[ Natural Consumer Products Found Contaminated with Cancer-Causing

[Guest guest]

Can't trust

anybody....

 

Natural Consumer Products Found Contaminated with Cancer-Causing

1,4-Dioxane in Groundbreaking Analysis Released by

OCA

by Mike Adams

A cancer-causing compound called 1,4-dioxane has been found in some of

the most commonly used petroleum-based cosmetics by a study commissioned

by the Organic Consumers Association, including products from Kiss My

Face, Nutribiotic, Jason, Ecover, Citrus Magic, 365, Alba, Lifetree,

Giovanni, Seventh Generation, Method, Earth Friendly Products, Sea-Chi

Organics and many other brands . 1,4-dioxane (often just called dioxane)

is a clear, colorless, organic compound that's a liquid at room

temperature and is a known human

carcinogen.

 

The study was conducted by the Organic Consumers Association

(www.OrganicConsumers.org)

in conjunction with Dr. Bronner's

(www.DrBronner.com) and David

Steinman, author of The Safe Shopper's Bible. It sought to

determine the levels of 1,4-Dioxane in one hundred different

consumer

products, ranging from dish soaps to shower gels. Around fifty of the

products tested were found to be contaminated with 1,4-Dioxane, while

another fifty (or so) were found to be free of the cancer-causing

chemical.

Companies whose products were found to be free of 1,4-Dioxane include Dr.

Bronner's, Aubrey Organics, Burt's Bees, Desert Essence, Dr. Hauschka,

EO, TerrEssential, Zia Fresh, Avalon Organics and other

companies.

Some companies had products in both categories, meaning some of their

products were found to be contaminated with 1,4-Dioxane while other

products from the same company were found to be free of 1,4-Dioxane.

These companies included Alba, Jason, Kiss my Face, Method, Nature's

Gate, Origins, Shikai and others.

In response to the results indicating the contamination of many consumer

care products, the Organic Consumers Association's Executive Director,

Ronnie Cummins, said, " The labeling and formulation practices of

these companies are so unsupportable, we wonder sometimes if the garbage

manager is in charge of the products development and

R & D. "

Ronnie Cummins took part in a press conference yesterday that announced

the findings. NaturalNews was there to record the press conference, and

we've posted the 28-minute announcement as an audio file (MP3) at:

 

http://www.naturalnews.com/Index-Podcasts.html (see

Health Ranger

Report #12). We also took numerous photos, which we'll be posted in a

follow-up article on this topic. Also, we're conducting a live interview

with Ronnie Cummins today, and we'll be posted the complete audio of that

interview shortly.

 

 

The toxicity of 1,4-Dioxane

1,4-Dioxane is classified as an ether

and is a known eye and respiratory tract irritant that readily penetrates

the skin. The chemical is primarily used in solvent applications during

manufacturing. Most notably, it appears as an accidental byproduct of the

ethoxylation process in

cosmetics

manufacturing. It often appears as a chemical contaminant in cosmetics

and

personal

care products such as deodorants, shampoos, toothpastes and

mouthwashes.

 

The National Toxicology Program considers dioxane to be a known animal

carcinogen. The Environmental Protection Agency classifies this

cancer-causing petrochemical as a probable human carcinogen, based on the

" induction of nasal cavity and liver carcinomas in multiple strains

of rats, liver carcinomas in mice, and gall bladder carcinomas in guinea

pigs, " according to a 2003 EPA report. Common sense tells us that

the chemical is also carcinogenic to humans. Conducting such tests on

humans to determine the actual level of carcinogenicity, however, would

be highly unethical, so those tests have not been done. That's why

1,4-Dioxane is technically called a " probable " human

carcinogen. But everybody in the industry knows it's a cancer-causing

chemical.

Dioxane is on California's Proposition 65 list of chemicals known or

suspected by the state to cause

cancer or birth

defects. According to researchers at the Environmental Working Group

(EWG), a recent assessment of ingredients in 15,000 cosmetics and other

personal care products found that 22 % of all products may be

contaminated with 1,4-dioxane. The group's research on personal care

products is available at

 

http://www.ewg.org/reports/skindeep

 

 

Cosmetics: An industry of

death

Based on the presence of dioxane in

common ingredients of a wide array of products that the cosmetics

industry uses, an EWG analysis of government and industry sources shows

that at least 146 cosmetic ingredients may contain harmful impurities

linked to systematic cancer and other serious health impacts.

A 2004 online survey found that 20% of people who use cosmetics and

personal care products every day are potentially exposed to all of the

top seven carcinogenic impurities -- hydroquinone, ethylene dioxide,

1,4-dioxane, formaldehyde, nitrosamines, PAHs, and acrylamide.

All of these chemicals are common in personal care products, yet none are

restricted by government safety standards. In other words, it's

perfectly legal for cosmetic companies to poison the population with

known

 

cancer-causing chemicals, all with the nod of approval from

the

FDA.

Of the potential contaminants in

cosmetic

products, hydroquinone was ranked the leader in impurities, as it is

often found in products used daily by 94% of women and 69% of men. This

chemical is currently under review by the FDA.

