Silicones & petroleum derivatives
Silicones
Silicones are a group of synthetic polymers - these plastics are made in the laboratory. Crude oil is often used for this. Hardly any other fabric seals so well. Therefore, there are also a large number of areas of application. For example for sealing joints or for the production of car paints and furniture polishes.
Silicones are also used in creams, make-up and shampoos. In skin care, they serve as an oily component and can replace high-quality vegetable oils. In these products, they provide a matte finish.
Silicones are inert, so they rarely cause allergies and are well tolerated. However, as substances foreign to the skin, they have no positive influence on the functioning of the skin. They only improve the skin surface and the feeling on the skin.
However, this is only a subjective impression, since silicones do not penetrate the skin and do not contribute to the regeneration of damaged skin cells. The pleasant feeling only lasts until the substance has been washed off again. In addition, silicone seals the skin completely. However, if the skin is sealed, this can lead to disadvantages. For example, impurities and acne can be promoted.
Natural oils nourish the horny layer and do not completely seal our skin. Silicones are difficult to degrade in the environment.
Detect silicones in products?
Silicones must be listed on the ingredient list, but not by their normal name.
Instead, you can tell from the endings "-cone" or "-xane" that silicones have been processed.
Sources:
https://gorilla.green/silikone/
https://www.beyer-soehne.de/silikone-in-kosmetik/
Petroleum derivatives
Substances based on petroleum are used in an extremely large number of care and cosmetic products. On the one hand, mineral oils are used as a fat component in cosmetics, for example as paraffin or Vaseline. Mineral oil is distilled from crude oil. On the other hand, crude oil is the starting point for many other ingredients - such as surfactants, preservatives and fragrances or UV filters.
Lotions and creams that contain petroleum or mineral oil-based substances make the skin look smooth and soft, but do not condition it. Because the oil lays on the skin like a film, but does not really absorb it. This seals off the skin inside and out - it can't breathe. In the long term, this can lead to impurities and wrinkle formation and dry out the skin.
In addition, regular use of products containing petroleum can weaken the skin's own regulatory mechanisms; the skin becomes “addicted” to the oil. If you want real care, it is better to use products with vegetable oils.
Their composition is similar to the natural protective layer of the skin, which is why they are kind to the skin and gentle on people and the environment.
Like petroleum jelly, paraffin is a common ingredient in care products and ointments. Like petrol, diesel and heating oil, paraffin is also obtained from crude oil using a great deal of energy – including all the environmental risks of crude oil extraction and transport.
Like all petroleum products, paraffin has no added health value for the skin. In addition, there are indications that it can accumulate in the liver, kidneys, lymph and lungs; Paraffin has even been detected in breast milk. The use in medical ointments and especially in baby oil is therefore questionable
Identify petroleum in products:
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Liquid paraffin
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isoparaffin
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(Microcrystalline) Wax
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vaseline
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Mineral Oil
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petrolatum
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Cera Microcristallina
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ceresin
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ozokerites
Other ingredients that are made on the basis of petroleum are often hardly recognizable.
If you want to avoid crude oil in cosmetics, it is best to buy natural cosmetics.
Source:
https://utopia.de/ratgeber/erdoel-in-kosmetik/
PEG's
The term polyethylene glycols - abbreviated: PEG - refers to a series of synthetic substances
contained in a variety of products.
Polyethylene glycols are used in many cosmetic products because they are both cheap and versatile.
Since they are synthetically manufactured, they can be adapted to the respective intended use as if tailor-made.
However, the use of PEG is questionable because the main substance in polyethylene glycol is ethylene oxide.
This substance is highly toxic, mutagenic, teratogenic and carcinogenic.
In addition, the auxiliary substances that the care substances are supposed to bring into the skin damage the
membrane function of the skin. This makes them more permeable to pollutants. Unwanted intruders get through the weakened skin barrier
into the bloodstream and from there throughout the body. The synthetic substances disturb the immune system.
An immune reaction can occur.
Detect PEG in products?
Look out for the prefix "PEG-" , this is a reference to chemical additives. Words ending in "-eth"
indicate ethoxylated substances based on ethylene oxide.
Source:
Parabens
Parabens are chemicals. Used in cosmetic products, they ensure a longer shelf life.
