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number of cosmetic products are made up of ingredients that could be harmful
to your health. Since the FDA has not set standards for the safety testing
of cosmetics, it's up to you to be your own watchdog.
 Following
are seven ingredients that should be on everyone's alert list:
Alpha-Hydroxy Acids
- Found In: Moisturizers, toners, cleansers, masks, age-spot
removers
- Cause for Alarm: AHAs are known for accelerating the exfoliation
of dead skin cells. But they can also increase the skin's sensitivity
to the sun by as much as 50 percent, leaving you exposed to accelerated
skin aging and the possibility of skin cancer.
- Safe Bet: AHAs are best used at a concentration that is less
than 10 percent.
Formaldehyde
- Found In: Nail polish, shampoos, soaps, skin creams.
- Cause for Alarm: This potentially irritating preservative
can be absorbed into the skin and cause allergic reactions, headaches,
even asthma. The ingredient, if listed at all, is often referred to
as formalin. Its use in cosmetics is banned in Japan and Sweden.
- Safe Bet: Read labels carefully: products containing levels
that might trigger an adverse reaction are required to carry a caution.
Propylene Glycol
- Found In: Suntan lotions, lipsticks and other cosmetics and
toiletries.
- Cause for Alarm: Its humectant properties are used to stop
products from drying out. But it has also been linked to liver abnormalities
and kidney damage. It is also known as a skin and eye irritant.
- Safe Bet: Avoid it altogether and instead opt for alternative
products containing glycerin or sorbitol.
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
- Found In: Bubble baths, toothpastes, shampoos and lotions
- Cause for Alarm: This detergent, which has been found to enter
the brain, heart and liver and impair the immune system, has been linked
to eye irritations, skin rashes and allergic reactions. The biggest
problems occur when it is mixed with other chemicals, like those typically
used in toiletries, because it can form carcinogenic compounds.
- Safe Bet: Minimize the risks by using products with SLS sparingly
and rinsing off quickly afterwards.
Talc
- Found In: Makeup and body powders
- Cause for Alarm: Mineral talc has been linked to ovarian cancer and
has been found to induce cancer in rodents.
- Safe Bet: Avoid using talc-based powders, especially on genital
areas.
Mineral Oil
- Found In: Makeup removers, lipsticks, lotions
- Cause for Alarm: A petroleum derivative, it has been linked
to everything from clogged pores to cancer. Its density does not allow
skin to breathe.
- Safe Bet: Most experts advise to avoid it.
Methyl Methacrylate
- Found In: Nail products, primarily used in application of
acrylic nails
- Cause for Alarm: The chemical has been linked to fungal infections,
nail deformities and other problems. Prolonged exposure can lead to
eye, skin and lung irritation, abnormal liver or kidney function, nervous
system damage or reproductive problems.
- Safe Bet: Stick with salons that use ethyl methacrylate, a
safer bonding liquid, instead. It's more expensive, but isn't your safety
worth it?
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Vanessa
Bush has covered the beauty and fashion scene for a host of magazines
including Glamour and Honey, and she is currently an editor at Essence.
She is the co-author, with supermodel Tyra Banks, of Tyra's Beauty
Inside & Out. Vanessa and her family make their home in New Jersey.
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