Are you wearing formaldehyde? Part 2: Preservatives in Cosmetics

In order for cosmetic formulations to be safe and stable (assured "shelf life"), preservatives need to be added. Preservatives act as antimicrobials as these prohibit or retard the growth of microbes. Preservatives can also function as antioxidants as it protects formulations against damage and degradation caused by exposure to oxygen. Antioxidants prevents browning or black spots from forming. However, preservatives are in the science community's watchlist for containing or having the tendency to release formaldehyde.

A couple of weeks ago, I introduced formaldehyde as a chemical currently considered a probable human carcinogen (Class 3) by the World Heath Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) but, classified as a carcinogen by California Proposition 65. According to the California Proposition, formaldehyde starts to become a health risk at 40 micrograms/day of release. When available in low doses as a preservative for fabrics, leather and food; it can cause irritation of the eyes, skin and throat.

Formaldehyde mixes easily with water but not with oil nor grease. It is commonly used as a preservative in aqueous cosmetic formulations such as shampoos, conditioners, shower gels, liquid handwash and bubble bath. Like certain fragrances, it can irritate sensitive skin. It can destroy the skin's natural protective oils, causing dryness, flaking, cracking and dermatitis (skin rash). Furthermore, persons who are dermally sensitive to formaldehyde can have allergic reactions such redness, itching, hives or blisters. It is therefore one of the chemicals used in an allergy patch test.

Formaldehyde has been banned in Europe and Japan. The European Union's EU Cosmetic Directive (76/768/EC) currently restricts the presence of formaldehyde in aerosol sprays. Oral hygiene products such as mouthwashes must not contain 0.1% of formaldehyde while externally applied cosmetics and toiletries must not contain more than 0.2%. In nail hardeners, the restriction is more lenient as the EU permits up to 5.0% of formaldehyde . But products that contain more than 0.05% of formaldehyde in the finished state must carry a label that states that the product "contains formaldehyde."

The Cosmetic Industry in the United Sates reports that their resulting formulations comply with the US Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) requirements with regards to labeling, in cases where safety of the product has not been determined. In 1976, the Cosmetic, Toiletry and Fragrance Association (CTFA) established the Cosmetic Ingredients Review (CIR) with support of the US Food and Drug Administration and the Consumer Federation of America. The CIR's laboratory studies ingredients used in cosmetic formulations and issues safety assessments of these ingredients as either:
S: Safe in present practice of use and concentration
SQ: Safe with Qualifications
I: Insufficient data
U: Unsafe
Formaldehyde is rated "Safe with qualifications" by the CIR.

The following compounds in cosmetic formulations have been the subject of debates due to it's ability to function as preservatives while having the ability to release formaldehyde in very small amounts over time: Quaternium-15, imidazolidinyl urea and diazolidinyl urea. The cosmetic industry claims that low levels of these compounds are sufficient to retard micorbial growth while ensuring that the actual level of free formaldehyde released does not exceed the permissible maximum level of 0.2%. According to the CIR, Quaternium-15, a preservative and an antistatic agent; can be dermally absorbed but there are no known developmental effects that can occur when applied dermally. It is reported to be a dermal irritant only when present in more than 5.0% of the product's total composition. The allowable maximum concentration of this quaternary ammonium salt is 0.2% when used in cosmetics and personal care products. The maximum allowable concentration for diazolidinyl urea is 0.5% while the most commonly used preservative, imidazolidinyl urea can be used to a maximum concentration of 0.6%.

Should one choose to be cautious with cosmetics used for personal cleanliness or physical enhancements, the Cosmetic Ingredients Review presents a list of commonly used ingredients, its functions and their respective safety assessment ratings. Read labels in cosmetic packaging and identify the preservatives. Should the label indicate "contains formaldehyde," this means that the free formaldehyde released from the product exceeds 0.05%. Though this is not an exact indication of the potential for total free formaldehyde to exceed 0.2% during normal use of the product, stop using the product should dermal irritation occur.

Straight to the mouth...

There's a good reason why toys, garments and other childcare articles are labeled with a specific age range of a child. "Age-grading" is intended to guide consumers to select products that are appropriate for the child's stage of mental development.

