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Boiling a Frog Metaphor and Chemical Preservatives in Skin Care

Can you honestly name all the ingredients in your skin and hair care products? Do you know if they’re beneficial, harmful, or questionable? It’s easy to overlook these details, much like the “Boiling Frog” metaphor, where gradual changes go unnoticed. However, the cumulative effects over time could lead to irreversible consequences. 

Here is an example of a list of ingredients of a well-known moisturizer brand. Do you know half of these ingredients? Are they all good for you? 

Water\Aqua\Eau, Isostearyl Palmitate, Cetyl Ricinoleate, Dimethicone, Butylene Glycol, Squalane, Glyceryl Stearate, Peg-100 Stearate, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearic Acid, Arginine, Sigesbeckia Orientalis (St. Paul'S Wort) Extract, Hordeum Vulgare (Barley) Extract\Extrait D'Orge, Castanea Sativa (Chestnut) Seed Extract, Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract, Yeast Extract\Faex\Extrait De Levure, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Extract, Trehalose, Salicylic Acid, Creatine, Ethylhexylglycerin, Lecithin, Propylene Glycol Dicaprate, Acetyl Glucosamine, Hydroxyethyl Urea, Petrolatum, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seedcake, Polysilicone-11, Tromethamine, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Rna, Tocopheryl Acetate, Glycerin, Phospholipids, Hexylene Glycol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Disodium Nadh, Micrococcus Lysate, Laurdimonium Hydroxypropyl Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Xanthan Gum, Adenosine Phosphate, Carbomer, Ascorbyl Tocopheryl Maleate, Ptfe, Nordihydroguaiaretic Acid, Disodium Edta, Sodium Metabisulfite, Chlorphenesin, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol <ILN41081>

No wonder many of us buy products without fully knowing what's in it! Who has time to read and find out what these are?

Researching all the chemical preservatives in our food and cosmetics could take days. I’ve focused on just four commonly used in popular skin and hair care products.

1. Parabens (butylparaben, ethylparaben, isoparaben, and methylparaben) are artificial preservatives used in body care and cosmetic products to prevent bacterial and mold growth, extending shelf life. However, the term “endocrine disruptor” has become synonymous with parabens. These chemicals can interfere with reproductive hormones in both males and females, potentially leading to decreased fertility, preterm births, or low birth weight. Parabens are also linked to breast cancer (Braun et al., 2014; Calafat et al., 2009; Geer et al., 2017).   https://www.bcpp.org/resource/parabens/

2. Formaldehyde and its releasers (germall plus, DMDM hydantoin, imidazolidinyl urea, diazolidinyl urea) are used in cosmetics like antiperspirants and disinfectants. However, they’ve been banned in cosmetics in Japan and Sweden, and restricted in the EU. In the U.S., the FDA has no specific rules for preservatives in cosmetics. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), formaldehyde is a known carcinogen, linked to nasopharynx cancer, leukemia, and sinonasal cancer. Read more at EPA’s website https://www.epa.gov/formaldehyde/facts-about-formaldehyde

3. Isothiazolinones, including Chloromethylisothiazolinone (CMIT), Benzisothiazolinone (BIT), Dichlorooctylisothiazolinone (DCOIT), and Octylisothiazolinone (OIT), are common in shampoos, conditioners, hair dyes, body washes, laundry detergents, liquid hand soaps, and bubble baths. These chemicals can cause severe allergic contact dermatitis. Surprisingly, even products labeled “organic,” “hypoallergenic,” “sensitive,” or “gentle” may contain them. Laboratory studies have shown that these chemicals can cause nerve damage to brain cells in rats.

4. Phenoxyethanol (optiphen, optiphen plus) is an organic compound found in chicory and green tea. To enhance its potency and purity, it’s synthetically produced and used as a preservative in cosmetics and body care products to prevent bacterial, yeast, and mold growth. In large quantities, such as through accidental ingestion, it can cause brain cell damage or lung injury. Topically, it may trigger allergic reactions, dermatitis, and other skin irritations. The Derm Review lists common cosmetics containing phenoxyethanol, including Meaningful Beauty, Nerium, Murad, Strivectin, Perricone MD, Mary Kay, and Clinique.

Read more at (The Derm Review).

Given this information, would you consider switching to skin and hair care products without chemical preservatives? Or do you think it doesn’t make a difference? Share your thoughts and what you know about this topic.

To order our chemical/synthetic preservative-free products, go to dremnatural.com

Stay beautiful inside and out.

Much love, 

Dr. Em 



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