Mid Brain muses: 
It’s refreshing to see the mainstream press actually get the science right in their stories once in a while. So kudos to Joe Schwarcz of The Gazette on his excellent piece on the subject of cancer causing ingredients in baby shampoos.
We blogged about this in our post on Lil Rinser. But Joe took it a step further and did an outstanding job of debunking claims by one of the top NGOs, Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. (NGO for those of you not in the know, stands for Non-Governmental Organization.)
The dose makes the poison
Joe very aptly pointed out that the ingredients that the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics feared the most are not likely to be of concern at the levels used in cosmetic products. Specifically he mentioned formaldehyde and dioxane. He accurately noted the following: “formaldehyde is an indirect additive, released at a controlled rate from imidazolinyl urea, DMDM hydantoin or quaternium 15. Its purpose is to keep bacteria at bay.”
Dioxane, Joe disclosed, is another story. As we’ve pointed out in previous posts, dioxane is a trace contaminant formed during the production of certain detergents. It can be dangerous but only at much higher levels than are allowed in cosmetics. So, it’s not really a serious concern.
The Beauty Brains bottom line
You should definitely read Joe’s entire article, it’s a great discussion that puts the idea of cancer causing ingredients in perspective.
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
It’s great to see Joe Schwarcz mentioned on this site! He has a column every Sunday in the Montreal Gazette essentially debunking unfounded health concerns based upon faulty science. He is a professor at McGill University and has studied and taught about the chemistry of daily products. Anyone who loves the Beauty Brains and is interested in the basic science of a wide variety of products would love his column!
{ 2 trackbacks }