The psychologist Jean Piaget developed his Theory of Cognitive Development to describe the stages in which children are able to develop awareness of their environment. Piaget's theory of Cognitive Thinking describes a child's ability to make decisions as these relate to persons and objects within their field of vision. The development of cognitive thinking occurs in stages and the first stage which starts from birth through the age of two is called the Sensorimotor period.

An infant's first 6 weeks (Reflexive stage) is a period of "sensing." An infant learns of his environment by sucking almost everything within his reach or upon discovery, his own hand. As the infant becomes aware of people and nearby objects, he reaches, grabs and sucks on these as part of his "learning process." Such actions are repetitive ("Circular reactions") in infants between 2 and 4 months old. It is therefore extremely important that objects within an infant's field of vision are made larger than an infant's mouth or the diameter of it's throat to avoid the potential for swallowing and/or choking on found objects. For the same reason, such objects cannot have sharp edges and points.

The Consumer Products Safety Commission advises that objects more than 2 inches in diameter are less likely to be swallowed. The Commission developed a "small parts cylinder" or "choke tube" which has an opening similar to the diameter of a 2-year old's throat. Objects that fit within the tube's opening would be considered a "small part" and therefore should not be given to infants.

It should also be noted that when an infant discovers an object that it cannot readily suck, it will continually touch and rotate the object within it's hand. This finger-twirling action, common among those betwen the ages of 4 through 8 months; suggests that the infant has found a toy. Such small parts which now have "play value" need to be firmly attached to it's larger part or else it can detach and potentially becomes a choking hazard. Should it be necessary for large toys or garments to contain "small parts" like buttons, bows and zipper pulls for functional reasons; such "small parts" need to withstand at least 15 pounds of pulling force held for at least 10 seconds. This is the pulling strength of a toddler.

The period that children place objects in their mouth extends through the age of 3 years then gradually diminishes and ends at about the age of 5. It is very important that small parts are either avoided or firmly attached to larger objects because infants and young children have not developed a level of cognitive thinking that allows them to reverse a harmful situation. According to Piaget, the ability to reverse an action is not possible until the child reaches the age of seven.

Are you wearing formaldehyde? Part 1

Formaldehyde, a preservative one may remember from high school chemistry class. It is a naturally occurring substance that's also produced by our bodies. The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry reports that everyone is exposed to small amounts of formaldehyde in air and some foods and products. Low levels can cause irritation of the skin, eyes, nose and throat while high levels of exposure may cause some types of cancers. Workers exposed to high levels of formaldehyde have been known to develop nose and throat cancers. It has been known to trigger asthma attacks in children. Furthermore, a recent study by the Harvard School of Public Health found a link between formaldehyde exposure and Lou Gehrig's disease (ALS).

Formaldehyde is a colorless, flammable gas that has a distinct pungent odor. It dissolves in water but easily dissipates. Airborne formaldehyde can break down to form formic acid and carbon monoxide and therefore smog is a major source of formaldehyde exposure. It is used in the production of fertilizers, paper, plywood , particle board and foam insulation. It is a preservative for some foods, antiseptics, medicines, cosmetics and leather. It is also applied to fabrics so that it shrinks less, prevents staining and resists wrinkling. Free or unreacted, excess formaldehyde can be inhaled, ingested or dermally absorbed to cause the health hazards that agencies report.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends that adults not drink water containing more than 1 milligram of formaldehyde per liter of water (1 mg/L) for a lifetime exposure. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has set a permissible exposure level of 0.75 parts per million for an 8-hour workday, within a 40-hour work week.

Worldwide efforts to set limits on free formaldehyde have been made to avoid hazardous exposure. Various countries in Europe have regulations limiting free formaldehyde in clothing as follows:

• In babies clothing (for children less than 24 months old) no more than 20 mg/kg.
• Textiles that are in direct contact with skin during use cannot contain more than 100 mg/kg.
• Textiles that are not directly in contact with skin have a limit of 300 mg/kg.

Japan has the strictest regulation which limits free formaldehyde on clothing for adults and children above 24 months of age to 75 ppm. The limit for clothing intended for babies is lower.

The United States requires the following limits:

• 20 mg/kg for children under 36 months of age
• 75 mg/kg for all other textiles used with direct skin contact
• 300 mg/kg for all other textiles not subject to direct skin contact.

However, the above mentioned limits are voluntary standards.

