Helpful or Harmful - Decoding Cosmetics Labels

originally given as a talk at Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institute

There are known knowns; 

there are things we know that we know.

There are known unknowns;

 that is to say there are things that, we now know we don't know.

But there are also unknown unknowns

– there are things we do not know, we don't know.

US Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld speaking in 2002 

Donald Rumsfeld was talking about the problems of knowing whether the Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, but the same principle applies to many areas of knowledge.  The more we think we know about the human body, the more we find out how much we don't know.

Nefertiti was Queen of Egypt around 1500 BC.  Sometimes described as the most beautiful woman of all time, she used cosmetics made from animal and plant oils, fragranced with herbs, to protect the skin against the sun and wind.

The black kohl, used as a traditional eyeliner, contained lead chlorides.  Recent research by French researchers has shown that these compounds would have been very effective against eye infections, so the cosmetics may have offered health benefits as well.





Fashions change, and in the time of Queen Elizabeth I, pale skin was fashionable.  Unfortunately, the white lead used to create the 'look' was poisonous, and often led to skin problems, madness and infertility.



Today, in the 21st century, we know better - or do we?  The latest fad in New York is the so-called "Geisha Facial"  which is a mask made from Nightingale droppings, and in Spain they use Caracoles - Snail Slime - as a cosmetic ingredient.  Many products on sale in the UK, even some that are medically licensed,  are made with white paraffin or mineral oil, or contain known irritants such as SLS (Sodium Lauryl Sulphate).  Mercury is banned in cosmetics in the US and the EU, but it is still used, mainly as a skin lightener in Mexico and some Asian countries.

In the EU, the manufacture and Sale of Cosmetics is governed by the Cosmetics Regulations.  A cosmetic is defined as

"any substance or preparation intended to be placed in contact with the various external parts of the human body (epidermis, hair system, nails, lips and external genital organs) or with the teeth and the mucous membranes of the oral cavity with a view exclusively or mainly to cleaning them, perfuming them, changing their appearance, correcting body odours, protecting them, or keeping them in good condition except where such cleaning, perfuming, protecting, changing, keeping or correcting is wholly for the purpose of treating or preventing disease."

We can see that this definition covers must products used for skin and body care, except those having a primarily medical (treatment or prevention of disease) function.  If the main purpose of the product is to change the appearance, protect or keep in good condition then it still qualifies as a cosmetic.

Cosmetic products must be labelled in a particular way.  The regulations say

"Cosmetics must be labelled with a list of ingredients in descending order of weight.

Each ingredient must be identified by the name provided for in the International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients (INCI) or in the absence of such identification, by its chemical name, its European Pharmacopoeia name, its International Non-proprietary name (INN) as recommended by the World Health Organisation, its EINECS, ELINCS or CAS identification reference or its colour index number"

This is why cosmetics have a long list of pseudo-latin names.  These are usually the INCI official names for products.  Unfortunately, there is no requirement for suppliers to say whether the ingredients are natural or synthetic.

There is also a list of 26 substances that must be included in the list if the concentration exceeds .001% in products that are left on the skin, or ,01% in products that are rinsed off.  In this list of 26 are components of some essential oils such as linalool and limonene. The organisation Cropwatch claims that these 26 substances cause so little chance of allergic reaction that there is negligible risk to humans. They claim that the sponsors of the legislation have agree to review the requirement for this labelling, whereas another story recently claims that the list is to be extended to include over 100 substances.

What would certainly seem to be true is that substances such as Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS), parabens, paraffin, and aluminium, all approved cosmetic ingredients, are far more likely to do you harm than these 26 compounds.

The message is:  Read the label carefully.

There are a number of lists on the web suggesting some of the worst cosmetics ingredients in general use:

http://thegreenbeautyguide.com/100-ingredients-to-avoid-download/

http://www.organicbeautytalk.com/ingredients-to-avoid

http://feelgoodstyle.com/ingredients-to-avoid/

Recession Causes Increase in Skin Problems

Article originally published in InBath magazine.

