More on Parabens: Greenwashing With Honeysuckle Extract

Paraben Free Organic Skincare
By Eliza Moriarty
Organic Consumers Association, 4/27/2009

Here is an appealing article written for laypeople (find it at
http://ezinearticles.com/?Paraben-Free-Organic-Skin-Care&id=2024753.)

Parabens are in widespread use by the cosmetic and pharmaceutical
industries as an effective preservative. Parabens work to prevent
fungal and bacterial growth in water based products, such as creams (a
mixture of oil and water). Parabens are found in a variety of cosmetic
products including moisturizers, shaving gels, personal lubricants,
tanning solutions and even toothpaste.

Until recently it was thought that Parabens where safe due to their low
toxic …

Parabens are used to prevent the growth of microbes in cosmetic products and can be absorbed through the skin, blood and digestive system (i). They have been found in biopsies from breast tumors (ii) at concentrations similar to those found in consumer products (iii). Parabens are found in nearly all urine samples from U.S. adults of a variety of ethnic, socioeconomic and geographic backgrounds (iv). 
Products That May Contain Parabens 
Parabens are several distinct chemicals with similar a molecular structure. Four of these occur frequently in cosmetics: ethylparaben, butylparaben, methylparaben and propylparaben. …

The UK Department of Trade and Industry (now the Department of Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform) characterizes nitrosamines as more toxic in more animal species than any other category of chemical carcinogen (i). Nitrosamines are common in cosmetics, but because they are impurities, they are not listed on product labels. 
Products That May Contain Nitrosamines 
Nitrosamines are a potential impurity in 53 ingredients and more than 10,000 of the products listed in the Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep database as of July 2008. Due to the common nature of this impurity, nearly every kind …

Learn about a few of the top ingredients and contaminants to avoid, based on the science linking each to adverse health impacts, and they types of products they're found in. To learn more about how chemicals impact your health and where they come from, check out the Your Body, Your Healthsection.
For each of the chemicals included in this section, a growing body of hazard-based evidence suggests connections to long-term health concerns like cancer and reproductive problems.
These are just a very few examples of the 10,500 ingredients used in personal care products. …

By Lis Szabo USA Today, March 13, 2009 

Many children's bath products contain chemicals that may cause cancer and skin allergies, according to a report released Thursday by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics.
Twenty-three of 28 products tested contained formaldehyde, the report says. Formaldehyde – considered a probable carcinogen by the Environmental Protection Agency, – is released as preservatives break down over time in a container.
Thirty-two of 48 products contained 1,4-dioxane, also considered a probable human carcinogen by the EPA, is a byproduct of a chemical processing techniques used to make petroleum-based ingredients …

All Sirjj Organics Products (Company Listing on SafeCosmetics.org) will soon be listed on CosmeticsDatabase.Com, EWG.org, and SkinDeep.

Approval means that all SIRJJ Products meet or exceed the formulation standards and deadlines set by the European Union cosmetics directive to be free of chemicals that are known or strongly suspected of causing cancer, mutation or birth defects.

All companies who sign the Compact must be compliant with the formulation standards of the EU Cosmetics Directive. This means that as a minimum standard of safety, all of their products sold worldwide must be free …

In previous years the beauty industry transitioned into the importance of being all natural with products ranging from skin care to spa treatments to hair care to cosmetics. In 2009 the focus will no longer just being about who is green or all natural, but about specific ingredients and their benefits. Pierce Mattie (http://www.PierceMattie.com) is known for forecasting trends in the beauty industry, so without missing a beat, the Beauty PR firm names the top 10 ingredients that consumers will hear more about in 2009.
Here are the top 5:
1. Argan …

What's sodium coco sulfate, and is it bad for me?

Q. I've heard that we should avoid sodium laurel sulfate in shampoo because it's toxic, so I buy shampoo that’s "SLS-free,” but now I’ve noticed that it contains something called sodium coco sulfate instead. Is this actually a better alternative or just an example of green-washing? – James, MI
A. You’re smart to wonder about this suspicious-sounding sodium coco sulfate—not only because your body is a temple, but also because we all vote (with our wallets) for better personal care product health …

Last Updated: 2008-12-15
Reuters Health
By Jill Stein
SAN ANTONIO (Reuters Health) – Breast cancer patients who apply moisturizers may be dosing themselves with estrogen without even knowing it, investigators reported at a breast cancer symposium in San Antonio.
Dr. Adrienne Olson, with Breastlink in Hawthorne, California, and colleagues analyzed 16 widely available moisturizers for estrogen-like compounds.
None of the creams analyzed noted any estrogen content in their list of ingredients. Even so, six samples contained estriol or estrone.
Olson, who is a seven-year breast cancer survivor, explained that estrogens applied to the skin are more …