The Ugly Side of Cosmetics

2009-01-08

It is hard to imagine going a day without the use of some type of cosmetics product. From toothpaste, to cologne, to lip gloss, to sunscreen—there are thousands that fit under the umbrella definition of cosmetic products. It is estimated that a person uses approximately four cosmetic products a day.

The thought of going out into public without the use of deodorant or a layer of lipstick pales in comparison with the thought of developing cancer because of long-term exposure to those products.

In September of 2008, a study conducted by the U.S.-based Environmental Working Group (EWG) showed that teenage girls across the States were contaminated with hormone-disrupting chemicals found in cosmetics and body care products.

Three months earlier, the World Conference on Breast Cancer in Winnipeg featured a presentation on how toxins, carcinogens and ingredients that act like estrogen are present in many major brands of makeup, shampoos, lotions and perfumes. As a result, more and more questions about the sort of chemicals being used in the development of consumer cosmetic products are surfacing.

“There are 10,000 chemicals that are used in cosmetics,” says Carol Secter, the co-chair of Breast Cancer Action Montreal (BCAM)’s Safe Cosmetics Campaign. “Our concern at BCAM is with regards to knowing if various ingredients might disrupt our endocrine systems, or be carcinogenic in any way.”

A technical committee of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) intends to improve the quality and safety of cosmetic products. Since 2005, the technical committee for cosmetics standards (ISO/TC 217) has published 11 standards that relate to cosmetics safety.

The most recently published standard (ISO 15819:2008) covers tests that detect and quantify the amount of N-nitrosodiethanolamine (NDELA) present in cosmetics and raw materials used in cosmetic products. NDELA is part of a class of compounds called N-Nitrosamines, which scientists believe may cause cancer in human beings, as high levels of the chemicals used in cosmetics have been linked to cancer during animal testing.

Nitrosamines are included on Health Canada’s Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist as a compound that is prohibited from use as an ingredient in cosmetic products sold in Canada. However, the compound could still find its way into a product, as nitrosamines form as a result of a specific reaction between various types of nitrogen which are part of other ingredients. Under certain conditions, such as sitting on a store shelf for an extended period, these ingredients have been known to react with each other and mutate into nitrosamines or other potentially carcinogenic chemical compounds.

This is where the ISO standard for testing NDELA (ISO 15819:2008) could prove valuable to cosmetic manufacturers. An internationally accepted standard for detecting and measuring that chemical in cosmetic products can help keep those products off store shelves, and perhaps lead to combinations of ingredients that won’t result in NDELA in these products.

“Clearly contaminants are an issue,” says Secter. “Testing for chemicals is important, as there hasn’t been any serious testing done on cosmetics and the effects of long-term, low-dose exposure.”

That’s precisely what ISO’s members developing these standards hope to accomplish.

“For the safety and benefit of all users, contaminants should be avoided in health and personal care products,” says ISO/TC 217 Secretary Mojeh Tabari, “It is the objective of the ISO technical committee to propose sound methods to provide appropriate and relevant data on the absence or strict minimization of those diverse contaminants in cosmetics. Avoidance of all possible contaminant sources is essential for the good quality of cosmetics and relevant analytical methods can insure such compliance.”

While this standard applies only to tests for NDELA, the committee which develops standards for cosmetics, ISO 217 – of which Canada is an observing member through the Standards Council of Canada – is working on a standard that will apply to other nitrosamines.

Back