Drop Dead Gorgeous?
Independent laboratory testing found a class of chemicals known as phthalates in 52 of 72 (72%) of the tested personal care products, according to a report released in early July 2002. Nail polish, hairspray, perfumes, and deodorants were among the products tested.
Phthalates have been shown to cause birth defects and damage to the liver, kidneys, lungs, and reproductive system in laboratory animals. A recent Center for Disease Control study found surprisingly high levels of phthalates in the population, particularly among reproductive-age women -- up to 20 times more than the average dose, with the highest measured levels above the current federal safety standard.
Perfumes -- including the mysterious "fragrance" ingredient listed on the labels of almost all personal care products -- are particularly prone to contain phthalates. This is particular troubling because, unfortunately, there is currently no way of knowing the ingredients that perfume products contain. Labels aren't required for perfumes, colognes, and other fragrance, and fragrance ingredients don't have to be tested before they are added to perfumes and used by the public. Kim Erickson notes in the recent book Drop-Dead Gorgeous that only thirteen perfume ingredients have been voluntarily tested by the fragrance industry, and none have been tested for their ability to cause cancer or disrupt hormone systems. The Research Institute for Fragrance Materials puts out an advisory list of ingredients that fragrance makers should avoid or use in small quantities, but compliance is entirely voluntary. A recent Environmental Working Group investigation found phthalates in every one of the 17 common perfumes it tested.
Phthalates are not necessary to any of the products in which they are used. For each type of personal care item, phthalate-free products are available -- often produced by the same company that used phthalates in another brand.
Demand a makeover! Take these actions today!
1. Live Phthalate-Free! Choose phthalate-free products and avoid those found to contain phthalates:
More By CARMELA M. FEDERICO
| Product | Contains Phthalates | Phthalate-Free |
|---|---|---|
| Hairspray | ·Aqua Net Professional Hair Spray | ·Aussie Mega Styling Spray |
| ·Herbal Essences Non Aerosol Hairspray | ·Helene Curtis Finesse Touchables Silk Protein Enriched | |
| ·Jheri Redding Finishers Flexible Hold Hairspray | ·Helene Curtis Thermasilk Heat Activated Firm Hairspray | |
| ·Pantene Pro V Strong Hold Spray | ·Suave Naturals Aloe Vera Extra Hold Hairspray | |
| ·Pantene Pro V Stronghold Healthy Hold Spray | ||
| ·Rave 4x Mega | ||
| ·Redken Cat Finishing Spritz | ||
| ·Salon Selectives Hold Tight Style Freeze Maximum Hold Finishing Spray | ||
| ·Sebastian Collection Shaper Plus | ||
| ·Suave Maximum Hold Hairspray Unscented, non-aerosol | ||
| ·Suave Naturals Extra Flexible Hold Non Aerosol Hairspray Freesia | ||
| ·TRESemme European Freeze-Hold Hair Spray | ||
| ·VO5 Crystal Clear 14 Hour Hold | ||
| ·Vidal Sassoon Microfine Mist Hair Spray, Aerosol | ||
| Deodorants | ·Arrid Extra Extra Dry Maximum Strength Solid | ·Certain Dri Anti-Perspirant Roll-On |
| ·Arrid Extra Extra Dry Ultra Clear Ultra Clean Spray | ·Dove Powder Anti-Perspirant Deodorant | |
| ·Arrid Extra Extra Dry Ultra Clear Ultra Fresh Spray | ·Lady Speed Stick Soft Solid Anti-Perspirant | |
| ·Ban Delicate Powder Roll On | ·Secret Anti-Perspirant & Deodorant Platinum Protection Ambition Scent | |
| ·Degree Original Solid Anti-Perspirant & Deodorant | ·Soft & Dri Anti-Perspirant Deodorant Clear Gel | |
| ·Degree Original Solid Anti-Perspirant & Deodorant | ||
| ·Dove Solid Anti-Perspirant Deodorant | ||
| ·Secret Sheer Dry Regular | ||
| ·Secret: Powder Fresh Aerosol | ||
