Exfoliate Your Cares Away

This post is part of the series Product Overload.

 

The category is EXFOLIENTS.

I had three products in this category (2 containers of St. Ives Apricot Scrub and 1 bottle of Pro-Active).  There are 794 cleansers on the Skin Deep Cosmetics Database.

Runner-up:  This bottle of Pro-Active Renewing Cleanser was given to me as a hand-me-down over a year ago.  I like it; it has a scent that could be appealing to men or women.  However it was a little harsh on my bikini line which is why I only used it if I was out of St. Ives Apricot Scrub.  I am going to look up the Pro-Active System, even though the exfolient is not the finalist, because I have always heard people talk positively about these products and have thought about buying them.  Unlike most infomercial products, ProActiv aims for a young demographic.  Their celebrity spokespeople include Jessica Simpson, Vanessa Williams, Jennifer Barry, Kevin Kasper (who?), Serena Williams and Jennifer Love Hewitt, all of whom may or may not actually use the Pro-Activ System.  I imagine a super-star like Jessica Simpson uses a secret luxury line of products with ingredients that are activated by rolling naked in millions of dollars while the lesser stars take advantage of getting free stuff.  I think we can safely assume that both Serena and Venus have enough bottles of Revitalizing Toner to last until 2010 and Pro-Activ has delivered so many boxes of bonus refining masks that Jennifer Love Hewitt’s doorman had to get a back brace.

I can’t find the Proactiv Solutions System in the Skin Deep database, but their website lists all the ingredients and highlights these as the key ingredients for the Renewing Cleanser:

Benzoyl Peroxide

This is the key agent to fight acne. Proactiv® Solution’s delivery system allows the benzoyl peroxide to penetrate evenly into your skin’s surface and unplug your pores.

Sodium Hyaluronate

This mucopolysaccharide acts as a humectant to draw moisture to your skin. Mucopolysaccharides are gel-like substances surrounding the collagen and elastin in the dermis layer of the skin.

Polyethylene

These small round beads gently remove old, dead cells without tearing or scratching your skin. 

Chamomile Extract

This botanical extract is known for its gentle properties.

I’m not well-informed about any of these ingredients.  For now I’ll just pick one.  So what is the fun-sounding Polyethylene?  According to the Polymer Science Learning Center, 

Polyethylene is probably the polymer you see most in daily life. Polyethylene is the most popular plastic in the world. This is the polymer that makes grocery bags, shampoo bottles, children’s toys, and even bullet proof vests.

Okay, so it’s plastic.  Tiny plastic exfoliating balls.  Is this a big deal?  I’m looking in the Skin Deep database.  This is not a complete analysis of ProActiv - these are just the highlights from this one ingredient.  If you’re curious about Polyethylene you can read all about it and decide for yourself.  

On to our star ingredient.  Hmmm … the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments reports polyethylene is “not safe for use on injured or damaged skin.”  Isn’t that what acne is?

Pro-Activ says they do not test on animals, but there were animal studies done on Polyethylene back in 1955 (RTECS Cancer Research) “One or more animal studies show tumor formation at moderate doses,”1966 (RTECS American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology) “One or more animal studies show tumor formation at high doses”, and 1969 (RTECS British Journal of Cancer) “One or more animal studies show tumor formation at high doses.” 

The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessment also says Polyethylene is “Considered safe based on assumption of low absorption.”  Apparently the amount in a facial cleanser doesn’t constitute a high dose.  So what is a high dose?  The amount of Polyethylene in one product might be low, but if it is present in many products would that constitute moderate exposure?  I don’t know and I don’t know who does know.  That isn’t something the FDA checks or requires companies to test themselves.  The FDA only tests FOOD and DRUGS.  According to Skin Deep,

POLYETHYLENE has reported uses in the following product types: lipstick (223); exfoliant/scrub (166); eye shadow (133); foundation (119); facial cleanser (109); facial powder (99); sunscreen spf 15 and above (83); other products with spf (73); blush (72); mascara (69)

Scrolling down the page I found a section titled “Government, industry, academic studies and classifications.“  It reports the FDA Food Additive Status of Polyethylene as:

• Used in animal feed
• Food additive: food additive for which a petition has been filed and a regulation issued
• 0.5 lb per head per day for 6 days – As roughage replacement in feedlot rations for cattle -573.780

So in addition to being used in cosmetics and cleansers, this plastic is also potentially being used in animal feed which could make its way into your system via milk or beef.  At what point does all of this no longer qualify as “low exposure?” 

Oh my god. 