Germany and Austria recommends labeling textiles subject to direct skin contact if such textiles are known to contain more than 1500 ppm of formaldehyde. The label appears both in English and German as follows: Contains formaldehyde. Washing this garment is recommended prior to first time use in order to avoid irritation of the skin.


One can limit exposure to free formaldehyde by:

• Promoting good indoor air circulation: Indoor sources of formaldehyde are carpets, drapes, adhesives used in plywood and furniture, insulating foam, and cigarette smoke. It's not surprising that high levels of exposure to free formaldehyde occur indoors than outdoors.
• Do not use unvented kerosene heaters.
• Wash garments prior to use: Chemicals that impart wrinkle resistance properties should be properly "fixed" or cured on to fabrics with the right combination of temperature, pressure and time of application. Unfixed or free formaldehyde can be laundered off the cured fabrics.
• Read product labels and purchase household chemicals and cosmetics that are formaldehyde-free.
  

A few Significant Facts on Domestic Violence: How you can help

According to the National Organization of Women:

• 1400 women are beaten to death every year by their husbands or boyfriends.
• 2 to 4 million women are battered each year.
• Women are ten times more likely than men to be victimized by an intimate partner.
• Of women who are victims of assault and rape, the majority are women who are separated, divorced, single, or from low-income households
• African-Americans are more likely to be victims of assault and rape.

Here's more:

• 3.3 million children are exposed to violence by family members or female caretakers
• 40-60% of men who abuse women also abuse children
• Fathers who batter mothers are twice likely to seek sole physical custody of their children than are non-violent fathers
• 27% of domestic homicide victims were children (in 1996).

Since President Bill Clinton signed the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) in 1994, victims of domestic violence have been able to avail of free Legal aid, housing and counseling services provided through shelters. But 2008 prompts action as funding for Domestic Violence programs will be reduced. Funding for VAWA which is tied to the Justice Department's budget appropriations of $400 million in 2008 will be reduced to $280M next year.

Legal intervention has saved lives and allowed victims to move on. The consequences of a cut in the budget appropriated for domestic violence are the following:

• Lack of free Legal aid: The reduction or absence of Legal aid reduces the chances for fighting for child custody and/or obtaining court-ordered protection against the abuser. Abused persons who are undocumented immigrants or in the process of legalization may find it difficult to petition the government for legal status.


• Lack of housing programs and transitional housing: The lack of shelters places the abused at a much higher risk as women and children will need to spend the night or continue to live with their abuser.


• Scaled-back counseling: Reduced counseling services will lead to prioritization of services such that only the brutally abused receives counseling. The reduction in crisis intervention also leads to a lack of social support and counseling which can lead to prolonged stays at shelters. This also lengthens the time for the abused to reach self-sufficiency. The average length of stay in a shelter is currently 25.5 days.

What can we do? Logon to http://www.govtrack.us/. Find members of the House and Senate who have shown an interest in domestic violence issues. Write to them with suggestions on how victims of domestic violence can be important contributors provided that their immediate needs for crisis intervention are met. Provide them with examples of success stories and describe cost-efficient means to protect women and children in transitory situations.
Members of Congress can also be sent pre-formatted letters petitioning the continued funding of VAWA by accessing the following websites:
http://www.stopfamilyviolence.org/
http://www.endabuse.org/

Are you under someone's control? Recognizing Abusive Behavior

In a previous article, I mentioned that abuse is not always physical. It can start with mind play, a.k.a. emotional abuse. Threats and manipulations delivered to the victim increases until the victim becomes passive, withdrawn and emotionless. Victims try to protect themselves by not doing anything so that it doesn't provoke anger from the abuser. It's hard to realize how serious it is when a person is emotionally out of control and when the victim turns numb to the absence of controlling behavior. Emotionally-abusive partners do the following:

• Stalking or following your every move
• Intimidation: Threatening to kill himself when he doesn't get his way
• Freewheeling spending resulting in placing the other person in debt
• Puts you down and says you can't do anything right, derogatory name calling
• Destroy a family heirloom or harms the family pet
• Isolates the other from friends and family
• Gives unexpected gifts, makes unwanted phone calls and unannounced visits
• Frequently questions and interrogates about where you were and who you were with
• Accuses the other of inappropriate behavior or having an affair
• Sexually assaultive: Forces the partner to engage in unwanted sexual acts.

