Beware of 8 carcinogenic uses of cosmetics

The American Herbal Association believes that more than 60% of skin care ingredients will enter the body through the surface of the skin. In other words, if cosmetics contain toxic or synthetic ingredients, they will increase the burden on detoxification organs such as the heart, liver, and kidneys, thereby endangering health. A British research report released in October last year pointed out that British women use the most cosmetics among all European countries, spending about 6.4 billion pounds on various cosmetics last year. They use an average of 12 types of cosmetics every day, containing at least 175 chemicals. The average person absorbs about 2.25 kg of chemicals through the skin or mouth each year. Therefore, if cosmetics are used improperly or abused, they will endanger health. At the very least, they will irritate the human skin, and at worst, they will cause "cosmetic dermatitis" or even induce cancer and endanger life. In that case, cosmetics will not only not achieve the results of beauty, but will become a trap for beauty treatments. It can be said that cosmetics are a fatal temptation!

Temptation 1: Makeup and makeup removal

Cosmetics contain a variety of chemicals, the most worrying of which are preservatives belonging to the hydroxybenzoic acid class. Statistics show that 99% of makeup products and 77% of makeup removers contain hydroxybenzoic acid. Hydroxybenzoic acid can disrupt hormones. Evidence suggests that they mimic the female hormone estrogen, which, if women are exposed to it over a lifetime, may increase their risk of breast cancer. A study shows that hydroxybenzoic acid appears in up to 90% of breast cancer tissue samples and may also harm male reproductive ability.

Most of the flavors and pigments contained in cosmetics are artificial synthetic products made from coal tar, some of which are carcinogenic. Some hormone cosmetics also seriously affect human health. For example, hormone skin care creams can make the skin appear temporarily white, tender and smooth, but once they are discontinued, more wrinkles will appear, and the skin will look drier and older. Eyelid creams and face creams contain talc, whose molecules are very similar to asbestos. When used, it escapes into the air and enters the lungs with breathing, which can cause respiratory problems, asthma, and even lung cancer.

Another tricky chemical is the antibacterial and insecticide triclosan. It is widely used in toothpaste, soap, household cleaning products and body wash. Triclosan belongs to a class of chlorophenols that may cause cancer.

Temptation 2: Hair Dyeing

Long-term and frequent use of hair dye may cause permanent damage to the human body. Because in the hair dyeing process, a large amount of oxidizing agents such as hydrogen peroxide, reducing agents such as sodium hyposulfite, formaldehyde or sodium bisulfite are used, which will cause certain damage to the hair and scalp, causing scalp pityriasis (dandruff), scalp seborrheic dermatitis and contact dermatitis. Benzene chemicals and heavy metal salts in hair dyes can also be absorbed through the skin. After repeated exposure to these substances for a long time, these toxic substances accumulate in the body and damage the hematopoietic, liver, kidney and other systems, causing permanent damage to the human body.

Therefore, studies have found that common mutagenic substances contained in hair dye can be found in the urine of women who dye their hair, suggesting the possibility of hair dye causing cancer after being absorbed by the hair. The American Cancer Society recently conducted a survey of 13,000 women who dyed their hair and found that their risk of leukemia was 3.8 times that of women who did not dye their hair. Moreover, women who use hair dye have a 70% increased chance of developing lymphoma.

Temptation 3: Perm

The principle of perming is to use strong alkaline perming agents to destroy the tissue bonds of the hair and form a new hairstyle. If you perm your hair when it is of poor quality, the chemicals will cause greater harm to your hair.

The main ingredients of perm agents are thioglycolic acid and p-phenylenediamine. Thioglycolic acid substances can easily penetrate the body through the skin. They are highly irritating to the skin and mucous membranes, have a strong destructive effect on the surface of hair, and are mutagenic. Paraphenylenediamine is a toxic substance that is highly irritating, allergic and toxic to the human body. It can cause allergies, increased scalp and even hair loss. Long-term use can accumulate and cause greater harm to the human body, and can even cause skin cancer, leukemia, bladder cancer and other cancers.

Temptation 4: Whitening and freckle removal

In order to achieve the specific effect of whitening and removing freckles, whitening and removing freckles cosmetics often add some special functional ingredients, such as kojic acid, which can inhibit the activity of tyrosinase in the human body, thereby controlling the pigmentation of the skin. However, excessive dosage of kojic acid will cause white spots on the skin and accompanied by irritation, and the chemical properties of kojic acid itself are also unstable. The pyran in the kojic acid molecular formula is a directional compound like benzene, and theoretically it is as carcinogenic as benzene; the hydroxyl group in kojic acid can also cause the accumulation of free radicals in the human body, which is also carcinogenic. Therefore, the Japanese government banned the import and production of cosmetics containing kojic acid.

In addition, whitening and freckle-removing cosmetics contain lead, mercury, fruit acid, etc. These special ingredients are highly irritating and dangerous. In order to achieve better publicity effects, some unscrupulous businesses often add excessive amounts of heavy metals to cosmetics. For example, excessive amounts of metallic mercury can enhance the whitening and freckle-removing effects. In fact, the state stipulates that the mercury content of cosmetics shall not exceed 1 mg/kg, the arsenic content shall not exceed 10 mg/kg, and the lead content shall not be higher than 40 mg/kg. Exceeding the standard can easily cause poisoning and lead to symptoms such as neurasthenia, fatigue, insomnia, irritability (mercury), or pigmentation, pain (arsenic) and constipation, anemia (lead).

