I did not come from an affluent background and so the majority of my upbringing I settled with what I believed were "subpar" beauty products; whatever the Walmart special happened to be. I used the run of the mill Suave shampoo and Degree deodorant. I remember thinking, "Man, when I am older and have my own money, I am going to buy all the expensive beauty products that money can afford. I will spoil myself silly!" I recognize now that back then I was probably naive about those products and mistaken about the quality and potential risks that their use could potentially have.
I am now in my mid twenties, have a stable job, and have some disposable income that I choose to spend on more expensive beauty products. I am about half way through Silent Spring and I have already become somewhat paranoid of not only my environment but also of the food and products that I expose myself to on a daily basis.
For module two I had no problem finding two products to research on the Skindeep Cosmetic Database website. It is a bit scary, but the first two products I chose from my bathroom popped up on in the database. I, like many twenty-something Millennials, am a huge fan of Jennifer Aniston. I grew up watching her as Rachel on Friends and have always admired her hair and skin. I have been in awe of how elegantly she has aged and her near wrinkle free skin. I researched her heavily and found out that she has her own line of beauty products. While expensive, I decided to treat myself about eight months ago to both her shampoo and her daily moisturizer. By purchasing these products, I realize I have opened myself up to more than just clean hair and supple skin.
Jennifer Aniston's line of shampoo, Living Proof, has a rating of a 5 which is a moderate overall hazard. This rating is based limited data and was last updated in July of 2013. The biggest concerns with the shampoo are with the ingredients, especially the fragrance. The fragrance itself has an 8 rating and is considered a high hazard. Additionally, the fragrance can cause irritation to the skin, eyes or lungs, induce an allergic reaction/immune response, and has potential organ system toxicity (non-reproductive).
Among the list of ingredients (beyond the fragrance) found in my shampoo include the following: methylchloroisothiazolianonaine, PEG-7 Glyceryl cocoate, Cocamindopropyl betaine, PEG-150 pentaerythrityl Tetrasterate, PEG-6 Caprylic/Capricglyerate, Lactaminde MEA, Tetrasodium etra, and hydrolyzed wheat protein. All the ingredients are known to be harmful to multiple organs and may cause immune responses. All of these concerns are based on a "fair" amount of data. I do know that some of these ingredients contain derivatives of nitrates. Nitrates are found in certain types of lunch meat which women are advised to avoid during pregnancy.
I was shocked at the findings of my moisturizer. It has a rating of a high hazard! The fragrance is listed as a known irritant to the eyes, skin, and lungs. The oxybenzone ingredient is listed as causing biochemical and even cellular level changes. Methylchloroisothiazolianonaine is also found in my moisturizer and has the same effects that it has when used in shampoo: harm to multiple organs and causing an immune response. Titanium dioxide, octinate homosalate, and octisalate are all listed as active ingredients with concerns for cancer, enhanced skin absorption, biochemical or cellular level changes, and allergies/immunotoxicity.
For the past eight months, I have been suffering from a rash. My doctor diagnosed it as a "stress" rash. I can't help but think that I have absorbed a tremendous amount of chemicals from my moisturizer and shampoo and that this is what is causing my rash. All the available research suggests that the hive like rash I have experienced is very difficult to pinpoint the exact cause. With the knowledge that I have gained through this module, I have chosen to discard my beauty products. I am going to investigate all my beauty products and eliminate the ones with known hazards or concerns. I may end up using nothing at all! This has also shown me that famous and more expensive is clearly not better or less toxic. Looks like I have a busy few weeks ahead of me attempting to find less chemically hazardous beauty products :)
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