DOES JENNIFER LOVE HEWITT KNOW SHE’S RUBBING POLYETHYLENE ON HER FACE?!

 

Moving on to my Finalist:  St. Ives Apricot Hand and Foot Scrub.  I have probably used 3 gallons of this stuff over time.  The appeal is it is cheap and smells good.  Sadly, it doesn’t rate better than the ProActiv cleanser.  The St. Ives scrub has a hazard score of 7, with 4% of ingredients considered high hazard.  55% of ingredients have no industry review, 94% of scrubs have less concerns … you get the picture.   I don’t see Polyethylene on the long list of ingredients, but there is Triethanolamine which rates a high hazard score of 7 with a 67% data gap.  The National Library of Medicine calls it a “known human immune system toxicant.”  I can’t make sense of most of the definitions I found for Triethanolamine.  According to Wikipedia, “This ingredient is used as a pH balancer in cosmetic preparations in a variety of different products – ranging from skin lotion, eye gels, moisturizers, shampoos, shaving foams etc.”  It also says, “As with any amines, it may have the potential to create nitrosamines, but with the low concentrations used in cosmetic products the chances of that happening is very slim and it is further theorized that nitrosamines cannot penetrate the skin.”  Again with the “low concentration.”  Triethanolamine is used in 3,596 of the products analyzed by the Environmental Working Group.  

And then in the database this phrase catches my eye:  Changes in testicular weight.

You know what?  I’m done with this whole stinking category.  The little sandy bits (I mean PLASTIC) get caught around the drain causing an orange ring to form and there are always dried clumps stuck to the side of the shower and I’m convinced the stuff clogs the drains.  Count me out of the Clear Skin Club.  From now on it’s just me and my loofah.  Goodbye exfolients – I choose ZERO for this category.

I feel cleaner already.

Product Overload: How I Came To Have Six Deodorants

Of all the products I found in the bathroom cabinets, my collection of deodorants is the most excessive.  I have been (justly) criticized for this.  The exact words were, “Who the hell has 6 deodorants?”  I would like to explain how this came to be.

I have been using Kiss My Face roll-on deodorant for many years.  I love it - it leaves no marks or residue whatsoever on my shirt and doesn’t smell overly perfumed.  However, the roll-on takes a long time to dry and doesn’t always hold up through long sweaty work calls, so until recently I also used “Little Black Dress Approved”  Degree antipersperant.  I had two of those – one in the bathroom and one in my work bag.   So that’s 3 deodorants total.  As soon as I arrived in Minnesota last year I ran out of the Kiss My Face bottle (back down to 2).  As it was the middle of tank top season I really didn’t want to use the regular stuff, black dress approved or not.  However, there wasn’t a natural section at Cub Foods yet, to my urban eyes the Whole Foods was really far away, and I didn’t know about Kowalski’s.  I sent this e-mail to my peeps in D.C.

 

Date:  June 30, 2007

Subject:  SOS!!

SOS  SOS from the midwest HELP!!!!!
 
Dana or Myra –

PLEASE SEND
 
2  Kiss My Face Liquid Rock roll on deodorants
 
to 
 
XXX
Lino Lakes, MN
 
Hurry!
If you send Monday it should be delivered before the 4th, right?
 
Seriously!!!
 
I will send money later.  I’m almost out!  I have maybe 2 days left.  I prefer the “scented parfumee” with the orange and yellow label and the little white flower, but really any of them will do.  There is a Whole Foods here but it’s 20 miles away and I won’t be able to go until next week-end.
 
 
Consider this practise for when Dana is in Iraq.
 
Also, please send 3 x 5 foot picture of Myra as there are no black people here.**
 
 
Thank you!  I miss you both!
Love, Sara

 

**I have since learned there are in fact 417 black people in Lino Lakes. 

Dana was unable to help as she was having some crisis but Myra was all over it.  She said, “Black person to the rescue” and promptly FedExed a package with 4 roll-on Kiss My Face deodorants and 1 Tom’s of Maine stick deodorant.  Myra does not do things half way.  She did not send a life-size picture of herself, but did include an e-mail attachment which I have as one of my screen saver photos.  I then had 7 deodorants. 

When my dad visited he forgot his deodorant so I gave him the Tom’s of Maine.  I used up one of the Kiss My Face’s in England and also one of the Degrees (used while hiking since I sure as heck wasn’t working).  Somewhere along the line I picked up an Avalon Organics Wild Yam roll-on (who couldn’t resist the tempting scent of wild yam?)  Just after returning to the states I finished the remaining Degree, replacing it with 1 Jason’s Lavender Deodorant Stick.  That made 6 deodorants at the time of my inventory.  Bubbles mentioned being unhappy with her currrent deodorant so I mailed one container of unused Kiss My Face, which has now travelled from the manufacturur in New York to a Whole Foods in Maryland across the country to Minnesota and back to Virginia Beach.  That deodorant has more experience that Sarah Palin.

