Toxic chemicals in men’s products
Health Canada believes levels group found don’t pose a threat
Some men may think twice about shaving off their moustache at the end of month.
Men’s products, such as deodorant, aftershave and shaving cream, contain toxic chemicals with links to cancer, sperm damage and other health problems, says a report by Environmental Defence.
The non-profit charity recently released The Manscape: The Dirt on Toxic Ingredients in Men’s Body Care Products to raise awareness of toxins in grooming products.
“People think of this as a women’s products issue. So we wanted to let guys know it is in their products, too,” said Maggie MacDonald, toxics program manager at Environmental Defence.
However, the Canadian Cosmetics, Toiletries and Fragrance Association, which represents the personal care products industry, dismisses the report as an attempt to scare consumers, insisting the products are safe.
The report’s publication is timely as men’s health issues are on the agenda thanks to Movember, a month-long campaign which sees men grow facial hair to raise awareness about prostate cancer.
Environmental Defence has previously looked at women’s products, but this is the first time its peered inside men’s shaving kits.
The group asked five male volunteers what grooming products they use and sent the 17 items identified, including Pert Plus shampoo, Gillette shaving foam and Old Spice deodorant, for testing at Analytical Sciences Laboratories in California.
The certified laboratory, which specializes in environmental testing and analytical chemistry, tested for some common toxic ingredients that don’t appear on labels: phthalates (some are labelled, but they’re also hidden in fragrance), 1,4-dioxane, and artificial musks.
Phthalates disrupt male hormones, affect fertility and are linked to testicular cancer; 1,4-dioxane has been classified as a probable human carcinogen, and some artificial musks have been shown to disrupt hormones in animals.
The results showed four products that contained probable human carcinogens, five that had chemicals known to harm male reproductive health and 10 with artificial musks.
Although the amounts of these chemicals are minute, continuous exposure and the long-term effects are unknown, said MacDonald. So while there’s no need to panic, there is cause for concern, she says. Environmental Defence has launched a petition calling for industry and government to prohibit use of the so-called toxic 10 chemicals, such as parabens, phthalates and fragrance, and ensure that all ingredients get labelled. Health Canada is reviewing the report and examining ways to improve the already strong cosmetics regulatory regime in Canada, said department spokesman Stéphane Shank. Ingredients in personal care products must be listed, but there are exceptions. Fragrances, for instance, are considered industry trade secrets and are exempt. The concern, says MacDonald, is that when phthalates can be hidden in a fragrance and not listed. It’s what gives fragrance staying power. And while it’s illegal to use 1,4dioxane as an intentional ingredient, it can show up in trace amounts as a by-product of the manufacturing process. Health Canada doesn’t see these trace levels as posing a threat. A person would have to shampoo their hair more than 620 times a day, each day, to reach levels of concern. Still, Environmental Defence is concerned because the International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified 1,4-dioxane as a probable human carcinogen. “People are using tons of these products every day,” said MacDon- ald, noting the men’s body and skin care market in Canada — worth more than $690 million — is growing each year by about 2 per cent. “If you’re getting phthalates from multiple sources everyday, it adds up over time, and in the long term we don’t know what the effects are.” But Darren Praznik, president and CEO of the association representing industry, says that because the chemical amounts are so small and the route of exposure is the skin’s surface, they pose no threat. You don’t have to take the word of industry, just look at how closely these products are regulated, he said. Health Canada has some of the most stringent regulations for cosmetics in the world, and restricts or prohibits the use of substances that may cause harm. By law, cosmetic products cannot cause injury when used appropriately.
MOST-TOXIC LIST
Of the products and chemicals tested, these had “the most toxic ingredients”:
L’Oreal Preference Ultimate Black Hair Dye: Contained five ingredients of concern, including 1,4-dioxane and p-phenylenediamine.
Pert Plus 2-in-1 Shampoo and Conditioner Medium Hair: Four ingredients of concern, including phthalates and 1,4-dioxane.
Gillette Foamy Regular Shave Foam: Four ingredients of concern, including artificial musks and sodium lauryl sulfate.
Calvin Klein “Obsession” Aftershave: Four ingredients of concern, including phthalates, artificial musks
Old Spice High Endurance Deodorant/Pure Sport: three ingredients, including phthalates and artificial musks.
Speed Stick Stain Guard Deodorant/Fresh: three ingredients of concern, including artificial musk.