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Very few, if any, cosmetics or personal care
products list 1,4-dioxane as an ingredient (i),
even though an analysis by Campaign for Safe
Cosmetics co-founder the Environmental
Working Group suggests that it may be found
in 22 percent of the more than 25,000
products in the Skin Deep database of
cosmetics products (ii). That's because
1,4-dioxane is a frequent contaminant of
common cosmetics ingredients (iii), but as a
contaminant it is not listed among
intentionally added ingredients.
Products That May Contain 1,4-dioxane
Because it is a contaminant produced during
manufacturing, the FDA does not require
1,4-dioxane to be listed as an ingredient on
product labels. Without labeling, there is
no way to know for certain how many products
contain 1,4-dioxane—and no guaranteed way
for consumers to avoid it.
Most commonly, 1,4-dioxane is found in
products that create suds, like shampoo,
liquid soap and bubble bath. Environmental
Working Group's analysis suggests that 97
percent of hair relaxers, 57 percent of baby
soaps and 22 percent of all products in Skin
Deep may be contaminated with 1,4-dioxane
(iv). Independent lab tests co-released by
the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics in 2007
showed that popular brands of
children's bubble bath and body wash
contained 1,4-dioxane.
Besides sodium laureth sulfate, other common
ingredients that may be contaminated by
1,4-dioxane include PEG compounds and
chemicals that include the clauses "xynol,"
"ceteareth" and "oleth."
Where It Comes From
1,4-dioxane is generated through a process
called ethoxylation, in which ethylene
oxide, a known breast carcinogen, is added
to other chemicals to make them less harsh.
This process creates 1,4-dioxane. For
example, sodium laurel sulfate, a chemical
that is harsh on the skin, is often
converted to the less-harsh chemical sodium
laureth sulfate (the “eth” denotes
ethoxylation), which can contaminate this
ingredient with 1,4-dioxane.
Alternatives do exist, but many companies
don't take advantage of them.
Vacuum-stripping can remove 1,4-dioxane from
an ethoxylated product, or manufacturers can
skip ethoxylation entirely by using
less-harsh ingredients to begin with (v).
Organic standards do not allow ethoxylation
at all. A study by the Organic Consumers
Association (vi) shows that 1,4-dioxane is
nonexistent in a variety of cosmetics
produced and certified under the USDA
National Organic Program, as well as other
products.
Health Concerns
Research shows that 1,4-dioxane readily
penetrates the skin (vii). 1,4-dioxane is
considered a probable human carcinogen by
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(viii) and listed as an animal carcinogen by
the National Toxicology Program (ix). It is
included on California’s Proposition 65 list
of chemicals known or suspected by the state
to cause cancer or birth defects (x). The
California Environmental Protection Agency
also lists 1,4-dioxane as a suspected kidney
toxicant, neurotoxicant and respiratory
toxicant.
It is highly unlikely that any one product
containing 1,4-dioxane will cause harm on
its own. However, repeated exposures from
many different products add up. The same
baby could be exposed to 1,4-dioxane from
baby shampoo, bath bubbles and body wash in
a single bath, as well as from other
contaminated personal care products today,
tomorrow and the next day. Repeated
exposures to a single carcinogen,
synergistic effects from exposures to
multiple carcinogenic and mutagenic
ingredients, and concerns about exposures at
key points in development (such as
pregnancy, infancy and puberty) are cause
for concern even though little risk is
evident from a single small exposure.
Malkan, S.
2008. Panic in the Organic Aisle: How a
Dirty Scandle is Forcing the Natural
Products Industry to Come Clean. Conscious
Choice, August 2008. Available at http://seattle.consciouschoice.com/2008/08/organicpanic0808.html.
Accessed August 19, 2008.
ii Environmental Working Group (2007).
Impurities of Concern in Personal Care
Products. Available at
www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/research/impurities.php.
Accessed August 19, 2008.
iii Environmental Working Group (2007).
Impurities of Concern in Personal Care
Products. Available at
www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/research/impurities.php.
Accessed July 28, 2008.
iv Environmental Working Group. 2008. EWG
Research Shows 22 Percent of All Cosmetics
May Be Contaminated With Cancer-Causing
Impurity. Available at http://www.ewg.org/node/21286.
Accessed August 19, 2008.
v Environmental Working Group (2007).
Impurities of Concern in Personal Care
Products. Available at
www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/research/impurities.php.
Accessed July 28, 2008.
vi Organic Consumers Association. Results of
Testing for 1,4 Dioxane. Available at
http://www.organicconsumers.org/bodycare/DioxaneResults08.cfm.
Accessed August 19, 2008.
vii Spath, D.P. “1,4-Dioxane Action
Level.” March 24, 1998. Memorandum from
Spath, Chief of the Division of Drinking
Water and Environmental Management,
Department of Health Services, 601 North 7th
Street, Sacramento, California 95814 to
George Alexeeff, Deputy Director for
Scientific Affairs, Office of Environmental
Health Hazard Assessment. Viewed at:
http://www.oehha.ca.gov/water/pals/pdf/PAL14DIOXAN.pdf
viii Environmental Protection Agency (2003).
1,4 Dioxane (CASRN 123-91-1). Integrated
Risk Information System. Available at
http://www.epa.gov/NCEA/iris/subst/0326.htm.
Accessed August 19, 2008.
ix National Toxicology Program (2005).
Report on Carcinogens, 11th Edition; U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services,
Public Health Service, National Toxicology
Program, January 2005. Available at http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/ntp/roc/eleventh/profiles/s080diox.pdf.
Accessed August 19, 2008.
x Office of Environmental Health Hazard
Assessment (OEHAA) (2004). State of
California Environmental Protection Agency.
Chemicals known to the state to cause cancer
or reproductive toxicity. Available at
http://oehha.ca.gov/prop65/prop65_list/files/41604list.html.
Accessed August 19, 2008. |
