.





CYCLOPENTASILOXANE

Cyclopentasiloxane is a silicone compound. In animals, low amounts already affected uterine functioning.





DIETHANOLAMINE (DEA)

DEA is usually listed on the ingredient label in conjunction with the compound being neutralized. Thus look for names like Cocamide DEA, Lauramide DEA, etc. It may interfere with your hormone levels.





DISODIUM EDTA

Is is mildly toxic, but considered safe.





DMDM HYDANTOIN
May cause skin irritations (and irritate the respiratory system and trigger heart palpitations) and (indirectly, by triggering formaldehyde release) cause allergies, depression, headaches, chest pains, ear infections, chronic fatigue, dizziness and loss of sleep, trigger asthma and weaken the immune system.





EUMULGIN B3 (Ceteareth 20, polyoxyethylene cetylstearyl ether)

Doesn't affect the lipid layer of the skin, but it does increase the absorption of accompanying ingredients into the skin, so these need to be harmless. It may also irritate the skin.





ESCULIN
Esculin is not okay because it has water-retaining properties (and therefore they claim it has anti-stretchmark properties)





FRAGRANCE
Many of the compounds in fragrance are toxic. Fragrance may contain up to 4,000 separate ingredients. Symptoms reported to the FDA have included rashes, skin discoloration and allergic skin irritation. Exposure to fragrances can affect the central nervous system.





GLYCERIN

Both natural and synthetic glycerin are completely harmless





HISTIDINE HYDROCHLORIDE
histidine hydrochloride has toxic properties and is also a growth factor, and can therefore enhance prexisting skin tumours





HYALURONATE SODIUM (Hyalgan, SL-1010)

It has anti-inflammatory properties, and is injected to relieve joint pain (in patients with osteoarthritis). Like corticosteroids, it may cause water retention.





IMIDAZOLIDINYL UREA
May cause skin irritations (and irritate the respiratory system and trigger heart palpitations) and (indirectly, by triggering formaldehyde release) cause allergies, depression, headaches, chest pains, ear infections, chronic fatigue, dizziness and loss of sleep, trigger asthma and weaken the immune system.





ISOBUTYLPARABEN

Of the parabens, Butyl- and Isobutylparaben are most toxic.





ISOPROPYL ALCOHOL
inhalation may cause headaches, flushing, dizziness, mental depression, nausea vomiting, narcosis and even coma.





ISOSTEARYL ALCOHOL

It increases viscosity of the product. Doesn't cause skin irritations





JOJOBA OIL / ESTERS

Jojoba oil has slightly toxic properties, but doesn't irritate the skin, except in those that have had eczema before.





JOJOBA WAX

Jojoba-wax is completely hydrogenated jojoba-oil, and hydrogenation may cause harmful fatty acids (check out this page). Jojoba oil has slightly toxic properties, but doesn't irritate the skin, except in those that have had eczema before.





LECITHIN
Lecithin from different sources can elicit allergic / asthma like reactions, and one should therefore carefully monitor one's skin's reaction





METHYLPARABEN (Methyl parahydroxybenzoate)

It is a preservative that may irritate your skin.

A mixture of methyl-, ethyl- and propylparaben exacerbates prexcisting skin complaints.

Methylparaben sodium can affect the activity of B12.





MINERAL OIL
Baby oil is 100% mineral oil. This ingredient coats the skin just like plastic wrap and therefore inhibits the skin's ability to release toxins.





MYRISTYL ALCOHOL

It increases viscosity of the product. Practically non-toxic, but may cause mild skin irritation in some





MOMOETHANOLAMINE (MEA)

MEA is usually listed on the ingredient label in conjunction with the compound being neutralized. Thus look for names like Cocamide MEA, Lauramide MEA, etc. It may interfere with your hormone levels.





OCTYL METHOXCINNAMATE
Octyl Methoxcinnamate stimulates the creation of a 'perfect' (ídeal submicron-) emulsion, and isn't toxic (in these low amounts)

OCTYL SALICYLATE

Octyl salicylate seems to be safe in concentrations below 30%





ORYZANOL
Oryzanol seems not to be carcinogenic (and is considered an 'antioxidant'), but it (though metabolized) does influence your triglyceride (and cholesterol) levels, which is unnacceptable in my view.





PANTHENOL

Panthenol is a so called pro-vitamin (which means that it may be converted into a vitamin by the body, just as beta-carotene may get converted into vitamin A, or cholesterol into vitamin D)
Panthenol may get converted into pantothenic acid (vitamin B5)




PARABEN (Butyl-, Isobutyl-, Ethyl-, Methyl- and Propyl parahydroxybenzoate)

They are preservatives that may irritate your skin and can cause allergic reactions.

