Not everything natural is safer. We have seen this on many occasions, with many different products. When drugs, for example, can be even more dangerous, since natural remedies tend to pass fewer tests. Also, sometimes we don’t take into account the interactions they may have with other drugs. And they also exist, no matter how natural they may be. Now what about cosmetics?
This question has been asked by many scientists. In recent years, the “natural” composition of cosmetics has become continuous marketing statement. Most consumers prefer to use natural products rather than those whose ingredients have been obtained synthetically in the laboratory. However, there are two things they don’t take into account.
On the one hand, it is possible that these ingredients similaronly that in one case they were extracted from a plant, and in another they were synthesized. On the other hand, naturally derived ingredients can also cause allergies. This is something that is sometimes less taken into account, so it can become a problem.
Allergens in natural cosmetics
According to a study published this year in JAMA Dermatology Almost 90% of natural cosmetics are sold in the top three retailers in the world, according to Stanford University scientists. USA contain at least one of the 100 ingredients that cause contact dermatitis. That is, they contain allergens that can cause more or less serious skin irritations.
They must be listed on the label both in the US and in other countries. However, the problem arises when, because we are natural, we do not read anything else. And the fact is, these allergens can be as simple as fragranceWith. For example, lavender. Other plant extracts give similar results. Overall, this study found 73 different allergensmentioned up to 7,487 times in the labeling of 1,651 cosmetic products.
When Marketing Condemns Some Ingredients
The authors of this study are influencing consumer education so that they pay attention to the ingredients, regardless of its origin. And that’s what they point out is that natural marketing can make some allergens not be taken into account.
In fact, according to an article on the subject published in Science AlleryouThis won’t be the first time marketing has demonized the wrong ingredients. It happened many years ago when they started talking about a possible role parabens which endocrine disruptors. That is, it was assumed that they could affect the secretion of various hormones, causing everything from infertility to cancer. And, of course, allergies.
Later studies were conducted in which it was demonstrated that, regardless of studies in laboratory cultures and animals, at actual doses and conditions in which they are used in humans, do not cause any harm. Despite everything, the words “paraben-free” have already become quite loud and this ingredient, used in cosmetics as a preservative, fell out of favor, opening a ban on the use of components such as methylisothiazolinone. However, it has proven to be a strong allergen causing many cases of contact dermatitis. Therefore, publicity caused by chemophobia prompted the use of a compound that actually turned out to be more dangerous.
We must not allow the same to happen to everything “natural”. cosmetics with 99% natural ingredients they may also include allergens in their formula. And that’s what we need to pay attention to. Because in fact, chemistry is everywhere, including in nature. In fact, nature is chemical, and natural products are still chemical compounds. It is useless to cling to one while trying to run away from the other.
Source: Hiper Textual
