Chemical Safe Skincare Campaign

Today’s Telegraph reports that our bodies are absorbing 5lb of make-up chemicals each year.

Our own, Chemicalsafeskincare research highlighted the fact that the average woman uses 12 toiletries each day containing up to 175 chemical compounds. With up to 60% of skincare ingredients being absorbed into the body, it comes as no shock to us that our growing dependence on make-up and a multitude of scented, coloured and harsh skincare products increases our annual absorption is increasing.

Among the chemicals highlighted in today’s article include parabens which can appear on ingredient lists prefixed by terms like isobutyl, butyl, propyl and methyl. The parabens family of preservatives are harsh and can irritate sensitive skin and eczema. There is a growing awareness of parabens and fears over its safety in skincare products since they have been found in samples of breast tumours, which have not been fully explained. We believe, if it is in question, why not avoid it and choose skincare products free from parabens.

The article also identified the harsh and drying foaming agent Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) as an irritant to the skin. This ingredient is found in most household cleaning products, washing-up liquids, shampoos, shower gels and bubble baths even those for very sensitive skin!

The controversial REACH law has come into effect this month. The long debated EU law aims to protect consumers and the environment from harmful and unsafe chemicals.

REACH - Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals - will demand that cosmetic manufacturers will have to ensure that over 30,000 chemicals have been tested and reviewed by the European Chemicals Agency (EChA). The EChA will ban those that pose a significant threat and ensure that cosmetic companies use alternative and safer ingredients in their products.

While we welcome the introduction of the new REACH law, the timeline to register chemicals is very long - 11 years and many loopholes exist. For example, if a shampoo or moisturiser was manufactured outside the EU - they are not regulated under the REACH law as it only applies to products made in the EU.

This week elave skincare launched their online advertising campaign to highlight the use of chemicals in skincare products - a campaign which is close to our hearts at ChemicalSafeSkincare.

The advertisement warns of the use of ingredients in skincare products which are linked to skin conditions and even cancer. It identifies Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Parabens and Perfumes as the most common triggers for skin flare-ups.
The campaign aims to show that elave has nothing-to-hide where even the MD of the company bares all to highlight the issue - and I do mean bare all. Be warned, the clip contains nudity to highlight the issue!If you have a problem viewing the video, you can also access it here - http://www.nothing-to-hide.co.uk/movie.php and http://www.elave.co.uk/nothing-to-hide/

According to the news today, we should all be calculating our toxicsplash. That is, the number of synthetic chemicals we flush down our plughole every day, contained in household products ranging from shampoos to washing up liquid. These chemicals run into our water system and can have a detrimental effect on our health and environment. See http://www.toxicsplash.co.uk for more information.

Environmentalists are urging people to calculate their individual ‘toxic splash’ as they might their carbon footprint and take steps to reduce it by ecologically safe cleaning products and chemical safe toiletries. The research was commissioned by chemical safe skincare brand Elave http://www.elave.co.uk and involved 2,000 adults. It revealed that the average British household uses 18 toiletries and cleaning products every week.

Each of these products contains on average 10 synthetic chemicals, the net effect being that each household in Britain flushes 180 chemical compounds into the water system and environment every week.

A spokeswoman said, “Coupled with concerns about the effect of some of these chemicals on our skin and the fact that they are known triggers for many sensitive skin conditions, we recommend that consumers seek out chemical safe alternatives to their toiletries and cleaning products.”

Dr Paula Baillie-Hamilton, a visiting fellow in occupational and environmental health at Stirling University and author of Stop The 21st Century Killing You, said “Synthetic chemicals are incorporated into countless consumer products, many of which are released into our water system every time we shower, bath or clean our homes.

“Many do not break down easily, and can form dangerous compounds when they degrade. Reports suggest that there are a number of chemicals in our water, which are a threat to nature and the environment. Most worryingly, there is ample evidence which suggests that these chemicals are already disrupting hormones in wildlife at current levels of pollution.”

According to www.toxicsplash.co.uk, the chemicals in question are contained in countless items, ranging from shampoos and bubble baths to hand washes and cleaning products.

The website cites the most worrying chemicals as Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES), Formaldehyde, Chlorine and Phosphates.