Temptation 5: Beautiful lips

Most women like to use lipstick and lip gloss to beautify their lips, but they should also be careful to prevent health hazards when using lipstick and lip gloss.

The main ingredients of lipstick are lanolin, wax and dye. Due to the complex composition of lanolin, it can easily cause allergic reactions, such as cracking and peeling of the lip mucosa, and sometimes itchy or slight pain in the lips. Lanolin also has strong adsorption properties and can adsorb dust, bacteria, viruses and some heavy metal ions in the air onto the lip mucosa. The alkaline frankincense in lipstick, the azure crimson and flame red in rouge are all highly carcinogenic. Coal tar and other dyes used in all lipsticks are terrible carcinogens, and the amount of this substance contained in lipsticks has far exceeded the amount allowed in food. However, non-fading lipsticks contain strong fixatives that make the pigment adhere to the lips, so you must be more careful.

Human lips have mucous membrane tissue, which has a certain ability to absorb harmful substances and prevent them from invading the body. At the same time, when people are talking, drinking tea, or eating, they will inevitably bring lipstick, lip gloss, and other items attached to their lips into their mouths inadvertently, allowing them to directly enter the human body and thus endanger their health. According to relevant foreign data, among young female cancer patients, 18.2% of the causes are related to the application of lipstick.

Temptation 6: Big Breasts

Most breast enlargement creams contain hormones such as "diethylstilbestrol". Although they can make the breasts enlarge rapidly, firm and elastic, and women with flat chests will see obvious effects after using them, this effect is only short-lived. Frequent use will cause estrogen to accumulate in the deep layers of the skin, which can cause endocrine disorders, irregular menstruation, pigmentation, skin atrophy, etc. Especially for young girls with normal menstruation, there is no lack of estrogen in their bodies. If they use large amounts of estrogen artificially for the purpose of breast enlargement, it will inhibit the secretion of estrogen in their own body, which will backfire and inhibit the development of breasts. For women with a family history of breast cancer or cervical cancer, the risk of cancer may be increased. Use during pregnancy may also increase the chance of cancer in the fetus.

Temptation 7: Manicure

Since ancient times, nail decoration has been an important part of female beauty. Improper application of nail polish may also irritate the nail groove and cause damage such as paronychia.

Nail polish is mainly composed of three parts: pigment, solvent and penetration enhancer. Conventional nail polish formulas generally include the following ingredients: pigment, nitrocellulose, acetyl tributyl citrate, phthalate, ethyl acetate, butyl acetate, ethanol, and toluene. Among them, pigments are made by firing potassium silicate, magnesium oxide, iron oxide, aluminum oxide, etc. according to the required color. Certain pigments, solvents and penetration enhancers in nail polish, such as ethanol, benzene, ketones, etc., can damage the nail plate if used for a long time, leading to brittle nails, longitudinal ridges, yellow nails, nail malnutrition and other damages. Improper application may also irritate the nail groove and cause damage such as paronychia. Long-term use of benzene and parabens may cause damage to the respiratory system and are suspected to be carcinogenic.

In addition, many women like to change their nail polish frequently, and before using new nail polish, they usually use nail polish remover to remove the previously applied nail polish. Nail polish removers are generally composed of strong organic solvents such as acetone, ethyl ketone, and ethanol. Their use will also cause greater damage to the nails.

Temptation 8: Wearing perfume

It takes at least 5,000 chemical ingredients to make fragrances. Each perfume contains more than 600 chemical ingredients. Among these more than 5,000 chemical ingredients, less than 20% have been tested for toxicity, and the results show that they are all toxic and are listed as dangerous goods by many countries. Studies have shown that the chemicals in fragrances are harmful to your health, especially your skin, lungs and brain. Many people complain of side effects such as urticaria and dermatitis after using fragrances. Fragrances have a great impact on patients with chronic lung diseases, especially asthma. According to statistics, in the United States alone, up to 75% (approximately 9 million patients) of asthma cases are triggered by perfume.

Ecotoxicologists believe that the artificial musk contained in perfume can completely deprive human cells of their ability to defend against foreign harmful substances. For this reason, experts remind people that although perfume smells good, it is harmful to health. Germany already has a voluntary ban on synthetic fragrances in effect; in Japan, most synthetic chemical fragrances, such as artificial musks, have been banned.

The volatile aromatic hydrocarbons contained in perfume are very harmful to the human body. The latest research shows that the linalool component rich in perfume or other fragrances can induce depression, frustration and even endanger life. In particular, some unqualified and low-quality perfumes not only have inferior and harmful raw materials, but the manufacturing process of these perfumes often fails to meet hygiene standards. Using such perfumes can make people feel dizzy and nauseous more easily, and long-term use may cause serious consequences, such as dull sense of smell and weakened vision. The harmful chemical components of perfume will pollute the air breathed by children around you. Over time, it may cause children to have difficulty concentrating, learning disabilities, excessive activity, and in severe cases, it may induce convulsions, developmental delays and other consequences.