Avoid the Carcinogen 1,4 Dioxane
A startling percentage of personal care products currently on the market are contaminated by a highly toxic chemical. The FDA is not doing its part in preventing 1,4 Dioxane contamination in many of the products consumers are using every day. How can you know if this ingredient is in your household and personal care products?
Recent studies have shown the presence of the carcinogen 1 ,4 Dioxane in 22% of cosmetic products currently listed in the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep database. It is present in 97% of hair relaxers tested and an unsettling 57% of baby soaps. Further concern is prompted considering these products are not required to list this toxic substance as an ingredient. As such, it is almost impossible for consumers to know with certainty whether or not they are being exposed to 1,4 Dioxane through the cosmetics and household cleaners they use.
1, 4 Dioxane is a petroleum derivative. It is a colorless, transparent, and unstable liquid that dissolves easily in water. This product is mainly used as a solvent in textiles, electronics, varnishes, dyes, resins, lacquers, automotive coolant, waxes, and paints. Sadly, it’s also present in small quantities in many mainstream cosmetic and household products.
1,4 Dioxane has the ability to affect consumer health in several ways. It it known to encourage the formation of tumors with the nasal cavity and liver exhibiting the greatest vulnerability. It is also linked to birth defects, skin and lung irritation, kidney disease and diminished nervous system function.
It is highly unlikely that consumers will develop cancer or other severe health problems as a result of 1,4 Dioxane contamination in a single product. However, because consumers use multiple products each day that may or may not contain this carcinogen, it is almost impossible to calculate the actual level of exposure.
Until the FDA requires companies to either disclose the presence of 1,4 Dioxane in their formulations or remove it completely, the responsibility of avoiding it falls entirely on the consumer. Although there is no fully reliable method currently available to consumers, there are certain ingredients more likely than others to indicate 1,4 Dioxane contamination. Examine the ingredient labels on your shampoos, cosmetics and other personal products. Avoid petrochemical ingredients, including any with names including PEG, polyethylene, polyethylene glycol, oxynol, ceteareth and ingredient suffixes such as oleth, and eth. If in doubt, research the ingredient further through the cosmetic database. In many cases, the information provided will indicate the likelihood that the ingredient is linked to 1,4 Dioxane contamination.