 

 

Cancer-causing chemicals in " organic " and

" natural " products

What these recent findings by the

 

Organic Consumers Association reveal, however, is that 1,4-Dioxane is

not only found in conventional consumer care products; it's also found in

so-called " natural " or " organic " products. Even the

Whole Foods 365 brand was found to be contaminated with 1,4-Dioxane,

along with the Jason brand, Kiss My Face and many others.

This, says Cummins, is a great disservice to the natural products

industry and the consumers who support the industry. When consumers shop

for " natural " or " organic " products, they pay a

premium, and they expect those products to be free of cancer-causing

chemical contaminants like 1,4-Dioxane.

These findings underscore the importance of researching the companies and

products you're buying, even if they claim to be " organic " or

" natural. "

 

 

How to tell if they're safe

How can consumers tell if products are

truly free from 1,4-Dioxane? As David Steinman noted in the press

conference, all the products tested that carried

the USDA Organic

seal of approval were found to be free from 1,4-Dioxane. So looking

for the USDA certified

organic seal is currently the best way to protect yourself from this

cancer-causing chemical.

Also, the OCA has urged consumers to read ingredients labels, and avoid

all consumer care products made with the following ingredients (or words

in the ingredients):

• Myreth

• Oleth

• Laureth

• Cateareth (or other " eth " )

• PEG

• Polyethylene

• Polethylene Glycol

• Polyoxyethylene

• Oxynol

Read more from the OCA at

www.OrganicConsumers.org

 

 

 

Zero safety testing required for cosmetic

ingredients

The FDA currently does not require

safety testing of cosmetic products or their ingredients. The cosmetic

industry polices the safety of its own products, and this safety panel is

run and funded by the industry's trade association. In other words, very

little testing actually occurs because the government does not mandate

this testing, and potentially hazardous ingredients can slip through the

cracks. There is also no financial incentive for the cosmetic industry to

raise questions about the safety of its own products.

Contamination with 1,4 dioxane is shockingly widespread. It is found

in:

• 97% of hair relaxers

• 82% of hair dyes and bleaching

• 66% of hair removers

• 57% of baby soap

• 45% of sunless tanning products

• 43% of body firming lotion

• 36% of hormonal creams

• 36% of facial moisturizers

• 35% of anti-aging products

• 34% of body lotion

• 33% of around-eye creams

Recent laboratory tests " revealed the presence of 1,4-Dioxane in

products such as Hello Kitty Bubble Bath, Huggies Baby Wash, Johnson's

Baby Wash, Scooby-Doo Bubble Bath and Sesame Street Bubble Bath. The

tests also found the carcinogen in Clairol Herbal Essences Shampoo, Olay

Complete Body Wash and many other personal care products, " according

to a Feb. 2007 EWG press release.

The FDA has been measuring 1,4-dioxane levels since 1979, but because the

agency has little authority or enforcement capacity over the cosmetics

industry, it has worked with manufacturers to reduce levels on a

voluntary basis only.

" Regrettably, 1,4-Dioxane contamination is just the tip of the

iceberg, " said Jeanne Rizzo, R.N., executive director of the Breast

Cancer Fund which is a founding member of the Campaign for Safe

Cosmetics. " Because the FDA does not require cosmetics products to

be approved as safe before they are sold, companies can put unlimited

amounts of

toxic

chemicals in cosmetics. "

I strongly recommend that consumers choose products free of these

chemicals and impurities. To avoid 1,4-dioxane, read the ingredients and

avoid any of the 56 cosmetic ingredients that can contain the

contaminant, including " sodium laureth sulfate " and ingredients

whose names include " PEG, " " xynol, "

" ceteareth, " and " oleth. "

Be sure to listen to the full press conference of this groundbreaking

announcement at:

 

http://www.naturalnews.com/Index-Podcasts.html

 

 

Straight talk: the Health Ranger's opinion on all

this

Let's be honest here: Many of the

so-called " organic " product companies are frauds. They put the

word " organic " or " natural " in their company name or

product names, but in reality, they're using cheap, low-grade,

contaminated ingredients that actually promote cancer. These companies

should be ashamed of their behavior.

I urge NaturalNews readers to boycott the companies whose products

were found to be contaminated with 1,4-dioxane. When these companies

apologize for their behavior, recall their products, and reformulate

their products to be free of this cancer-causing chemical, then we can

lift the boycott on their products. But for now, I urge all NaturalNews

readers to boycott the Jason brand of products, Earth Friendly Products,

Alba, Method, Giovanni and even Nutribiotic (which is a company that

makes other products I fully support, actually). These companies need to

clean up their act and eliminate 1,4-dioxane from their consumer

products.

There is no excuse for putting " natural " products on the

market that are contaminated with 1,4-dioxane. These companies have

been caught like Gov. Spitzer, except that their products are screwing

everybody! They need to apologize, announce programs to eliminate

1,4-dioxane, and work to regain consumer trust. Until they are willing to

do that, I say avoid their products.

In the mean time, use the

soap I've always

recommended: Dr. Bronner's. There no soap more honest, pure and natural.

Dr. Bronner's has remained on the top of my list of recommended products

for years, and as these recent test results show, Dr. Bronner's soap is

not contaminated with 1,4-dioxane.