Author: Serra Yildirim
Do you choose your deodorant or shampoo according to its smell? Does the smell of the cosmetics persuade you to buy them? Do you enjoy a nicely smelling bath after a long day? Most people would say yes to these questions. But do we know the ugly truth behind these nice odours?
We spend about 90% of our time indoors and the chemicals we choose to put on ourselves everyday greatly affect the indoor air chemistry. Personal care products include cosmetics, shampoos, shower gels, perfumes, hair sprays, nail polishes, removers etc. The main issues arise from the fact that cosmetic and personal care products are tested for our skin, but not necessarily for our lungs. Additionally, even if we prefer to go for natural or green products, it is not for certain that they will be safer for our lungs.
The problematic substances emitted from personal care products are mainly different volatile organic compounds (VOC) including terpenes (limonene, alpha-pinene, and beta-pinene) that are primary pollutants. After reacting with ozone, they generate secondary pollutants such as formaldehyde and acetaldehyde[1]. Aldehydes are known as powerful sensory irritants for mucus membrane. Some aldehydes are skin irritants and some are carcinogens. They are highly reactive and soluble.
We know that ozone is unstable by itself and it rapidly reacts with limonene and squalene. We have squalene on our skin naturally but what about the other VOCs? Monoterpenes are a class of biogenic VOCs that are produced mostly by plants, in particular pine trees and eucalyptus. They are naturally found in plant-based materials. However, they are also added to the various consumer products as fragrance. So, if your parfum or shower gel reminds you your last walk in the forest, now you now why. Or they remind you a summer day among orange trees? Here is the cause: limonene is a natural component of citrus fruits, celery, bergamot and some spices. It is also very common to find limonene in the ingredient list of every consumer product.
Another problem in personal care products is the solvent. Many of the personal care products are solvent based. Solvents in cosmetics, aerosols and nail polish removers are harmful to our respiratory tract and can cause asthma. They can also damage the nervous system and increase cancer risk. 1,1,1-trichloroethane is an example of solvents used in spray cans. If inhaled or ingested 1,1,1-trichloroethane acts as a central nervous system depressant and can cause dizziness and confusion.
In addition to VOCs in personal care products, there are other sources of danger such as antimicrobials. They are used to inhibit the growth of microbes but are often used unnecessarily. A commonly used type of antibacterial, triclosan causes hormone malfunctioning.[2] It typically enters the body via ingestion or by dermal contact. However, studies suggest that people may be exposed to it via inhalation due to increased use of aerosol deodorants containing triclosan.[3]
Products like hair sprays, deodorants, makeup products, shampoo and conditioners often have phthalates due to the ability of phthalates to hold color, denature alcohol and fix fragrance[4]. Phthalates are semi volatile organic compounds (SVOCs). Different phthalates are associated with cancer and some endocrine disrupting evidence e.g. reproductive effects, obesity, diabetes and allergies. However, phthalates are often not listed on the ingredients since in the US, manufacturers are not currently obligated to list all ingredients in consumer products. The main ingredients are listed, and the minorities go into the mysterious word “fragrance”. Not too much is known about the composition of fragranced consumer products, but it is stated that a single “fragrance” in a product may contain up to several hundred substances[5]. A study done in University of Washington indicated that the emissions from “green” products are not very different in terms of VOCs.[6] Thus, knowledge of potential exposures and effects is essential to effective risk reduction.
Take home points
So, what can we do to minimize our exposure? It requires some research on our part and being mindful about what we take home with ourselves from the stores. Usually, it is not enough to look at the manufacturer’s website, which is made for marketing their products. First, you can look at the ingredient list on sites like www.cosdna.com and if there are any dangerous substance in the first rows. If the substance is shown very low, usually the percentage is too low. You can also search the ingredients name in https://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/. Another good method is to check the EPA’s Safer Choice website. It lists the products evaluated by scientists.
In general,
- avoid buying products that are advertised as “antimicrobial”, “antibacterial” or “anti-odor” since they contain antimicrobials.
- Don’t go for the products that have “perfume” or “fragrance” in the first rows of the ingredients list and if possible, go for fragrance-free personal care products.
- Try to switch to eco-labelled products, such as US EPA’s “Safer Choice”.
- Use deodorants, perfumes, nail polish and removers in well-ventilated areas.
For further information, you can also check https://www.sixclasses.org and watch their videos on YouTube. The current research project HOMEChem in the University of Texas Austin is also interesting to follow.
Never forget that no smell is the best smell. Stay mindful and healthy?
source: https://www.colorado.edu/lab/vance/homechem-open-house
Bibliography
[1] Nazaroff, W. and Weschler, C. (2004). Cleaning products and air fresheners: exposure to primary and secondary air pollutants. Atmospheric Environment, 38(18), pp.2841-2865.
[2] Halden, R., Lindeman, A., Aiello, A., Andrews, D., Arnold, W., Fair, P., Fuoco, R., Geer, L., Johnson, P., Lohmann, R., McNeill, K., Sacks, V., Schettler, T., Weber, R., Zoeller, R. and Blum, A. (2017). The Florence Statement on Triclosan and Triclocarban. Environmental Health Perspectives, 125(6), p.064501.
[3] Yang, Y., Kwon, J., Shim, I., Kim, H., Kim, P., Kim, J. and Lee, K. (2015). Evaluation of toxicity to triclosan in rats following 28days of exposure to aerosol inhalation. Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology, 71(2), pp.259-268.
[4] Parlett, L., Calafat, A. and Swan, S. (2012). Women’s exposure to phthalates in relation to use of personal care products. Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology, 23(2), pp.197-206.
[5] Bickers, D., Calow, P., Greim, H., Hanifin, J., Rogers, A., Saurat, J., Glenn Sipes, I., Smith, R. and Tagami, H. (2003). The safety assessment of fragrance materials. Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology, 37(2), pp.218-273.
[6] Steinemann, A., MacGregor, I., Gordon, S., Gallagher, L., Davis, A., Ribeiro, D. and Wallace, L. (2011). Fragranced consumer products: Chemicals emitted, ingredients unlisted. Environmental Impact Assessment Review, 31(3), pp.328-333.