| ·Sure Clear Dry Anti-Perspirant & Deodorant | ||
| Fragrances | ·Calgon Hawaiian Ginger Body Mist | ·All Environmental Working Group-tested fragrances contained phthalates |
| ·Calgon Turquoise Seas Body Lotion | ·Burt's Bees Bay Rum line of after-shave and fragrances | |
| ·Charlie Cologne Spray | ||
| ·Escape by Calvin Klein | ||
| ·Eternity by Calvin Klein | ||
| ·Fire & Ice Cologne Spray | ||
| ·Freedom | ||
| ·Jovan White Musk | ||
| ·Lancome Paris Tresor | ||
| ·Liz Claiborne Eau De Toilette Spray | ||
| ·Oscar | ||
| ·Parfums de Coeur White Tahitian Ginger Fantasy | ||
| ·Poison by Christian Dior | ||
| ·Red Door | ||
| ·The Healing Garden Pure Joy Body Treatment | ||
| ·White Diamonds Elizabeth Taylor | ||
| ·Wind Song Extraordinary Cologne by Prince | ||
| Hair Gel | ·Clairol Herbal Essences Natural Volume Body Boosting Gel | ·Physique Extra Control Structuring Gel |
| ·Dep Level 4 Shine Gel | ·Helene Curtis Thermasilk Heat Activated Mousse for Fine/Thin Hair | |
| ·LA Looks Styling Gel: Extra Super Hold | ||
| ·Suave Naturals Ocean Breeze Extra Control Spray Gel | ||
| ·TRESemme European Slick Melting Gel | ||
| ·Pantene Pro V Spray Gel Volumizing Root Lifter | ||
| Hair Mousse | ·Aussie Megahold Mousse | ·Finesse Touchables Silk Protein Enriched Mousse |
| ·Clairol Herbal Essences Styling Mousse Maximum Hold | ·L'Oreal Paris Studio Line: Springing Curls Mousse | |
| ·Helene Curtis Salon Selectives Rise Up Volumizing Mousse | ||
| ·Pantene Pro V Mousse Body Builder | ||
| Nail Polish | ·Avon beComing Radiant Long Last Nail Gloss | ·Kiss Colors Nail Polish |
| ·Cover Girl NailSlicks | ·L'Oreal Jet Set Nail Enamel | |
| ·Maybelline Express Finish Fast-Dry Nail Enamel | ·L'Oreal Jet-Set Quick Dry Nail Enamel | |
| ·Maybelline Ultimate Wear Nail Enamel | ·Maybelline Shades of Your Nail Color | |
| ·Naturistics Super Shine Nail Gloss | ·Naturistics 90 Second Dry! Super Fast Nail Color | |
| ·Oil of Olay Nail Laquer | ·Revlon Nail Enamel | |
| ·OPI Nail Laquer | ·Revlon Super Top Speed | |
| ·Orly Salon Nails French Manicure | ·Urban Decay | |
| ·Orly Salon Nails Nail Color | ||
| ·Sally Hansen Chrome Nail Makeup | ||
| ·Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Nail Polish | ||
| ·Sally Hansen Hard as Nails With Nylon Nail Polish | ||
| ·Sally Hansen Teflon Tuff Nail Color | ||
| ·Tropez Nail Enamel | ||
| ·Wet N Wild Crystalic Calcium Enriched Nail Color | ||
| ·Wet N Wild Nail Color | ||
| Hand and Body Lotion |
·Jergens Skincare Original Scent Lotion | ·Curel Soothing Hands Moisturizing Hand Lotion |
| ·Nivea Creme | ·Eucerin Dry Skin Therapy Original Moisturizing Lotion | |
| ·Burt's Bees Wings of Love tinted Moisturizer | ·Lubriderm Skin Therapy Moisturizing Lotion | |
| ·Neutrogena Hand Cream | ||
| ·Suave Naturals Sun Ripened Moisturizing Body Lotion | ||
| ·Vaseline Intensive Care Advanced Healing and Dry Skin Lotion | ||
| ·Vaseline Intensive Care Dry Skin Lotion | ||
| ·Burt's Bees Milk and Honey Lotion and Carrot Lotion | ||
| ·Burt's Bees baby diaper ointment |
Sources: Burt's Bees chemists; Poisoned Cosmetics, Not Too Pretty: The Products,
http://www.nottoopretty.org/goodbad.htm
2. Write your favorite cosmetic and personal care company to let them know you want phthalate-free products:
| Company |
Products | Address |
Phone |
Email |
Web |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alberto-Culver | TRESemme, VO5 | 2525 Armitage Avenue Melrose Park IL 60160 |
(708) 450-3163 | crelations@alberto.com | www.alberto.com |
| The Andrew Jergens Company | Ban, Jergens | 2535 Spring Grove Avenue Cincinnati OH 45214-1773 |
(800) 742-8798 | www.jergens.com | |
| AM Cosmetics, Inc. | Wet N Wild, Tropez | 100 Porete Ave. North Arlington NJ 07031 |
(201) 998-8890 | ||
