A lot of attention has been paid to forever chemicals in water and food, but did you also know what you are putting in them? on your body can be as dangerous as what you put into it in It.
There are a wide variety of cosmetic and personal hygiene products that Americans use to prevent sweating, shave beards, and get that pesky popcorn kernel off their teeth.
But dozens of these products – and others like them – have been found to contain harmful PFAS, “forever chemicals” and other cancer-causing ingredients.
Consumer watchdog group Mamavation and the Environmental Working Group tested hundreds of products and analyzed their ingredients, ranging from foods to sunscreens, makeup, body washes and contact lenses.
They found dangerously high levels of harmful ingredients in items in several categories.
Below, a chart from DailyMail.com shows which of Americans’ favorite products could be slowly poisoning them.
Hundreds of products have been found to contain PFAS, ‘forever chemicals’ and other cancer-causing ingredients
PFAS, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a group of thousands of substances known as forever chemicals. They are microscopic compounds that take thousands of years to break down in the environment or the human body.
They are found in textiles, nonstick cookware, clothing, grease-resistant food packaging and personal care products. These products can easily enter the body after contact with them.
Other types of forever chemicals include thousands that do not occur in nature and are almost impossible for the body to eliminate.
There is no safe exposure to forever chemicals or PFAS and they have been linked to multiple cancers, asthma, fertility problems, obesity, birth defects, diabetes and autism.
One of the most common ways to test for the presence of PFAS in products is to measure the presence of organic fluorine, a chemical known to contain PFAS.
For people who use tampons or pads, Mamavation’s popular Playtex tampons, Always panty liners and Carefree panty liners have all tested positive for organic fluoride
Bandages made by the popular brand Band Aid were found to contain between 188 ppm and 262 ppm organic fluorine
Most people start their days by brushing their teeth, showering, or putting on makeup, but with each step of their routine, exposure to harmful chemicals increases.
Putting in contact lenses is the first step of the morning routine for tens of millions of Americans.
But lens wearers should be warned that some of the most popular brands on the market contain worryingly high levels of PFAS.
Of the eight brands of contact lenses Mamavation tested, the parts per million of organic fluorine was almost 21,000.
Values ranged from 4,700 ppm for Coopervision’s lenses to 20,700 ppm for Alcon’s colored lenses.
The effects of PFAS on the eyes are still unclear, although some research suggests it may increase the risk of vision disorders and some eye diseases.
Next in a typical morning routine is maintaining oral health, but flossing twice a day can expose you to cancer-causing chemicals.
Tests with Oral B’s Pro-Health Deep Clean Floss showed the product contained more than 70,000 ppm organic fluorine.
After you’ve taken care of your teeth, hop in the shower, squeeze the body wash onto a loofah and start lathering up.
But if soaps from the popular brand Olay are your first choice, you’re exposing yourself to an irritant called methylisothiazolinone.
This ingredient is a chemical preservative similar to PFAS that is used to kill or control harmful microorganisms. However, it can cause chemical burns and serious skin irritations.
A common ingredient in sunscreens is homosalate – found in Banana Boat’s children’s sunscreens and Hawaiian Tropic’s Weightless Hydration sunscreen
For people who want to smell fresh all day long, reaching for an antiperspirant or deodorant comes with risks.
Popular brands of the products, including those from Degree, Right Guard and Secret, contain PFAS and the carcinogenic ingredients talc, BHT and decamethylcyclopentasiloxane, also called cyclopentasiloxane or D5.
D5 can release formaldehyde, which has been shown in some studies to contribute to leukemia and nasopharyngeal cancer. BHT has been linked to liver, thyroid and kidney problems, as well as reduced lung function, in animal studies.
And talc is the ingredient at the center of the Johnson & Johnson lawsuits, in which plaintiffs allege the company’s talc-based products have caused a wide range of cancers.
For people who use tampons or pads, Mamavation found that the popular Playtex tampons, Always panty liners and Carefree panty liners all tested positive for organic fluoride.
Playtex sport contained 19 ppm, while the Always liners contained 21 ppm of the chemicals and the Carefree product contained 17 ppm.
Other women’s products with dangerous ingredients include mascaras from Covergirl and Maybelline, which contain Teflon, a type of forever chemical, and the hormone-disrupting chemical propylparaben.
Your first aid kit may also contain some risky chemicals.
Bandages made by the popular brand Band-Aid were found to contain between 188 ppm and 262 ppm organic fluorine.
And every doctor will tell patients how important it is to apply SPF to protect against skin cancer or melanoma.
But some popular brands also contain potentially harmful chemicals.
For example, a common ingredient in sunscreens is homosalate, which can be found in Banana Boat and Sport Ultra children’s sunscreens, as well as Hawaiian Tropic’s Weightless Hydration sunscreen.
Homosalate is a UV radiation filter and although it protects against the sun, it acts as a potential endocrine disruptor. Some studies show that it disrupts hormones.
Homosalate mainly affects the estrogen system, which allows breast cancer cells to grow and multiply.
PFAS and forever chemicals are ubiquitous in the lives of people around the world.
They’re even in clothing and bedding, and while it may seem impossible to avoid them, experts offer several tips to reduce exposure.
Dr. Mark Howell, disease burden researcher at the University of South Florida, wrote for Consumer Notice to look for ‘PFAS-free’ labels on beauty and personal care products, reduce fast food intake and drink filtered water.
Other advice includes avoiding substances that advertise themselves as stain-resistant and avoiding waterproof or ‘long-lasting’ cosmetics.