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Oil and Cosmetics: What are the Potential Health Risks?

What is oil?

Crude oil, sometimes called petroleum, is a fossil fuel that was produced deep within the earth through a process that took millions of years to complete.

Millions of years later, almost all of us come into contact with a petroleum derivative on a daily basis. Through a process called fractional distillation, oil refineries break oil down into many of its smaller components. Each of these smaller components is made up of molecules called hydrocarbons.

The world is full of products that come from petroleum. For example, gasoline, Styrofoam, lubricating oils, and many other items are all derived from this raw material. How are oil and cosmetics related? The two seemingly unrelated items, oil and cosmetics, are closely related in our modern world.

Mineral oil and petroleum are the basic ingredients of many cosmetic products today. Both mineral oil and petroleum have the same origins in fossil fuels. Cosmetics like foundations, cleansers, and moisturizers often contain mineral oil. By locking moisture against the skin, mineral oil sits on the skin’s surface and can potentially block pores. This can cause breakouts because the skin can’t ‘breathe’ properly.

Fragrances in lotions, shampoos, and many other cosmetic products are made up of aromatic hydrocarbons. Perfumes and fragrance-containing products can contain many hundreds of chemicals to produce a distinctive scent. A significant number of these scents are derived from petroleum.

A popular moisture transporting chemical additive in cosmetics is propylene glycol. It is also a petroleum derivative. Some products that list propylene glycol as an ingredient include:

– antifreeze

– laundry detergent

– paint

– shampoo

– condition

Previous research links propylene glycol to serious health problems, including liver and kidney damage, as well as respiratory irritation or nausea if ingested.

An antiseptic, isopropyl alcohol, kills bacteria on the skin. You can find it in the ingredient list of cleansers, toners, and other cosmetic products. Unfortunately, this petroleum derivative dries out the skin and can cause small cracks in the skin that allow bacteria to enter, which can cause irritation or pimples.

Do these petroleum products affect your health?

Your skin covers your body and acts as a physical barrier to many of the pollutants in the atmosphere. When you use products on your skin like cosmetics, lotions, and shampoos, the ingredients in these products come into direct contact with the largest organ in your body; your skin. You may wonder, where do the ingredients of the products go? Modern research at the Herbal Research Foundation found that up to 60% of the chemicals in the products it comes in contact with are absorbed by the skin directly into the bloodstream. Today, hormone therapy treatments and smoking cessation medications are often prescribed as patches that are applied directly to the skin. The medicine passes through the skin and goes directly into the bloodstream.

For pregnant women, the risk is not only to their body but also to the developing fetus. If the chemicals found in cosmetics easily enter the bloodstream when applied to the skin, they will also find their way to the developing baby. Researchers at Brunel University in England are taking a close look at a family of preservatives called parabens. His research has recently linked parabens to the possibility of lower sperm counts in baby boys. These preservatives are derived from petroleum and help maintain the freshness and integrity of the product. Currently, many manufacturers add parabens to cosmetics to allow for a minimum shelf life of 3 years. Therefore, parabens kill any bacteria that could potentially get into the product. If these chemical ingredients can kill bacterial cells, what are they doing to skin cells? In most cases, there is no conclusive answer to this question. However, the aforementioned research strongly suggests that synthetic ingredients can have a significant impact on our bodies.

In many cases, the long-term effects of many of the chemical additives in our cosmetics are unknown. However, other chemical additives are known carcinogens. These types of chemicals can cause cancer in humans. These chemicals include some artificial colors in cosmetics. The effects of chemicals and other synthetic ingredients in cosmetics can lead to mild allergic reactions that cause rashes and minor skin irritations to more significant problems such as skin lesions.

What are your cosmetic alternatives?

Fortunately, there are alternatives to cosmetics filled with synthetically produced ingredients. Increasingly, cosmetic manufacturers are responding to public demand for alternatives to chemical-laden personal care and beauty supplies. The Organic Make-up Company is one such company that is leading the way in producing high-quality, organically made cosmetics! As a consumer, you have the ability to decrease the amount of preservatives and chemical additives that your skin comes in contact with and therefore can enter your body. To avoid using synthetically derived fragrances, look for products that contain essential oils. These are pure oils derived from flowers and other plants in nature.

All you have to do is make the simple decision to buy cosmetic products with all-natural organic ingredients. Whether or not you continue to use cosmetics that contain petroleum-based ingredients is a personal choice. The most important thing is to know the facts and know that you have a choice when it comes to buying organic or synthetic cosmetic products.

References:

-Fairley, Josephine. Organic Beauty: Look and feel beautiful the natural way. Dorling Kindersley: London, 2001.

– http://www.hans.org/web_articles/h07drugschemicals/h0799whatisreallyinyourhbprods.aspl, accessed October 3, 2004.

– [http://www.naturalmakeup.ca]

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