Transdermal Chemistry WebquestChemicals in Personal Care Products
(PCP) – Extra Credit
Introduction
Chemistry has very practical and useful applications in everyday life and
your skin is often times the permeable barrier to this outside world.
Synthetic fibers in clothing, fertilizer used on landscapes and in gardens, non-stick coating on frying pans, and
the countless types of plastics are all the result of applied chemistry. Most scientists would argue that our lives
are better due, in part, to the ways that chemistry is used every day. In order to become more aware of the ways
in which chemistry affects your daily life through our skin and membranes,
you are asked discover the chemicals in products that you use on a daily
basis and look at the impact they can have on you!
Guiding Questions
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What chemicals are readily found in personal care products
(PCPs)?
What are the uses of the PCPs?
What are the active and inert ingredients found PCPs?
What elements are PCPs most commonly made of?
Are the compounds found in PCPs "safe"?
Why should I be concerned about the safety of personal care products? Doesn't the government regulate
them?
On average, consumers use about 10 personal care products containing 126 ingredients per day. The
government does not require health studies or pre-market testing for these products.
Myth – If it’s for sale at a supermarket, drugstore, or department store cosmetics counter, it must be
safe.
Fact – The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not review or approve the vast majority of
products or ingredients before they go on the market. The agency conducts pre-market reviews only for
certain color additives and active ingredients in cosmetics classified as over-the-counter drugs.
Myth – The cosmetics industry effectively polices itself, making sure all ingredients meet a strict standard
of safety.
Fact – In its more than 30-year history, the industry’s safety panel (the Cosmetic Ingredient Review, or
CIR) has assessed fewer than 20 % of cosmetics ingredients and found only 11 ingredients or chemical
groups to be unsafe (FDA 2007, CIR 2009, Houlihan 2008). Its recommendations are not binding on
companies (Houlihan 2008).
Myth – The government prohibits dangerous chemicals in personal care
products, and companies wouldn’t risk using them.
Fact – Cosmetics companies may use any ingredient or raw material, except
for color additives and a few prohibited substances, without government
review or approval (FDA 2005, FDA 2000).
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More than 500 products sold in the U.S. contain ingredients banned in
cosmetics in Japan, Canada or the European Union (EWG 2007b).
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Nearly 100 products contain ingredients considered unsafe by the International Fragrance Association
(EWG 2007c).
A wide range of nanomaterials whose safety is in question may be common in personal care products
(EWG 2006).
22% of all personal care products may be contaminated with the cancer-causing impurity 1,4-dioxane,
including many children’s products (EWG 2007d, CDC 2009).
60% of sunscreens contain the potential hormone disruptor oxybenzone that readily penetrates the skin
and contaminates the bodies of 97% of Americans (EWG 2010, Calafat et al 2008).
61% of tested lipstick brands contain residues of lead (CSC 2007).
Myth – Cosmetic ingredients are applied to the skin and rarely
get into the body. When they do, levels are too low to matter.
Fact – People are exposed by breathing in sprays and powders,
swallowing chemicals on the lips or hands or absorbing them
through the skin. Studies find evidence of health risks.
Biomonitoring studies have found cosmetics ingredients – like
phthalate plasticizers, paraben preservatives, the pesticide
triclosan, synthetic musks, and sunscreens – as common pollutants
in men, women and children. Many of these chemicals are potential
hormone disruptors (Gray et al. 1986, Schreurs et al. 2004, Gomez
et al. 2005, Veldhoen et al. 2006). Products commonly contain
penetration enhancers to drive ingredients deeper into the skin. Studies find health problems in people
exposed to common fragrance and sunscreen ingredients, including elevated risk for sperm damage,
feminization of the male reproductive system, and low birth weight in girls (Duty et al. 2003, Hauser et
al. 2007, Swan et al. 2005, Wolff et al. 2008).
Myth – Products made for children or bearing claims like “hypoallergenic” are safer choices.
Fact – Most cosmetic marketing claims are unregulated, and companies are rarely if ever required to
back them up, even for children’s products. A company can use a claim like “hypoallergenic” or
“natural” “to mean anything or nothing at all,” and while “most of the terms have considerable market
value in promoting cosmetic products to consumers,… dermatologists say they have very little medical
meaning” (FDA 1998). An investigation of more than 1,700 children’s body care products found that 81
percent of those marked “gentle” or “hypoallergenic” contained allergens or skin and eye irritants
(EWG 2007a).
Myth – Natural and organic products are always safer.
Fact – Products labeled natural or organic often contain synthetic chemicals, and
even truly natural or organic ingredients are not necessarily risk-free. The global,
plant-based pharmaceutical market, valued at $19.5 billion in 2008, relies on the
ability of “natural” chemicals – like those used in some natural cosmetics – to
significantly alter body functions, a far cry from innocuous (BCC Research 2006,
2009). On the other hand, products labeled “organic” or “natural” can contain
petrochemicals and no certified organic or natural ingredients whatsoever.
Products certified as organic can contain as little as 10% organic ingredients by
weight or volume (Certech 2008). FDA tried establishing an official definition for the term “natural,”
but these protections were overturned in court (FDA 1998). Research shows that 35 percent of
children’s products marketed as “natural” contain artificial preservatives (EWG 2007a).