It is assumed that the chemical compounds can influence the hormone system.
This suspicion is no accident.
Corresponding indications have already been found in animal experiments.
Researchers are still not in agreement as to whether the synthetic preservatives are a health hazard.
However, a 2004 study linked methyl parabens to breast cancer. Surprisingly, parabens could be detected in the diseased tissue.
In 2013, the World Health Organization (WHO) identified endocrine disruptors as a global threat. In fact, it has been found that specific diseases are becoming more common in society. It is possible that hormonally active substances could also be involved.
It is assumed that substances that affect the endocrine system are not acutely toxic.
Nevertheless, they might be able to have a negative impact on selected developmental processes.
The problem is that hormonally active substances target the same receptors that the body's own sex hormones use.
This could possibly affect many bodily functions, such as the cardiovascular system or the reproductive organs.
The thyroid hormone system could also react to the application.
Recognize parabens in products?
The cosmetics industry relies on the following parabens:
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butyl parabens
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methylparabens
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pentylparabens
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phenyl parabens
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propylparabens
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isobutyl parabens
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isopropyl parabens
Attention : There are also alternative names.
So that parabens cannot wrap themselves in a cloak, the following designations should also be used
to be looked out for:
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hydroxybenzoic acid
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parahydroxybenzoate
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nipagin
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Nipasol
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metagin
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Propagin
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oxybenzoate
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hydroxybenzoate
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oxybenzoic acid
Sources:
https://www.bfr.bund.de/cm/343/utilization_of_parabens_in_cosmetic_agents.pdf
https://www.allergo-natur.de/allergien/637-2/
https://www.bund.net/fileadmin/user_upload_bund/publikationen/chemie/kosmetik-check_studie.pdf f
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-019-14202-1
Microplastics
In cosmetics and cleaning products, the microplastics are mainly made of polyethylene (PE).
Due to its versatile properties, polyethylene is the most-manufactured plastic in the world.
These plastic granules are particularly kind to the skin.
They are used in cosmetics and care products to achieve an improved cleaning effect or as fillers and binders.
The harmful plastic particles get into the environment via the sewage system.
Since these plastic particles can only be partially filtered out in sewage treatment plants due to their microscopic size, they get into the groundwater in proven quantities and pollute rivers and seas.
As a result, microplastics pose an enormous danger to the environment, since these plastics are not biodegradable and are ingested by the animals with their food.
Thus, these tiny additives finally get into the human organism via the food chain.
Prof. Gerd Liebezeit from the Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Sea at the Carl von Ossietzky University in Oldenburg assumes “that microplastics can be found everywhere in the atmosphere”. With the sewage sludge, these microparticles can also reach the fields as fertilizer and be distributed in the atmosphere with the wind.
The chemist has demonstrated in several studies that even foods such as honey and milk, but also drinking water and rainwater are sometimes contaminated by the microscopically small plastic beads from cosmetics and cleaning products. The scientist therefore calls for a ban on the use of microplastics in cosmetics and personal care products.
How microplastics affect the human body and what the long-term consequences for health look like has not yet been fully researched.
Source:
Microplastics in Cosmetics: A Danger to the Environment? (stadt-wien.at)
Nanoparticles
Nanoparticles are tiny particles smaller than a hundred nanometers - or a millionth of a millimeter. They are about 1000 times smaller than the diameter of a single hair. Nanoparticles can occur naturally, but they can also be produced artificially.
Nano in cosmetics. Although the use of nanotechnology in the beauty industry is already quite widespread, it is a somewhat delicate undertaking. The problem, however, is that the consumer comes into contact with nanoparticles directly through the skin.
However, there is enough danger potential for the body. Because what happens when the nanoparticles penetrate the blood, brain matter and cells. Due to their small surface, they can have a much more intensive and therefore more aggressive effect than these bio-chemicals in their original form. Nano products are simply more effective. Scientists accuse the industry of throwing nanoproducts onto the market without having tested them in long-term studies in a manageable and controlled nano environment.
This applies in particular to products that people come into direct contact with, such as food, cosmetics and sprays.
Nanoparticles are also found in many cosmetic products. Silver nanoparticles are preferred in deodorants because they have antibacterial properties. Nanoparticles in creams and lotions allow the care products to penetrate the skin more easily. Toothpastes with nanoparticles are said to be able to fill the finest cracks in the teeth.
