Unhealthy cosmetics

There is more and more evidence that ingredients can lead to serious health risks.

We exfoliate, we cream and we style. Body care is a daily routine. But whether you really do your body a favor with it depends on the products you use. Thousands of different substances are used as ingredients in cosmetic products. Some are harmless, but some are not. These are considered allergy triggers or are even suspected of causing cancer.

Risky hormone cocktail

For the group, the so-called hormonally effective chemicals, there are, for example, according to the Federal Association for Environment and Conservation Germany eV (BUND) "more and more evidence that they can lead to serious health risks." The World Health Organization has endocrine disrupting chemicals 2013 even as a "global threat " designated. This group includes, among others, parabens as preservatives and certain chemical UV filters. The substances penetrate through the skin into the body and are particularly damaging to fetuses in the womb, infants and adolescents. Hormonal chemicals in cosmetics are associated with a decline in sperm quality and number, certain hormone-related cancers such as breast, prostate and testicular cancer, premature puberty in girls, and behavioral problems in children.

The group of hormonally active chemicals includes 550 chemicals, which are suspected to act like hormones. The most commonly used, hormonally active substance, called Methylparaben, is a preservative. With the aim of regulating such substances, the EU Commission has recently established criteria for the identification of hormone toxins in its Regulation 2017 / 2100 according to the Biocidal Products Regulation. This applies since 7. June 2018 in all member states. However, experts do not believe that this will make the fabrics disappear from the shelves. There are still "too many loopholes in the rating system", through which dangerous substances could get through, says Josef Köhrle, President of the German Society for Endocrinology. And BUND expert Ulrike Kallee says: "From the point of view of the BUND, these criteria unfortunately hardly contribute to the fact that hormonal pollutants are soon recognized and withdrawn from circulation." The detection hurdles to classify such substances as a hormone toxin are too high. After all, from 2013 to 2016, the proportion of hormonally active substances in cosmetics has already fallen.

Unhealthy cosmetics: other ingredients

In addition to hormonally active chemicals, many cosmetics also contain aluminum chlorides that are carcinogenic, allergenic fragrances or harmful surfactants. Paraffins and polyethylenes (microplastics) are also among the problematic ingredients. Behind it hide a variety of substances. Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES), for example, is one of the most important ingredients in synthetic cosmetics. They are found as surfactants in shampoos and shower gels, but also as an emulsifier in toothpastes, creams or lotions again. In the production of environmentally harmful palm oil monocultures are often used and for the production of ethylene oxide is required, whereby harmful 1,4 dioxane is produced and can reach according to experts even in minimal traces in the final product. However, the biggest problem with the application is the skin-irritating effect of SLES. In normal consumption, the skin reacts with excessive refatting. This means that only more (synthetic) shampoo helps - a vicious circle.

Unhealthy cosmetics: Industry sets the tone

According to CULUMNATURA Managing Director Willi Luger, manufacturers still tolerate harmful ingredients, because manufacturers still tolerate harmful ingredients. "In the cosmetics industry, it is the industry that sets the tone. They are large corporations who, through their lobbying, try to influence legislation in their favor. Ultimately, everything is taken over as the industry 'sells us'. "
The list of ingredients is often long and confusing. As a consumer, it is therefore difficult to keep the perspective. "The contents (INCI) are incomprehensible to the mass of end users written in Latin or with English technical titles," says Luger. Consumers are on the safe side only if they deal with the ingredients and take the cosmetics carefully under the microscope. Ultimately, however, the legislator is required in the sense of public health to ensure clear content.

A study by Global 2000 from the year 2016 shows that pressure from the consumer protection sector can certainly have positive effects: 11% of the toothpastes examined and 21% of the body lotions examined contained hormonally effective cosmetic ingredients. Thus, the proportion of hormone-loaded products in toothpastes and body lotions has approximately halved since the first 2013 / 14 cosmetics check. Global 2000 attributes this decrease to its own action as part of the cosmetic check. "We are particularly pleased that Austria has become the European pioneer in dispensing with hormonal cosmetic ingredients since our first cosmetic check two years ago.

Tip: Product check via app

To protect consumers, the BUND has developed an app that checks all products for hormonal chemicals: ToxFox is available for free in the App Store. Simply scan the product code and the app will tell you if hormonal substances are present:
www.bund.net/chemie/toxfox

Tip: shopping help

On the website of CULUMNATURA you will find a shopping guide as PDF for download, as well as printed by your natural hairdresser. In it listed are questionable and harmless ingredients, their function and effect: www.culumnatura.at

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