Complete Information about the Harmful and Desirable Ingredients in Cosmeticsand Cosmeceuticals
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Complete Information about the Harmful and Desirable Ingredients in Cosmeticsand Cosmeceuticals
A Consumer’s Dictionary of Cosmetic Ingredients by Ruth Winters is not written as a comprehensive publication to explain the process of creating your favorite shampoo or deodorant. It is a dictionary of ingredients. This book was initially created during a time when we, as a society, were beginning to explore cause and effect, of environmental toxicity and we were attempting to become better-informed consumers. That was in 1978. This book is now in its sixth edition, released in 2005. We continue to strive toward that goal.
The author offers both an introduction and explanation for those who are exploring this topic for the first time. As she explains, “Cosmetics have always been a low priority at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), but now its regulatory powers have been weakened to the point where they are almost nonexistent.” It was initially thought by those who could have sheltered us with regulations that our skin would protect us from risks associated with chemicals and topical applications. That was back when we naively played with mercury and other hazards.
Being very interested in mercury I read the mercury and mercuric compounds entries first and followed the recommendation to read about calomel. Calomel is mercurous chloride, a “white, odorless, tasteless, heavy powder used in bleach and freckle creams. It slowly decays in sunlight into mercuric chloride and metallic mercury.” Although the FDA banned (1973) the use of mercury in cosmetics, a mercury-containing beauty cream was discovered in stores and flea markets in Texas and New Mexico as late as 1996. This created quite a lot of awareness and as a result, public concern managed to get this product removed. The lesson here is to know your ingredients.
In 1997 the General Accounting Office identified 125 ingredients found in cosmetics that were suspected of causing cancer. Screening for cancer-causing ingredients in animals does not always detect cancer-causing ingredients. Currently my generation is providing income for a lot of beauticians and hair coloring products—please, ma’am, wash that gray away. (I hope they invest some of that income into insurance.) She points out that beauticians are the “canaries” for risks associated with hair coloring products. The author has just scared the hair color right off of my head, regardless of how old I will look. In her introduction she states that:
“Male hairdressers had an increased incidence of cancer, particularly of the digestive tract, lung, colon, prostate, and bladder.
“Female hairdressers and cosmetologists had an increased risk of cancer of the pancreas, lung, cervix, skin, and bladder and possibly the breast.
“Female hairdressers, Michigan State researchers found, were at higher risks of developing a rare form of cancer of the salivary gland. The salivary glands secrete saliva in the mouth, which aids digestion. The researchers could not explain why hairdressers are more prone to these cancers but suspect it may be due to inhaled exposure to hair sprays or hair dyes.”
Ruth Winter (Author)
Paperback: 576 pages
Publisher: Three Rivers Press (CA); 6 Rev Upd edition (22 Mar 2005)
Language English
ISBN-10: 1400052335
ISBN-13: 978-1400052332