Kajal pencils and mascaras last longer thanks to nanoparticles.
Sources:
Nanoparticles in food and cosmetics: effects and dangers - Utopia.de
Nano in cosmetics - Here everything about nano in cosmetics (nano-technologies.com)
EDTA & BHT
EDTA
EDTA stands for ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid.
It is a chelating or complexing agent that can bind (heavy) metals, among other things. The synthetic substance is used not only in cosmetics, but also in the food industry and medicine because of its ability to neutralize the harmful effects of heavy metals. In cosmetic products such as lotions, shampoos and sunscreen, EDTA is used as an emulsifier, foaming agent or stabilizer.
It is not yet clear how harmful EDTA really is. In any case, EDTA is not beneficial for the environment because it is not
degradable. Because it is highly water soluble, the chemical compound is not completely eliminated in wastewater
treatment and often settles in river and sea waters.
EDTA has thus already been detected in drinking and ground water.
Recognizing EDTA in products:
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Disodium EDTA
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Tetrasodium EDTA
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EDTA diammonium
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EDTA dipotassium
Source:
https://www.vegavero.com/harmful-ingredients-in-cosmetics-and-how-to-recognize-them-
BHT
BHT and BHA have been used in cosmetics for a long time and are still an integral part of many care products today. However, they are considered questionable and should be replaced if possible.
BHT is a substance that has been relatively little researched. However, it is known that BHT can have an irritating and sensitizing effect. Even small traces are suspected of triggering allergies.
The EU Commission's Scientific Committee for Consumer Safety (SCCS) classified BHT as very questionable due to its sensitizing potential. From an environmental point of view, BHT is considered to be poorly biodegradable. The effects of butylated hydroxytoluene on human health and the environment are currently being assessed by the European Chemicals Agency (REACH) as part of the substance evaluation of France since 2016.
In summary, experts assume that BHT triggers allergies and may also be harmful to reproduction. The substance is also believed to be carcinogenic.
Although BHT was classified as unclassifiable by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), there are reviews of animal experiments with high BHT doses. For example, liver tumors were found in long-term tests, and severe blood clotting disorders also occurred.
BHT is listed as such in the ingredients.
Sources:
BHT - BHA - Butylated Hydroxytoluene - Antioxidant - Cosmacon
GMO
GMO (English) GVO (German)
All living beings, whether microorganisms, humans, animals or plants, have genes inside their bodies. Genes contain all information that can be inherited: for example hair color, eye color or blood group.
This information is also called "heritage". If this genetic material is artificially modified in the laboratory, this is called genetic engineering.
If the genome of a plant is modified, this is referred to as "green genetic engineering". If a plant or an animal is genetically modified, it is referred to as a "genetically modified organism".
The abbreviation for "genetically modified organism" is GMO.
The use of genetically modified organisms (GMO) is controversial. The EU has very strict regulations and authorization procedures for the cultivation and placing on the market of GMOs.
Approximately 130 different GMOs are currently approved for import into the EU, such as soya, maize and rapeseed. The import of GMO products is permitted in Austria. Mainly animal feed is imported, such as genetically modified maize.
Sources:
Six things you should know about GMOs | News | European Parliament (europa.eu)
Genetic engineering (sozialministerium.at)
Animal testing
Animal testing for cosmetics has been banned in the EU for 3 years, both on the end product and on the raw materials. Furthermore, since 2013, trading in cosmetics that and their components have been tested on animals in third countries has been prohibited. Despite this, animals continue to be tortured to death. Because the majority of substances for cosmetics also fall under the EU Chemicals Directive and are still tested on animals.
The range of available "alternative methods" to animal experiments is now large. Cell cultures can now be used to grow almost any type of body tissue, so that, for example, the toxicity of test chemicals can be tested on artificial layers of human skin.
Scientists can also grow tissue and even some organs in the laboratory. In this way, according to the German Animal Welfare Association, reliable results are achieved on the one hand, and particularly painful experiments on animals can be replaced on the other.
Source:
cosmetics without animal testing | Chamber of Labor Upper Austria
Sources as of January 1st, 2022