Men who batter are seeking a sense of power or control over their partners. Some men batter because it is the only way they know how to be close to or relate to a partner. Sometimes a batterer is very dependent upon the woman and any signs or movement towards the woman's independence is considered a threat.

Victims of psychological or emotional abuse may even begin to believe they are stupid, useless or deserve the way they are being treated. Feelings of inadequacy makes the victim tolerate the abuser and therefore both continue to persist in the cycle of abuse.

Baby's First Year: Avoiding Injury

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that in 2006, 91,000 babies were mistreated in their first year. Infants could have been mistreated by their natural parents (50%), non-relatives (17%), their mother's boyfriend (17%), step parents (6%) and others (10%). This figure amounts to over 23 in 1000 of 4 million babies in the survey, of which 7.6% were less than a week old. Five hundred of these cases were fatal and of the remaining non-fatal cases, the majority of cases was due to neglect (68%) while 13% were due to physical abuse. Neglect is defined as a failure to meet a child's basic needs which are housing, food, clothing and access to medical care. This indicates a need to provide more counseling to first time parents and pregnant women before they are released from the hospital. Education is key to the prevention of child neglect and unintentional abuse.

Two topics that relate to a baby's first year are Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS) and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).


Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS): One in 4 shaken babies die. More than 60% of the victims are male while almost 80% of the perpetrators ("shakers") are male. Victims range in ages of a few days to a few months old with the majority injured between 2 and 4 months. This is because crying in babies is at its peak between the 2nd and 4th months before crying subsides after the 5th month. Babies on average can cry for 3 hours each day. Parents and care givers who lose patience over crying infants forget that what might start as a rocking motion to soothe a crying infant can lead to shaking. An infant should never be shaken. Babies have weak neck muscles and large heavy heads. Shaking makes an infant's delicate brain bounce back and forth inside the skull, causing the brain to bruise, swell and bleed. The injured brain can lead to permanent and severe brain damage or death. Severe shaking can also damage the retina of the eye causing internal bleeding leading to blindness. Hospitals report neck and back damage and dislocated bones. The majority of infants who survive severe shaking will have some form of neurological problems like paralysis, seizures; mental disabilities such as cerebral palsy, speech and learning disabilities or mild to severe mental retardation which may not be visible until the child reaches 6 years of age. Such babies may require lifelong medical care.


Babies that show the following symptoms may have likely been shaken:

• head turned to one side or inability to lift or turn head


• pinpointed, dilated or unequal size pupils


• blood pooling in the eyes


• pupils unresponsive to light


• bulging or spongy forehead, swollen head appears later


• unresponsiveness: neither smiling nor babbling


• poor sucking or swallowing; vomiting


• rigid or semi-conscious, lethargic or lacking in muscle tone


• difficulty breathing


• seizures or spasms


• pale or bluish skin

Crying is normal and good for a baby. It's the way newborns communicate. Babies cry when they're wet, hungry or trapped (check for loose threads that may have entangled around fingers and toes).

To avoid shaking a baby, adults should "time out" from a crying baby. Swaddle and lay the crying baby in its own crib and walk away for 10 minutes. Babies should be covered so that they are not feeling too warm nor too cold. Motion from rocking or a moving car; and steady sounds similar to what emanates from a clothes dryer or a dishwasher can also soothe a baby.



Sudden Infants Death Syndrome (SIDS): SIDS claims the lives of 2500 infants each year in the United States and is the leading cause of death among infants between 1 month and a year old. SIDS is associated with sleep and hence referred to as "crib death." Victims do not show signs of suffering. The following increases the risk of SIDS: smoking, drinking or drug use during pregnancy, poor prenatal care, prematurity or low birth weight, mothers younger than 20, smoke exposure following birth, overheating from excessive sleepwear and bedding, and sleeping position (infant laid on its stomach).

Sleeping face down puts pressure on a child's jaw, therefore narrowing the airway and hampering breathing. It is also believed that loose bedding creates pockets that can form around an infant's mouth and nostrils. Infants that breath in and out of the same pockets can accumulate carbon dioxide in their system and suffer from oxygen depletion. Furthermore, seemingly normal infants may have an abnormality in the part of their brains that help control breathing and awakening during sleep. If the baby were breathing stale air or is not getting enough oxygen, the brain usually triggers the baby to wake up and cry. Waking and crying changes breathing and heart rates, making up for the lack of oxygen. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommend that all infants younger than a year old should sleep on their backs. Death from SIDS dropped by 50% since the recommendation was published in 1992. Placing infants on their sides to sleep is not advisable either as it encourages infants to roll over onto their bellies during sleep. Conscious rolling usually starts around 4 months and at that point, babies may choose to either sleep on their backs or pick a position on their own.

