Ingredients in Cosmetics Found to Be Carcinogens

While this is not the first time that the topic of whether the ingredients used in cosmetic products have damaging effects is brought up for discussion, Canada’s most recent announcement regarding it makes for a first when positive action is called for. The Chemicals Management Plan reveals that two substances found in lipstick are harmful for the environment, while other two used in the beauty industry are carcinogens.

Siloxanes D4 and D5 are employed as emollients because they act to soften the skin and, as such, are included in most lipcare products in Canada and the US. They are not believed to be damaging for the skin, but recent findings indicate that, because of the large quantities they are currently being used in, they are extremely harmful for the environment.

When discarded, they persist in the surrounding medium and accumulate up the food chain, to the detriment of fish and aquatic organisms, it is said, which is why Canada is now asking for concentration limits to be set into place to prevent this from happening from now on.

If D4 and D5, which are also used in countless other goods (such as textiles, paints and coatings, antiperspirants, sealants, lubricants, plastics, food additives and medical devices, according to the report), are not damaging for the human skin, then other two ingredients found in cosmetic products certainly are. The report also unveils that isoprene and epichlorohydrin, two components now used in beauty products, are carcinogens. This is why Canada is currently seeking to include them on the Cosmetic Ingredients Hotlist, so as to avoid their future use in such merchandise.

Speaking of the findings, Environment Minister Jim Prentice and Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq have drawn attention to the serious risks these four ingredients bring to the quality of life. Measures have to be taken to prevent their future use, and they need to be resorted to as soon as possible, they maintain. “The government of Canada is doing its part to protect Canada’s environment from the harmful effects of chemical substances. This work means that harmful substances will be stopped from entering the environment and becoming a problem for future generations.” Prentice argues in relation to the findings on D4 and D5.

“The Chemicals Management Plan is an important part of our actions to protect Canadians’ health. These substances have been carefully reviewed by our scientists, and we have proposed several actions that will better protect the health of families and our environment.” Aglukkaq adds, speaking solely of the two carcinogens now used in cosmetic products.