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Myth – FDA would promptly recall any product that injures people.
Fact – FDA has no authority to require recalls of harmful cosmetics. Furthermore, manufacturers are
not required to report cosmetics-related injuries to the agency. FDA
relies on companies to report injuries voluntarily (FDA 2005).
Myth – Consumers can read ingredient labels and avoid products with
hazardous chemicals.
Fact – Federal law allows companies to leave many chemicals off labels,
including nanomaterials, ingredients considered trade secrets, and components
of fragrance (Houlihan 2008). Fragrance may include any of 3,163 different
chemicals (IFRA 2010), none of which are required to be listed on labels.
Fragrance tests reveal an average of 14 hidden compounds per formulation,
including potential hormone disruptors and diethyl phthalate, a compound
linked to sperm damage (EWG & CSC, 2010).
Myth – Cosmetics safety is a concern for women only.
Fact – Surveys show that on average, women use 12 products containing 168 ingredients every day,
men use 6 products with 85 ingredients (EWG 2004), and children are exposed to an average of 61
ingredients daily (EWG 2007a). The industry-funded CIR safety panel incorrectly assumes that
consumers are exposed to just one chemical at a time, and personal care products are the only source of
exposure (EWG 2004).
References
BCC Research. 2006. Plant-Derived Drugs: Products, Technology, Applications. Report Code BIO022D. June 2006.
http://www.bccresearch.com/report/BIO022D.html.
BCC Research. 2009. Safety Botanical and Plant-Derived Drugs: Global Markets. Report Code BIO022E, February 2009.
http://www.bccresearch.com/report/BIO022E.html.
Calafat AM, Wong LY, Ye X, Reidy JA, Needham LL. 2008. Concentrations of the sunscreen agent benzophenone-3 in residents of the United States: National Health
and Nutrition Examination Survey 2003–2004. Environ Health Perspect. 2008 Jul;116(7):893-7.
Certech Registration Inc. 2008. International organic standard – Natural and natural organic cosmetic certification. IOS Cosmetics. Issue 01. April 2008.
http://www.certechregistration.com/IOS_cosmetics_standard.pdf.
CIR (Cosmetic Ingredient Review). 2009. Ingredients found unsafe for use in cosmetics (9 total, through December, 2009). http://www.cir-safety.org/findings.shtml.
CSC (Campaign for Safe Cosmetics). 2007. Lead in lipstick. http://www.safecosmetics.org/article.php?id=223.
CSC (The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics). 2009. No more toxic tub. http://www.safecosmetics.org/downloads/NoMoreToxicTub_Mar09Report.pdf.
Duty SM, Singh NP, Silva MJ, Barr DB, Brock JW, Ryan L, et al. 2003. The Relationship between Environmental Exposures to Phthalates and DNA Damage in
Human Sperm Using the Neutral Comet Assay. Environ Health Perspect 111(9): 1164-9.
EWG (Environmental Working Group). 2004. Exposures Add Up – Survey Results. http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/research/exposures.php.
EWG (Environmental Working Group). 2006. EWG Comments to FDA on Nano-Scale Ingredients in Cosmetics. Docket: FDA Regulated Products Containing
Nanotechnology Materials. Docket number: 2006N-0107. http://www.ewg.org/node/21738.
EWG (Environmental Working Group). 2007a. Safety Guide to Children’s Personal Care Products. http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/special/parentsguide/summary.php.
EWG (Environmental Working Group). 2007b. Cosmetics with banned and unsafe ingredients. Table 1 – Banned in other countries. Accessed June 21, 2010.
http://www.ewg.org/node/22624.
EWG (Environmental Working Group). 2007c. Cosmetics With Banned and Unsafe Ingredients. Table 2 – Unsafe for use in cosmetics, according to industry. Accessed
June 21, 2010. http://www.ewg.org/node/22636.
EWG (Environmental Working Group). 2007d. EWG research shows 22 percent of cosmetics may be contaminated with cancer-causing impurity.
http://www.ewg.org/node/21286.
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EWG (Environmental Working Group). 2010. EWG’s 2010 sunscreen guide. Nanomaterials and hormone disruptors in sunscreens.
http://www.ewg.org/2010sunscreen/full-report/nanomaterials-and-hormone-disruptors-in-sunscreens/.
EWG & CSC (Environmental Working Group and Campaign for Safe Cosmetics). 2010. Not so sexy. Hidden chemicals in perfume and cologne.
http://www.safecosmetics.org/article.php?id=644
FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration). 1998. Clearing Up Cosmetic Confusion” by Carol Lewis. FDA Consumer magazine. May-June 1998.
http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/cic_text/health/cosmetic-confusion/398_cosm.html.
FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration). 2000. Ingredients prohibited & restricted by FDA regulations. June 22, 1996; Updated May 30, 2000.
http://www.fda.gov/Cosmetics/ProductandIngredientSafety/SelectedCosmeticIngredients/ucm127406.htm.
FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration). 2005. FDA authority over cosmetics. http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/cos-206.html.
FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration). 2007. Compliance Program Guidance Manual. Program 7329.001. Chapter 29 – Colors and Cosmetics Technology.
http://www.fda.gov/downloads/cosmetics/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/ComplianceEnforcement/ucm073356.pdf.
FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration). 2010. Regulation of non-prescription products. http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/cos-206.html.
Gomez E, Pillon A, Fenet H, Rosain D, Duchesne MJ, Nicolas JC, et al. 2005. Estrogenic activity of cosmetic components in reporter cell lines: parabens, UV screens,
and musks. Journal of toxicology and environmental health 68(4): 239-251.
Gray TJ, Gangolli SD. 1986. Aspects of the testicular toxicity of phthalate esters. Environmental health perspectives 65: 229-23.
Hauser R, et al. DNA damage in human sperm is related to urinary levels of phthalate monoester and oxidative metabolites. Hum Reprod. 2007;22(3):688-95.
Houlihan, J. 2008. Statement of Jane Houlihan on Cosmetics Safety: Discussion Draft of the ‘Food and Drug Administration Globalization Act’ Legislation: Device and
Cosmetic Safety. Before the Subcommittee on Health of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, United State House of Representatives. May 14 2008.
http://www.ewg.org/node/26545.
IFRA (International Fragrance Association). 2010. Ingredients. IFRA survey: Transparency list.
http://www.ifraorg.org/public/index_ps/parentid/1/childid/15/leafid/111.
Schreurs RH, Legler J, Artola-Garicano E, Sinnige TL, Lanser PH, Seinen W, et al. 2004. In vitro and in vivo antiestrogenic effects of polycyclic musks in zebrafish.
Environmental science & technology 38(4): 997-1002.
Swan SH, Main KM, Liu F, Stewart SL, Kruse RL, Calafat AM, et al. 2005. Decrease in anogenital distance among male infants with prenatal phthalate exposure.
Environ Health Perspect 113(8):1056-61.
Veldhoen N, Skirrow RC, Osachoff H, Wigmore H, Clapson DJ, Gunderson MP, et al. 2006. The bactericidal agent triclosan modulates thyroid hormone-associated
gene expression and disrupts postembryonic anuran development. Aquatic toxicology (Amsterdam, Netherlands) 80(3): 217-227.
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Transdermal Chemistry WebquestChemicals in Personal Care Products
(PCP) – Extra Credit (20 pt max)
The Task Due:________________________
1. Choose one personal care product (PCP) that you use or
that your family uses.
2. With the information that you find, create a Prezi (prezi.com) and submit the link to Mrs.
Suder-Riley. Use the “Learn and Support” tab on the site to see tutorials, if you are not
familiar (FYI -Prezis are only active for 30 days).
3. After submitting the Prezi, write a 1-page reflection paper. This paper will summarize
your findings and include your thoughts on the safety of chemicals in personal care
products and insights you gained from your research.
The Process
Part I – Research & Prezi (10 pts)
1. Go to http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/. Read the User’s Guide to Skin Deep to become
aquainted with the site. Look up the personal care product (they MUST be ones you
use), make sure it is in the data base and has at least 3 ingredients.
2. Indicate the rating for the product for the following: (best practice is to include a screen
shot summary!)
A. Hazard score: overall hazard, cancer, developmental & reproductive toxicity,
allergies & immunotoxicity,
B. Use Restrictions and if there are any other concerns.
i. Define every word you do not understand
3. Scroll down and Research the three most toxic ingredients found in the product.
Indicate the main issues with this specific chemical.
a. Define every word you do not understand in the Prezi (place definition below
word)
b. Include the score rating for each chemical
4. Prezi must include: title (name, block), picture of product, overall rating of product and
issues, 3 top worst chemicals in the product (including issues and ratings for each
chemical) and a conclusion.
5. Prezis are not linear like a Power point. They show relationships and depth. Emphasize
this in your presentation.
6. Send the completed link to Mrs. Suder-Riley at nsuder-riley@twinsburg.k12.oh.us.
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OVER
Part II –Reflection Paper (10 pts)
Your essay must be typed, 1 double-spaced page minimum in 12 point Times New Roman font
with 1 inch margins.
Format of the paper:
Introduction:
 This paragraph should introduce the paper by writing an overview of your
research (including listing the three products) and what will be discussed in the
paper
Product and chemicals
 1-2 paragraphs should be written about the product. It should include the
overall hazard rating of along with the hazards. The three top hazardous
chemicals should also be discussed, as well as the ratings for each.
Reflection
 1-2 paragraphs should be written and include your thoughts on the following:
1. Reflect on the PCPs you investigated. Did any of the products you
researched fall under the category of high hazard? Which ones?
2. Did any of the chemicals have potential harm to the soil, water, and air?
3. After completing this research, will you do anything different? Will you
continue to use these products in the future? Will you research any PCPs
before you buy or use them?
4. What was the most valuable knowledge you learned from this WebQuest?
How will you use the knowledge you gained from this WebQuest in your
everyday life? Explain.
5. Provide closure in a conclusion sentence or two.
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