Most commercial nail polishes are loaded with the holy trinity of toxic chemicals—dibutyl phthalate (DBP), toluene, and formaldehyde, which, in high doses, have been linked to cancer, birth defects, among other problems, can soak right through the nail and into your blood stream. Dr. Farhangrazi, neuroscientist and founder and co-editor of Biotrends, says that while levels of formaldehyde in nail polish are not high enough to be toxic to most wearers, “at small—very small—levels, formaldehyde is toxic” for pregnant women and small children. “Even at very small trace levels, they should not be using it.” The good news is that several nail polish brands, including OPI, Orly, and Sally Hansen, have stopped using these chemicals. The bad news? Plenty of other brands still are, including salon staple Essie.
iStockPhoto
The FDA released a report in 2009, spurred on by an experiment done by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics in 2007 that said 61 percent of tested lipsticks contained lead. According to the FDA report, “Lipstick, as a product intended for topical use, is only ingested incidentally and in very small quantities. FDA does not consider the lead levels that it found in the lipsticks to be a safety concern.” Still, women should be cautious. “In science, we still do not know what the absorption rate of lead is. If I were to apply lipstick twice a day, or three times a day, how much of that lipstick is actually going to be absorbed through my lips, into my tissue, and taken into the cell?” says Dr. Farhangrazi. “There’s not an easy answer to that question. It all depends on how much lead is being absorbed, and we don’t really have a good answer for that.”
iStockPhoto
Many special shampoos for dandruff contain coal tar, a known carcinogen, albeit at very low levels. Dr. Farhangrazi says “If you use that at very low concentration, there’s very little being absorbed through the skin.” Dandruff shampoo might also contain zinc pyrithione, which Dirty Looks says has “been proven to be toxic in animals, and more recently shown to cause real damage to human skin cells when applied topically.” Those with a flake-free scalp aren’t off the hook. One of the chemicals that gives regular shampoo that satisfying, sudsy foam is 1,4-dioxane, linked to cancer and birth defects. Because 1,4-dioxane is a byproduct and not an actual ingredient, you won’t see it on most shampoo labels, even when it’s present. Using one product with the ingredient won’t be harmful, but repeated exposures to the same carcinogen can add up. An easy fix is switching to a natural shampoo.
iStockPhoto
Besides not doing any favors for the environment, every spritz of hair spray may be dousing you with phthalates, which have been known to cause endocrine disruption. This can cause hormone problems, leading to weight gain and acne, not to mention reproductive problems. There’s even a small possibility it could lead to cancer. “For a long time, we’ve asked the question of how much environmental impact there is in the onset of different diseases,” says Dr. Farhangrazi. “With phthalates, if they have any kind of impact on endocrine levels or hormonal levels, they can absolutely cause an impact on the way our hormones work. It’s quite plausible that their impact on some individuals could cause different things, for example effects on onset of diseases and even obesity.”
iStockPhoto
Even if you have a steady hand, now you might wince the next time you go to apply mascara. One tube could be filled with formaldehyde releasers, coal tar, phthalates, and more. “Eyes are very, very sensitive,” says Dr. Farhangrazi. “Those are the organs that are continuously moving, and as a result of that, whatever we put around them—even eyeshadow—can get right into your eyes and have an effect on your cornea, on your vision, and get right into your bloodstream.” Luckily, Dirty Looks has a few “no-compromise” suggestions for natural mascaras—such as Tarte’s Lash Hugger—that will make your eyes pop in the good way.
iStockPhoto
Antiperspirants and deodorants are loaded with the endocrine-disrupting triclosan and propylene glycol, which has been linked to liver and kidney damage. But parabens and aluminum have garnered the most attention, due to the possible link between deodorant and breast cancer. The National Cancer Institute says that they “are not aware of any conclusive evidence linking the use of underarm antiperspirants or deodorants and the subsequent development of breast cancer.” However, “[s]ome research suggests that aluminum-based compounds, which are applied frequently and left on the skin near the breast, may be absorbed by the skin and cause estrogen-like (hormonal) effects. Because estrogen has the ability to promote the growth of breast cancer cells, some scientists have suggested that the aluminum-based compounds in antiperspirants may contribute to the development of breast cancer.”
iStockPhoto
Sunscreen is tricky: Go out into the sun unprotected and you risk getting skin cancer, but slather yourself with sunscreen and you’re blocking out all that healthy vitamin D and possibly soaking in chemicals like PABA and oxybenzone, which can disrupt your hormones. A recent study claimed some sunscreens can even increase the speed of the spread of skin cancer and most block only UVB, not UVA, rays (though some newer formulas are blocking both). Another problem: sunscreen wearers often feel overly confident and stay out in the sun longer than they would have without sunscreen—and longer than the sunscreen is actually effective. Dr. Farhangrazi urges her patients to use sunblock. “I think it’s much better for any person to go out there with sunblock than sit out there thinking the sunblock itself is toxic,” she says. Dirty Looks, meanwhile, suggests you “invest in a wide-brimmed hat,” which is both chic and chemical-free. They also have some suggestions for clean sunscreens –such as Soleo Organics All Natural Sunscreen—that use zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, which are safer for topical use.
iStockPhoto
If you decide to avoid the sun entirely, here’s a tip: don’t overdo it on self-tanner (and not just because the shade can go horribly wrong). Besides courting vitamin D deficiency (and Seasonal Affective Disorder), you’re also coating yourself in chemicals, including parabens. And despite its stamp of approval, the FDA still warns against inhaling dihydroxyacetone (DHA), the main ingredient in sunless tanners, which means you might want to skip those spray booths in salons. The FDA fails, however, to warn against the biggest risk of overdosing on sunless tanner: looking like a Jersey Shore reject.
Getty Images
None of the side effects of topical acne treatments scream “safe and gentle.” In an effort to eradicate zits, plenty of creams leave behind red, flaky, irritated skin. So it’s not surprising that benzoyl peroxide—one of the key ingredients in commercial acne treatments—is banned in Europe. “It appears that those Europeans may have been put off by the link between benzoyl peroxide and cancer: studies indicate that it is a free-radical-generating compound, shown to promote tumors in mice when applied topically,” says Dirty Looks.
iStockPhoto
Dirty Looks says that a “sensitive skin” shaving cream formula they surveyed had “quaternium-15 (a formaldehyde-releaser), 1,4-dioxane, butane (linked to allergies, irritations, and cancer), BHT (which has been linked brain damage), and more.” Still, shaving is one of the safer options for hair removal, considering women have died after applying a topical anesthetic prior to laser hair removal. Dirty Looks recommends a clean, fair-trade shaving gel from Dr. Bronner’s.
iStockPhoto
