Cosmetica gevaarlijk voor tieners?*
Uit een klein onderzoek door de Amerikaanse organisatie (EWG) blijkt bij vrouwelijke tieners chemische stoffen in het lichaam aangetroffen worden die bij dieren gezondheidsproblemen veroorzaken. 16 van deze stoffen worden aangetroffen in cosmetica. De meeste stoffen zijn conserveringsmiddelen en geurstoffen onder te verdelen in 4 groepen: Triclosan die de schildklierwerking kan beïnvloeden en drie die de hormoonwerking beïnvloeden; verschillende parabenen, muskusgeurstoffen en Ftalaten. Al de stoffen in deze vier groepen worden in laboratoriumstudies in verband gebracht met kanker. Omdat de onderzochte tieners nog in de groei zijn kunnen deze chemische stoffen een extra gevaar opleveren.
Consumer groups fret over chemicals in teen cosmetics
Teenagers may be contaminated with potentially risky chemicals from cosmetics, according to a small study released from the Environmental Working Group.
The environmental group, which focuses on hazards in consumer products, says the study is the first to measure many of these chemicals in this age group. In a study of 20 girls from across the country, researchers found ingredients linked to health problems in animals in the blood and urine of all of the teens, ages 14 to 19.
In the report, author Rebecca Sutton says she found 16 cosmetic-related chemicals in the girls. The ingredients belong to four classes of chemicals. One, triclosan, is a preservative that may affect the thyroid. Three others act like hormones: preservatives called parabens; synthetic musks, which are commonly added to fragrances; and phthalates, also used in fragrances. Ingredients in all four classes have been linked to cancer in laboratory studies, the report says.
The report's authors found two types of parabens — methylparaben and propylparaben — in every girl tested.
Although parabens are typically listed in cosmetic ingredient lists, the dozens of chemicals used to create fragrances often aren't individually listed.
Sutton says scientists are concerned about girls using chemicals that disrupt the hormone system, because children's bodies are still developing. They say that's not surprising that the chemicals are so commonly found, given that the teens in the study used 17 personal care products a day, with a total of 174 ingredients. In comparison, adult women use an average of 12 personal products a day, the report says.
But the report notes that levels of these chemicals in the girls' bodies didn't necessarily match the amount of the chemicals they consumed through cosmetics. That suggests that girls are being exposed through other products, the report says.
The report urges the government to set safety standards for the ingredients in cosmetics.
The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, an alliance of consumer groups that includes the Environmental Working Group, has criticized many of the ingredients in beauty products, noting that many lipsticks contain low levels of lead. The campaign's website includes a database on the health effects of ingredients in personal care products at safecosmetics.org.
Kathleen Dezio, a spokeswoman for the Personal Care Products Council, says companies test their products carefully before marketing them.
"There are hundreds of scientific studies that have evaluated the health impact of these ingredients," Dezio said in a statement, noting that the council has posted this research on its website, cosmeticsinfo.org. "We stand behind the safety of our products and believe that the consensus of opinion in the scientific community supports the conclusion that our products are safe."
(November
2008)