How else to reduce the risk of SIDS:

• Place baby on a firm mattress to sleep, never on a pillow, waterbed, sheepskin or other soft surface. Do not put blankets, soft toys, comforters or pillows near the baby (or within the crib) as these may form pockets to trap stale air that a baby can inhale.


• Baby's mattress should fit snugly in the crib's frame so that the baby can't be trapped between the frame and the mattress.


• Keep the room temperature at a level that is comfortable for an adult wearing a short-sleeved shirt. Babies should not get too warm while sleeping. Most incidences of SIDS occur during cold weather. Babies who get too warm could go into a deeper sleep making it more difficult to awaken.


• Do not drink, smoke nor use drugs during pregnancy and avoid exposing the baby to secondhand smoke. Infants of mothers who smoked during pregnancy are 3 times more likely to die of SIDS than those born to non-smokers.


• Pregnant women should receive prenatal care early and regularly.


• Babies should have regularly scheduled check-ups.


• Breastfeed. Breastfed infants are less likely to die from SIDS, though the reason remains unknown.


• Always leave the baby's head uncovered during sleep.


• Leave the baby to sleep in its own crib. This minimizes the risk of suffocation from adult beddings and/or parents who may accidentally roll over the sleeping infant. It can also prevent strangulation that can occur when an infant is accidentally trapped between parts of a headboard or footboard.

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month

April has been designated National Child Abuse Prevention Month. Many organizations committed to safeguarding the well-being of children advise that public awareness and early intervention are key to spotting and preventing child abuse. The community should not feel any hesitation to intervene on abusive relationships, for the sake of the individual and the community. Intentional, aggressive behavior from one; that endangers the well-being and physical safety of another, is not a private matter; it is everybody's business.

Child abuse can be one or a multiple of the following forms of abuse: physical, sexual, emotional, verbal or neglect. It can be directly delivered as in name-calling, ignoring, terrorizing, over criticism, corruption or, by witholding attention. It can be indirectly shown or unintentionally delivered like in the case of children who witness domestic violence. Repeated actions from an abusive parent or caregiver leads to a child feeling worthless, unloved, damaged or unattractive, unwanted or, valued only if the child serves another's needs. Verbal abuse is like "hitting a child with words."

Child abuse has its social costs as it can delay the child's development or cause mental and emotional disorders. Though physical injuries heal over time, emotional abuse can last forever. The emotionally-abused requires counseling for support and to minimize the ill effects the individual's actions may create on society. Parental verbal abuse can lead to physical aggression in children. The verbally-abused child can grow to be a self-critical adult prone to depression and anxiety.

What are the signs of an abused child? A child may be verbally agressive and may break or throw things during angry outbursts. Withdrawn behavior or rocking and curled in a fetal position while hiding under furniture, and urinating in places other than the toilet are common signs. A child may equate negative things they hear about themselves as the reason for why something goes wrong. Physical injuries such as broken bones or teeth, burns and bruises that are unlikely to be the result of accidents may have been caused by a physically violent adult.

Should a child confide in you about feeling unsafe and unloved; or if you suspect that a child is in an abusive relationship, Childhelp®, a non-profit organization committed to helping victims of child abuse and neglect, offers the following guidelines:

DO NOT IMMEDIATELY :

Investigate

Ask leading questions

Make promises

Notify the parents or the caretaker

BUT YOU SHOULD:

Provide a safe environment (be comforting, welcoming and a good listener)

Tell the child it was not his/her fault

Listen carefully

Document the child's exact quotes

Be supportive, not judgmental

Know your limits

Tell the truth and make no promises

Ask ONLY the following questions as asking any additional questions may contaminate a case:

What happened?

Who did this to you?

Where were you when this happened?

When did this happen?

Call your local law enforcement agency • Call your local Child Protective Services Agency • Call the 24-Hour Childhelp® National Child Abuse Hotline to be connected with an appropriate agency. The Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline, 1-800-4-A-CHILD, is dedicated to the prevention of child abuse and is staffed 24 hours a day.