A mixture of methyl-, ethyl- and propylparaben exacerbates prexcisting skin complaints.

Butyl- and isobutyl-parabens are more toxic than propyl- and isopropyl-parabens, and ethyl- and methyl-parabens and p-hydroxybenzoic acid are less toxic than propyl-paraben.





PHENOXYETHANOL (Phenoxetol, 2-phenoxyethanol)

Its a practically non-toxic preservative, but also a hospital disinfectant and an anesthetic (on fish), and is rapidly absorbed into the skin. It is neurotoxic in high doses.





(Color) PIGMENTS (FD & C)
Many color pigments are carcinogenic and cause skin sensitivity and irritation. Certain colors can cause death of skin cells, accelerating the aging process.





PLANKTON EXTRACT

May contain high copper levels and arsenic compounds (and dimethylsulphoxide)




POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL (PEG)

It strips your skin, and therefore causes dehydration and accelerates the aging process.





POLYOXYETHYLENE CETYLSTEARYL ETHER (Ceteareth 20, Eumulgin B3)

Doesn't affect the lipid layer of the skin, but it does increase the absorption of accompanying ingredients into the skin, so these need to be harmless. It may also irritate the skin.





POLYOXYETHYLENE SORBITAN MONOLAURATE (Polysorbate-20)

It retards the absorption of some accompanying chemicals in the skin, which is good. It is however mildly toxic and may cause skin irritation in some. It can induce present skin tumours.





POLYSORBATE-20 (polyoxyethylene sorbitan monolaurate, Tween 20)

It retards the absorption of some accompanying chemicals in the skin, which is good. It is however mildly toxic and may cause skin irritation in some. It can induce present skin tumours.





PROPOLIS
Propolis influences your triglyceride (and cholesterol) levels, which is unnacceptable in my view.





PROPYLENE GLYCOL (PG)
It breaks down skincells, and therefore accelerates the aging process.





PROPYLPARABEN

A preservative that may irritate your skin. Propylparaben has an adverse effect on the secretion of testosterone and on the function of the male reproductive system.

Bacteria readily adapt to propylparaben. Propylparaben is more extensively absorbed than other parabens.





SEA BUCKTHORN (Hippophae)

Contains flavones (with different bio-active properties, incl. anti-inflammatory), and can contain thigh levels of toxic metals (zinc, lead, cadmium, iron).





SEAWEED

Contains anti-mutagenic flavonoids, which may have pro-mutagenic properties themselves. May contain high levels of toxic metals (zinc, lead, cadmium, iron).





SODIUM HYALURONATE (Hyalgan, SL-1010)

It has anti-inflammatory properties, and is injected to relieve joint pain (in patients with osteoarthritis). Like corticosteroids, it may cause water retention.





SODIUM LAURYL SULFATE (SLS)

SODIUM LAURETH SULFATE (SLES)
Breaks down cells, accelerating the aging process. May also cause skin irritation and may be damaging to the skin's immune system. SLS easily penetrates the skin and reaches internal organs, maintaining residual levels in the heart, the liver, the lungs and the brain.





STEARIC ACID

Stearic acid is a completely harmless, natural fatty acid





SUCROSE DISTEARATE

Sucrose Distearate is a sucrose ester, used as an insectiside, and not totally harmless





TOCOPHEROL (Vitamin E)
A too high level of vitamin E (the tocopherol family) accelerates shedding of the skin, which is not good





TRIETHANOLAMINE (TEA)
TEA may interfere with your hormone levels.





ULVA LACTUCA

This algae may contain high levels of toxic metals (manganese, iron, zinc, cadmium, copper).





WATERCRESS EXTRACT

Watercress contains flavonoids with anti-mutagenic properties, but that isn't necessarily good, as they can elicit pro-mutagenic (DNA-damaging) properties themselves.





XANTHAN GUM
Xanthan Gum increases the uptake of accompanying chemicals into the skin

Oh no! My body lotion has 3 types of parabens in it!!! and Arrid XX is the only deodorant that works for me!!!

Thanks mzjones for your response and thanks Annakei for posting that extra info!

Geez! I'm just gonna eventually use only water and nothing else!!!

NOOOOOOOO!!!!! SAY IT AINT SO!!! I have reaaallly dry hair. (really dry) and CON has saved it. I love Nexxus Humectress AND Keracare Humecto.. WHYYYY I thought I found my staples.. I really really did.. but i guess youre right: health before hair does anyone have a substitute for thses things? I also need a new hair grease... HELP

Thanks Annakei I just did a yahoo search last week for a "Natural nail polish" Great info

Annakei said:

American Products

Phthalates are virtually everywhere. Deodorants, car seats, hair spray, IV bags, perfume, vinyl flooring, wallpaper, and siding all contain phthalates. Some of the leading beauty manufactures use phthalates in their products -- such as Pantene Pro V "Healthy Hold" and Aqua Net hair sprays, Arrid and Degree deodorants, many fragrances including Poison by Christian Dior and Coty's Healing Garden contain phthalates, as well as Cover Girl, Sally Hansen and Maybelline (L'Oreal) nail polishes. However, for every ubiquitous use, there are readily available alternatives that are already in use.