As if the recession on its own wasn't enough to worry about, now comes the news that skin problems like eczema and psoriasis have dramatically increased. At the recent conference of the British Association of Dermatologists, nine out of ten dermatologists reported a significant rise in the number of cases of Eczema and Psoriasis, and this is on top of the two- to five-fold rise in incidence over the  last 30 years.

Eczema, Psoriasis and Dermatitis are common names for a range of conditions that cause the skin to become itchy and inflamed. Often triggered by chemicals or allergens, they cause misery to thousands of sufferers.

Outbreaks are often brought on or made worse by stress, and dermatologists believe that it is the stress many are experiencing because of the recession that has caused this latest increase in cases.

Modern medical treatments include aqueous and steroid creams but these have their disadvantages. Aqueous cream contains the known irritant Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS); a study at the University of Bath showed that this cream thins healthy skin by 10%. Steroid creams also thin the skin and cause the collagen to be degraded, weakening the underlying tissues.  They can suppress the immune system and lead to skin infections.

Many commercially-produced creams contain mineral oil or white paraffin, both petroleum by-products. These seal the skin, and ultimately reduce the skin’s ability to self moisturise.. Medical treatments for Acne include the powerful drug Roaccutane. This has over 40 known side effects,
including hair loss, Eczema, dry  skin, nosebleeds, tendinitis, anaemia, and hearing loss.

Parabens, used as preservatives in many products, have been found to increase the ageing effect of UV from the sun. They also mimic the effect of oestrogen in the body, and can cause hormonal imbalances in both men and women.

Bath-based natural skin care company Earth's Wisdom adopts a different approach. By providing the skin cells with the right combination of natural vitamins and nutrients, the body is encouraged to heal itself.

Developed over the last five years, and now exported worldwide, the company's products are the first choice for those who want a natural solution, with no side-effects, to their skin problems.

Robert Morgan, the owner of the company and its chief product developer, says “Our products act
differently to medical treatments.  Instead of focusing on the symptoms of the problem, our creams containing pure essential oils and natural plant extracts provide a rich cocktail of nutrients and healing compounds. This enables the body to re-establish for itself its own proper function and to prevent the secondary infections and inflammations that can make life miserable for sufferers."

The company sells a selection of products to help the skin respond to a range of common complaints such as Psoriasis, Acne, Rosacea, scars and bruises, and sensitive skin. Robert says that more than half of his customers have problems with their skin. “It's not surprising that our skin has trouble coping – the modern world is full of pollutants and chemicals that our bodies have not had the chance to evolve to deal with, and our modern diet means that we are short of nutrients the body needs. The more we can help our skin the longer we can keep it healthy.”

All the products are made using cool process techniques , to maximise the benefit of the natural ingredients. Our customers keep telling us that they are amazed how effective our products are, from therapeutic skin creams, to moisturisers, to deodorants and hair washes.

Earth’s Wisdom products are hand made in Bath from natural ingredients. All fragrancing is done with pure essential oils, chosen as much for their therapeutic benefits as for their scent. Every ingredient is carefully selected for specific functions.

We asked Victoria Maplesden who suffers with particularly dry skin on her hands, to try the Comfrey and Calendula skin cream. She had tried so many different lotions and creams in the past but felt nothing had ever really worked. “What I liked about the product was the fact that it is made entirely from natural ingredients, I applied it overnight and found that my skin was so much better by the next morning. The redness and dryness was significantly improved, I found it worked fast and effectively in
such a short period of time, and I was so pleased to have finally found a product that actually works and doesn't irritate my skin even more. I will certainly be recommending the Comfrey and  Calendula skin cream to others “.


All the company's products are available for sale at their shop Aranais, located in Bath's historic

Guildhall Market, or from their website. Anyone interested in learning more about natural products and ingredients, or about harmful preservatives or ingredients please contact Robert Morgan who will be happy to explain and advise.

Information is readily available on our website
www.aranais.co.uk.