Pregnancy and Health Care

Posts Tagged ‘Effects of cosmetics’

A campaign conducted by a group of American women has revealed the amount of chemicals harmful to health present in many cosmetics and fragrances.

This has caused concern because animal studies showed that these substances can be highly carcinogenic and can weaken the immune system, decrease fertility and sexual hormones, causing abortion and involuntary birth defects. Most of the chemicals found in this report have not been evaluated by any government agency responsible for review and self-monitoring of the cosmetics industry.

A campaign initiated by a group of women belonging to groups of public health, ecology and rights of consumers in the U.S., has been shown the health risks posed by the use of perfumes and cosmetics.

The campaign, called ” Not so sexy “defends the use of safe cosmetics. To this end, it commissioned an independent laboratory to conduct a study that analyzed the content of 17 fragrances and compare as indicated on the label of the product. This study revealed that in these fragrances were a number of synthetic chemical compounds associated with diseases like cancer, the infertility and birth defects, which were not included in the composition of the label.

This fact has been revealed the loophole in the law that allows federal American companies consider fragrances as trade secrets.

Among the compounds found were detected sensitizing chemicals associated with allergic reactions such as asthma , headaches and contact dermatitis. Products were also found to cause changes in some hormones related to a range of health effects, including damage to sperm, thyroid disorders and cancer. In some cases, have been associated with abortions and fetal deaths.

In addition to perfumes, these harmful substances found in other cosmetics such as shower gels, creams, deodorants, toothpaste and lipsticks.

In many of these products as well as compounds are toxic, particles called nanoparticles. These substances are being used with increasing frequency in personal hygiene products hardly know the effect it can have on people’s health. Scientific research conducted to date show that some nanoparticles can be toxic to human tissue and cause DNA mutations and cell death. At present there is no law regulating the use of these components but there are several countries that have restricted its use until its effects are well known.