The chart outlines products that were tested for phthalates. Because of lax FDA labeling rules, we cannot know if there 5, 50 or 500 more beauty products that contain unlabeled quantities of phthalates. So just because you don't see your favorite product on the list doesn't necessarily mean it's phthalate free. We encourage you to check with the manufacturer.

Contains Phthalates Phthalate Free

HAIRSPRAY
Contains Phthalates
Aqua Net Professional Hair Spray
Herbal Essences Non Aerosol Hairspray
Jheri Redding Finishers Flexible Hold Hairspray
Pantene Pro V Strong Hold Spray
Pantene Pro V Stronghold Healthy Hold Spray
Rave 4x Mega
Redken Cat Finishing Spritz
Salon Selectives Hold Tight Style Freeze Maximum Hold Finishing Spray
Sebastian Collection Shaper Plus
Suave Maximum Hold Hairspray Unscented, non-aerosol
Suave Naturals Extra Flexible Hold Non Aerosol Hairspray Freesia
TRESemme European Freeze-Hold Hair Spray
VO5 Crystal Clear 14 Hour Hold
Vidal Sassoon Microfine Mist Hair Spray, Aerosol

HAIRSPRAY
Phthalate Free
Aussie Mega Styling Spray
Helene Curtis Finesse Touchables Silk Protein Enriched
Helene Curtis Thermasilk Heat Activated Firm Hairspray
Suave Naturals Aloe Vera Extra Hold Hairspray


DEODORANTS
Contains Phthalates
Arrid Extra Extra Dry Maximum Strength Solid
Arrid Extra Extra Dry Ultra Clear Ultra Clean Spray
Arrid Extra Extra Dry Ultra Clear Ultra Fresh Spray
Ban Delicate Powder Roll On
Degree Original Solid Anti-Perspirant & Deodorant
Dove Solid Anti-Perspirant Deodorant
Secret Sheer Dry Regular
Secret: Powder Fresh Aerosol
Sure Clear Dry Anti-Perspirant & Deodorant

DEODORANTS
Phthalate Free
Certain Dri Anti-Perspirant Roll-On
Dove Powder Anti-Perspirant Deodorant
Lady Speed Stick Soft Solid Anti-Perspirant
Secret Anti-Perspirant & Deodorant Platinum Protection Ambition Scent
Soft & Dri Anti-Perspirant Deodorant Clear Gel


FRAGRANCES
Contains Phthalates
Calgon Hawaiian Ginger Body Mist
Calgon Turquoise Seas Body Lotion
Charlie Cologne Spray
Escape by Calvin Klein
Eternity by Calvin Klein
Fire & Ice Cologne Spray
Freedom
Jovan White Musk
Lancome Paris Tresor
Liz Claiborne Eau De Toilette Spray
Oscar
Parfums de Coeur White Tahitian Ginger Fantasy
Poison by Christian Dior
Red Door
The Healing Garden Pure Joy Body Treatment
White Diamonds Elizabeth Taylor
Wind Song Extraordinary Cologne by Prince Matchabelli

FRAGRANCES
Phthalate Free
All of the fragrances we tested contained phthalates


HAIR GEL
Contains Phthalates
Clairol Herbal Essences Natural Volume Body Boosting Gel
Dep Level 4 Shine Gel
LA Looks Styling Gel: Extra Super Hold
Suave Naturals Ocean Breeze Extra Control Spray Gel
TRESemme European Slick Melting Gel
Pantene Pro V Spray Gel Volumizing Root Lifter


HAIR GEL
Phthalate Free
Physique Extra Control Structuring Gel


HAIR MOUSSE
Contains Phthalates
Aussie Megahold Mousse
Clairol Herbal Essences Styling Mousse Maximum Hold
Helene Curtis Salon Selectives Rise Up Volumizing Mousse
Pantene Pro V Mousse Body Builder

HAIR MOUSSE
Phthalate Free
Finesse Touchables Silk Protein Enriched Mousse
Helene Curtis Thermasilk Heat Activated Mousse for Fine/Thin Hair
L'Oreal Paris Studio Line: Springing Curls Mousse