I just finished off one of the roll-ons, but it doesn’t look like I’ll be getting through the remaining 4 deodorants anytime soon.  It will be awhile before I evaluate the safety of the ingredients in that category; probably before I get around to sending money to Myra.

Product Overload – Slippery When Wet

This is the third post about my attempts to get rid of STUFF and to pay more attention to the products I do buy.  To see more details check out the original posts under the category Product Overload.

 

August 29, 2008

The category is SOAP. 

With 776 bar soaps listed on the Cosmetic Database I should be able to find a soap to replace my dearly beloved Ivory soap.  I checked out all the soaps in the “natural” section at the local Cub Foods.  I was curious to see if these products are actually safer than the ones in the “regular” aisle.  There are just 4 so I’ll (briefly!) evaluate them all.  The first two are products I didn’t like because of their strong scents, not to mention expensive price tags. 

Reviva Labs All Natural Seaweed Soap  3.49 for 4.5 oz.  This exact product is not listed, but 79 other Reviva Labs products are, with hazard scores ranging from 2 to 9.  While only 1% of the 299 ingredients the company uses rate a high hazard, 95% have no data / high uncertainty and 93% have no FDA review.  I’ll skip this brand.

Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps All-on-one Hemp Rose  4.19 for 5 oz.  This product rates a 2 hazard score, which is a good start, but has a 79% data gap and 91% of ingredients have no FDA review.  49% of bar soaps have lower concerns.  Geez Louise.

I guess the lesson here is that I need to research all products, even if the company labels it “natural”.  Please don’t take away from this that products in the natural section are no better than anything else.  Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soap still rates better than Lever 2000 (7) or Dial, Dove and Aveeno (all 5s).  I know this process takes a lot of time – it’s taking up more time than I anticipated.  I am surprised and unhappy about how many unknown and potentially hazardous ingredients are used in these common products. 

Look, I don’t want to walk around fearing I’m going to get cancer from touching a bar of soap.  In the past, when I’ve started to read about the potential hazards of body products I just felt overwhelmed and frustrated.  This time I’m taking it one product category at a time and I think in the end I’ll fell better knowing I’ve made the best and most informed choice possible.   

Runner-up:  Kiss My Face Pure Olive Oil Soap.  (Also available in Olive & Aloe)  Now we’re getting somewhere.  I should buy this product.  It has a hazard score of ZERO and a data gap of only 33%.  The data gap is because of the Olive Oil which has had no FDA or industry review (for topical use I presume, but considering how much olive oil I injest I’m not going to worry about it being a hazard as a soap).  NO PRODUCTS are listed as having less concerns – this is the safest out of 776 bar soaps.  I cannot detect any scent through the paperboard packaging and it is the best deal at $3.49 for an 8 oz. bar.  But, I am intimidated by the weight.  What if I drop it on my foot?  This happens at least once per week since A. I am clumsy and B. soap is slippery when wet.  Also, it is made in Greece then distributed in New York.  That’s a long way for a bar of soap to travel.

Finalist:  Clearly Natural Lemon (Also Cucumber, Unscented and several others).  I am intrigued by the lemon scented variety.  At $1.99 for 4 oz this is also one of the better deals and is made in Georgia.  The clear plastic packaging which shows off the rainbow of colors.  Unlike the Kiss My Face Olive Oil Soap which I suspect is a dull brownish color, the lemon soap is a bright pretty yellow which will match my bathroom.  Shallow?  Perhaps.  What can I say – I’m the oldest, I like things to match.  The Clearly Natural only rates a low 1 for the hazard score.  HOWEVER, there is a 91% data gap and 100% of the ingredients have no FDA or industry review.  And one of the ingredients is sodium hydroxide, about which the EWG says, “one or more animal studies shows metabolic effects at very low doses” and “one or more animal studies show sense organ effects at very low doses.”   Agh!  I was getting so excited.  So …

The winner is:

Kiss My Face Pure Olive Oil Soap

I have liked many Kiss My Face products and I’ll just have to be careful to not drop the soap on my toes.  Eventually the bar will get smaller.

 

Out of curiosity I checked the price on the recently banished Ivory Soap.  It costs $2.09 for 4 bars, total 18 oz.  That is cheaper.  But is it a better deal?