| Avon Products, Inc. | Avon | 1251 Avenue of the Americas New York NY 10020 |
(212) 282-5000 | shop.avon.com | www.avon.com |
| Carter-Wallace | Arrid Extra Dry | 1345 Avenue of the Americas New York NY 10105 |
212 339-5000 | www.churchdwight.com | www.churchdwight.com |
| Cheeseborough-Ponds USA | Oil of Olay | www.olay.com | |||
| Clairol | Clairol Herbal Essences | 40 West 57th St. New York NY 10019 |
(800) CLAIROL | askclairol@clairol.com | www.clairol.com |
| Conair | Jheri Redding | 1 Cummings Point Road Stamford CT 06904 |
(203) 351-9000 | feedback@conair.com | www.conair.com |
| Coty | Calgon, Jovan | 1325 Avenue of the Americas New York NY 10019 |
(212) 479-4300 | corporate@cotyinc.com | www.coty.com |
| Del Laboratories, Inc. | Naturistics, Sally Hansen | 178 EAB Plaza Uniondale NY 11556 |
(516) 952-5080 | www.dellabs.com | |
| Elizabeth Arden | Red Door and White Diamonds (fragrances) | 200 First Stamford Place Stamford, CT 06902 |
|||
| L'Oreal | lancome, Redken, Maybelline | 575 Fifth Ave. New York NY 10017 |
(212) 818-1500 | www.loreal.com | |
| Liz Claiborne Cosmetics | Eu de Toilette Spray (fragrance) | 1441 Broadway New York NY 10018 |
(212) 354-4900 | www.lizclaiborne.com | www.lizclaiborne.com |
| Louis Vuitton | Poison by Christian Dior (fragrance) | 1 Front St. San Francisco CA 94111 |
(866) VUITTON | www.vuitton.com | |
| OPI | OPI Nail Laquer | 13034 Saticoy Street North Hollywood CA 91605 |
(800) 341-9999 | jburras@opi.com | www.opi.com |
| Orly International, Inc. | Orly Salon Nails | 21314 Lassen St. Chatsworth CA 91311 |
(818) 717-9919 | www.orlyproducts.com | www.orlyproducts.com |
| Oscar de la Renta | Oscar (fragrance) | 550 Seventh Ave. New York NY 10018 |
(212) 354-6777 | contact@oscardelarenta.com | www.oscardelarenta.com |
| Procter & Gamble | Cover Girl, Pantene, Secret, Sure, Vidal Sassoon | 1 Procter & Gamble Plaza Cincinnati OH 45202 |
(513) 983-1100 | www.pg.com | www.pg.com |
| Redmond Products | Aussie | www.aussie.com | www.aussie.com | ||
| Revlon | Charlie (fragrance) | 625 Madison Ave. New York NY 10022 |
(800) 473-8566 | www.revlon.com | |
| Schwarzkopf & DEP | DEP | Consumer Service Schwarzkopf & Henkel Postfach 130128 40551 Dusseldorf Germany |
www.henkel.com | www.henkel.com | |
| Tommy Hilfiger | Freedom (fragrance) | 767 5th Ave. New York NY 10153 |
(212) 572-4200 | www.hhilfiger.com | |
| Unilever* | Aqua Net, Degree, Dove, Calvin Klein, Helene Curtis, Salon Selectives, Suave, Wind Song (fragrance) | PO Box 68 London EC4P 4BQ United Kingdom |
+44 (0) 20 7 822-5252 | www.unilever.com | |
| Wella Group | Sebastian | Sebastian International, Inc. PO Box 4111 Woodland Hills CA 91365 |
(800) 829-7322 | info@sebastian-intl.com | www.sebastian-intl.com |
Note:
*Many of Unilever's brands also have their own websites.
3. Write the FDA [link] to demand a strict and enforced labeling requirement for phthalates and the removal of these unneeded phthalates from cosmetics.
References
·"Phthalate Phacts," www.nottoopretty.org
·"First-Time Product Tests Find Harmful Phthalates in Many Popular Fragrances, Hair Products and Deodorants," www.ewg.org/reports/nottoopretty/release_20020710.php
·"Not Too Pretty: Phthalates, Beauty Products, and the FDA," www.ewg.org/reports/NotTooPretty/NotTooPretty_final.pdf
·"Groups Seeks Ban on the Use of Phthalates in Cosmetics," Jill Carroll, The Wall Street Journal, July 10 2002, available at www.ewg.org/news/story.php?id=1076
·"Phthalates," Children's Health Environment Coalition, [link]
·Kim Erickson, Drop Dead Gorgeous, Chicago: Contemporary Books, 2002. Information on Kim Erickson available at www.creatinghealthybeauty.com/kim_erickson.htm
For Yourself | posted September 25, 2002
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