NAIL POLISH
Contains Phthalates
Avon beComing Radiant Long Last Nail Gloss
Cover Girl NailSlicks
Maybelline Express Finish Fast-Dry Nail Enamel
Maybelline Ultimate Wear Nail Enamel
Naturistics Super Shine Nail Gloss
Oil of Olay Nail Laquer
OPI Nail Laquer
Orly Salon Nails French Manicure
Orly Salon Nails Nail Color
Sally Hansen Chrome Nail Makeup
Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Nail Polish
Sally Hansen Hard as Nails With Nylon Nail Polish
Sally Hansen Teflon Tuff Nail Color
Tropez Nail Enamel
Wet N Wild Crystalic Calcium Enriched Nail Color
Wet N Wild Nail Color

NAIL POLISH
Phthalate Free
Kiss Colors Nail Polish
L'Oreal Jet Set Nail Enamel
L'Oreal Jet-Set Quick Dry Nail Enamel
Maybelline Shades of Your Nail Color
Naturistics 90 Second Dry! Super Fast Nail Color
Revlon Nail Enamel
Revlon Super Top Speed
Urban Decay



HAND AND BODY LOTION
Contains Phthalates
Jergens Skincare Original Scent Lotion
Nivea Creme

HAND AND BODY LOTION
Phthalate Free
Curel Soothing Hands Moisturizing Hand Lotion
Eucerin Dry Skin Therapy Original Moisturizing Lotion
Lubriderm Skin Therapy Moisturizing Lotion
Neutrogena Hand Cream
Suave Naturals Sun Ripened Moisturizing Body Lotion
Vaseline Intensive Care Advanced Healing
Vaseline Intensive Care Dry Skin Lotion

Click to expand...

I was shocked to see that Jason hair and skin products are on this list since they are supposed to be almost natural and are sold at the Health food stores.

tal said:

I wish someone would look at the dominican products many of us are purchasing and let us know which contain carcinogenic ingredients. I can't even see the ingredients let alone interpret them when they are large enough to read.

Click to expand...

I did notice that formaldehyde was in a dominican shampoo I recently purchased. I am not using this product.

I noticed how my hair responds better to ALL NATURAL PRODUCTS or products from The Vitamin Shoppe as opposed to Salon and Professional products or drugstore items. I thinkg I am about to do some major changes to my hair regimen----again!!! Looks like I am moving in the direction of ALL NATURAL PRODUCTS !

My hair responds better to all natural ingredients too.

taraglam2 said:

I noticed how my hair responds better to ALL NATURAL PRODUCTS or products from The Vitamin Shoppe as opposed to Salon and Professional products or drugstore items. I thinkg I am about to do some major changes to my hair regimen----again!!! Looks like I am moving in the direction of ALL NATURAL PRODUCTS !

Click to expand...

Yeah, I had read that about Jason products awhile ago & I never tried them because of this.

Lucia said:

I was shocked to see that Jason hair and skin products are on this list since they are supposed to be almost natural and are sold at the Health food stores.

Click to expand...

taraglam2 said:

I noticed how my hair responds better to ALL NATURAL PRODUCTS or products from The Vitamin Shoppe as opposed to Salon and Professional products or drugstore items. I thinkg I am about to do some major changes to my hair regimen----again!!! Looks like I am moving in the direction of ALL NATURAL PRODUCTS !

Click to expand...

i'm moving in this direction too with not only hair products but with all personal care products.

Thanks so much Mz Jones for this thread. I copied and pasted the list of bad products onto Microsoft Word and printed it out for my mom and sisters. I have used about 15 of those products in the past 6 months. Some of which I have been using on a regular basis like the Motions Silk Protein, Suave Clarifying Shampoo, Nexxus products, CON Shampoo (used almost 4 times a week), CON conditioner, etc. I am going to clean out my closet today. I will be on the lookout for carcinogenic ingredients in my personal care products as well. Lord knows I loved some Vaseline to remove eye makeup. Better late than never.

EDITED TO ADD: Here are some products that I went through and got rid of that were in my closet, containing parabens (every last one contains them). These are not on the list Mz Jones provided, nor on any other ones I have seen:

-Elasta QP Mango Butter
-Motions Nourish Leave-In
-Neutrogena Triple Moisture Silk-Touch Leave In
-Neutrogena Triple Moisture Foam Leave-in
-Neutrogena Triple Moisture Cream Lather Shampoo and Daily Deep Conditioner
-Loreal Vive Nutri-Force Conditioner
-Avalon Salon Organics Lavender Nourishing Conditioner (this one tripped me out...I thought it was safe since it was 100% vegetarian extracts)
-Smooth N' Shine Extra Hold Conditioning Gel
-Allways Natural Super Gro Conditioning Hairdress (Maximum Formula)
-Dark N' Lovely Healthy Shine Oil Sheen

Thank goodness my Herbal Essences didn't contain any. I had to practically empty my stash of hair products. What a waste...but my health is more important.