Mascara and Eye Liners Can Cause Health Problems

Longer Looking Lashes May Come with Numerous Hidden Dangers

Aug 18, 2009

Having well-defined eyes and thicker, longer lashes comes with hidden dangers that lurk in many cosmetics. Health ailments are linked to chemicals used in eye cosmetics.

Over the past five decades, tens of thousands of new chemicals have been introduced in industry and the cosmetics industry is no exception. Even though some of these chemicals have been extensively studied, the average consumer doesn't have enough knowledge to know what chemicals such as triethanolamine, methylparaben or propylene glycol can do to overall health. There's been a huge trend into knowing what is in the food people eat, the same is now happening in what is being applied onto the body.

The Environmental Working Group hosts a web site called Skin Deep that holds an incredible wealth of research into a plethora of products people use on their body. This extensive information not only provides the ingredients in thousands of well-known products, but they provide precise data as to what these ingredients are and can do to human health.

Triethanolamine

Triethanolamine, or TEA, according to the United States Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), states that potential symptoms to this chemical includes: irritation of the eyes, skin, respiratory tract, sore throat, asthma and allergic contact dermatitis.

Environmental Working Group researchers provide additional information on triethanolamine. They state that cancer may be a risk because one or more in vitro tests on mammalian cells show positive mutation results. Also they provide information that in one or more animal studies, there are tumor formations at high doses.

Methylparaben

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, OSHA, methylparaben can cause itching, swelling, rash or redness on the skin. There can also be minimal to mild eye irritation.

The Environmental Working Group says that this chemical is banned in the European Union because it's unsafe for use in cosmetics. They also report that: it is a known human toxicant, one or more studies show that it may disrupt the endocrine system and animal studies show there are brain and nervous system effects at moderate doses.

Not only is this preservative found in eye make-up, it's an ingredient in numerous health care products as well as in foods and beverages.

Propylene Glycol

Propylene glycol can affect the eyes, skin and respiratory system according to the OSHA. This substance is listed by the Food and Drug Administration as a direct food substance that's generally recognized as being safe.

Researchers at the Environmental Working Group agree that propylene glycol is practically non-toxic when ingested, however they state that it has been found to cause skin irritation and sensitization in humans in concentrated amounts as low as 2%, yet the cosmetic industry claims that cosmetics can contain up to 50% of this substance.

Skin Deep

Environmental Working Group researchers have analyzed and published their findings on 1,243 mascara products and 800 different eye liners. They have also extensively researched ingredients in other types of cosmetics and health care products.

There are major gaps in laws that govern public health allowing cosmetics companies to use almost any ingredient they want such as lead, mercury, and placenta. The extensive data base at Skin Deep provides the public the information they need to become educated in what specific products to avoid purchasing.

Become an informed consumer. Feeding the body harmful chemicals can have immediate or long-term health effects. Switching to all-natural cosmetic products will help in living a healthy life.