In our fast paced lifestyles we often pay little attention to the quality and ingredients of our hygiene products. But there are some harmful skin care ingredients in some cosmetic products that are starting to cause concern. Ingredients like butylparaben and methylparaben have raised eyebrows. These ingredients have been linked to breast cancer in women and are now regarded as an ingredient to avoid. As much as 99% of women with breast cancer have parabens in their body. Methylparabens and butylparabens help inhibit bacterial growth in cosmetic products. This would seem like a good thing right? But because of the link between parabens and cancer many customers are now shopping for paraben free products. Cosmetic companies are catching on and leaving parabens out of their ingredients but they are replacing parabens with an equally harmful ingredient called methylisothiazolinone or MI for short.
MI has long been used to deter bacteria growth just like parabens. Regulatory authorities in both the U.S and Europe have deemed MI as safe and non-toxic. But real life application is showing how truly harmful MI is to customers’ skin. Many people are reporting severe allergic reactions to MI including swelling of the face. The allergic reactions have gotten so out of control that dermatologists are pleading for an immediate ban of MI. “We are in the midst of an outbreak of allergies to a preservative which we have not seen before in terms of scale in our lifetime,” says Dr. John McFadden, a consultant dermatologist at St. John’s Institute of Dermatology in London in an interview with Telegraph. He also urges cosmetic companies to not wait for legislation and remove this ingredient from their products before the situations gets worse.
The use of MI in cosmetic products has gone up by 2,500 percent according to IB Times and Telegraph. This increase in the use of MI is a cause for alarm. In a letter to the European Commision the President of the European Society of Contact Dermatitis (ESCD) Margarida Goncalo said “This new epidemic of allergic contact dermatitis from isothiazolinones is causing harm to European citizens. Urgent action is required.” Not only is MI causing harm to your skin if you use it in products but it can also cause harm to other parts of your body. According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a consumer watchdog organization, MI is moderately hazardous, having been linked to various allergies and immune disorders. Studies identified by the group also link MI to brain cell damage, and the chemical has been implicated in causing nerve damage in humans.
Many so called natural products include MI and advertise themselves as paraben free, however MI is a harmful skin care ingredient as well. There are brands that are dermatologist approved that do not contain allergy inducing ingredients. LifeCell skin care is one of these brands that have made all of their products paraben and MI free as well as hypoallergenic, South Beach Skincare did an extensive research when formulating all LifeCell products. Using products like these can help you avoid dermal issues and skin allergies. In our fast paced lifestyles it is wiser to check the ingredients in our cosmetics before the damage happens rather than after. You can turn to websites like the Good Guide.com which has a list of all the brands known to have MI in their formulas which include brands like Olay, Neutrogena, Keihl’s and more.
Sources:
“Worry About Parabens.” http://www.realsimple.com/beauty-fashion/skincare/worry-about-parabens-00000000028428/
“Link Between Parabens and Cancer.” http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/04/02/toxic-parabens-on-breast-cancer-patients.aspx
