Organic Skin Care Products, Would you knowingly put formaldehyde on your skin?

Formaldehyde is a toxic chemical used in industry in the manufacture of glues and is also used as a preservative in cosmetics, vaccines and for embalming bodies. Formaldehyde mixes easily with water but will not mix with oil or grease. It is common to find formaldehyde in aqueous cosmetic formulations such as shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, liquid hand wash and bubble bath, even products designed for children such as bubble bath and baby shampoo have formaldehyde in them! Would you knowingly put formaldehyde on your skin or allow your loved ones to if you knew the full facts? Formaldehyde Fact Sheet Health Effects of Formaldehyde Formaldehyde, a colourless, pungent-smelling gas, can cause watery eyes, burning sensations in the eyes and throat, nausea, and difficulty in breathing in some humans exposed at elevated levels (above 0.1 parts per million). High concentrations of formaldehyde may trigger asthma attacks in susceptible people. There is evidence that some people can develop a sensitivity to formaldehyde. Formaldehyde has also been shown to cause cancer in animals and is a known carcinogen (may cause cancer in humans). Health effects from exposure to formaldehyde include eye, nose, and throat irritation; wheezing and coughing; fatigue; skin rash; severe allergic reactions. May also cause other effects listed under "organic gases." EPA's Integrated Risk Information System profile - http://www.epa.gov/iris/subst/0419.htm

How Formaldehyde Affects Your Body: Fact Sheet Formaldehyde can affect you when you breathe its vapours and/or touch the liquid. Because formaldehyde reacts quickly with body tissues, it mainly affects sites of direct contact, such as the lungs and eyes and skin. The most common effect of mild overexposure is irritation of the eyes, nose, throat, and skin, as described below.

Eyes, Nose, and Throat: The eyes, nose, and throat are irritated by formaldehyde vapours at levels as low as 1 part formaldehyde per million parts of air (1 part per million, or 1 "ppm" - see "Legal Exposure Limits"). Low-level exposure can cause teariness, redness, and burning of the eyes, sneezing and coughing, and sore throat. Liquid formaldehyde solutions contacting the eyes can damage the cornea, possibly causing blindness. Exposure to formaldehyde vapours produces varied effects; some people have irritant symptoms at very low levels, while others can tolerate higher levels with little or no reaction. Some common effects of formaldehyde vapours on the eyes, nose, and throat are described below:

Lungs: High levels (5-30 ppm and higher) can severely irritate the lungs, causing chest pain and shortness of breath. Repeated exposure to formaldehyde can cause asthma. Symptoms of asthma include chest tightness, shortness of breath, wheezing, and coughing. Repeated exposure to formaldehyde and/or other respiratory irritants may also increase your chances of contracting pneumonia or bronchitis. Formaldehyde's long-term effects on the lungs are not fully understood but may cause permanent damage.

Skin: Formaldehyde solutions can destroy your skin's natural protective oils. Frequent or prolonged skin contact with formaldehyde solutions can cause dryness, flaking, cracking, and dermatitis (skin rash). Skin contact can also cause an allergic reaction (redness, itching, hives, and blisters). Studies show that as many as one in twenty workers who are regularly exposed to formaldehyde develop an allergic skin reaction.

Cancer: Formaldehyde causes cancer in test animals. Some studies have suggested that formaldehyde exposure can cause cancer of the lungs and respiratory tract in humans. The International Agency for Research on Cancer considers formaldehyde a probable human carcinogen. Formaldehyde is classed as a carcinogen under California's Prop 65.

Reproductive System: The effects of formaldehyde on the reproductive system have not been well studied. In limited studies, formaldehyde did not harm pregnancy in female animals or affect the reproductive function of male animals. We do not know whether formaldehyde can affect pregnancy or reproductive function in humans; however, exposures that do not cause other symptoms probably will not affect pregnancy or reproductive function. [/color]

Just what are the safe levels of these contaminants? The truth is, no one knows. Many of the ingredients commonly used in the cosmetics and toiletries we use every day are increasingly coming under suspicion. For example, the Food and Drug Administration in the USA are currently assessing the risks of DEA (diethanolamine) residues in cosmetics following a study that linked DEA to cancer in laboratory animals. Many people have had a bad experience with a cosmetic or toiletry that left them with red, itching skin or a bad hair day. Perhaps the informed consumer should demand that cosmetics and toiletries carry labels that say, "Analysis shows that this product contains no formaldehyde." And a host of other common contaminants should also be included in the analysis. If there is a risk, however slight, then these substances should be removed from our personal care products. The technology to do this exists so as informed consumers we should insist that it is used. Twenty years ago the words, "Free from artificial colours and flavours," was rare on food packaging. Now it is commonplace. Let's do the same for cosmetics. Glam-Nation Organic Skin Care products do not contain any of these harmul chemicals.

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