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Charles & Marlene Nix
Major Cosmetic and Toiletry Ingredient Poses Avoidable Cancer Risks, warns Professor of Environmental Medicine at University of Illinois, School of Public Medicine
CHICAGO, Feb 22 /PRNewswire/ -- The following was released today by Samuel S. Epstein, M.D., Professor Environmental Science. University of Illinois School of Public Health.
As reported on CBS Morning News Today, the National Toxicology Program
(NTP) recently found that repeated skin application to mouse skin
of diethanolamine (DEA), or its fatty acid derivative cocaminde-DEA, induced
liver and kidney cancer. Besides this "clear evidence of carcinogenicity,"
NTP also emphasized that DEA is readily absorbed through the skin and accumulates
in organs, such as the brain, where it induces chronic toxic effects.
High concentrations of DEA-based detergents
are commonly used in a wide range of cosmetics and toiletries, including
shampoos, hair dyes and conditioners, lotions, creams and bubble baths,
besides liquid dishwashing and laundry soaps. Lifelong use of these products
thus clearly poses avoidable cancer risks tot he great majority of U.S.
consumers, particularly infants and young children.
Further increasing these cancer risks is long-standing evidence that
DEA readily interacts with nitrite preservatives or contaminants in cosmetics
or toiletries to form nitrosodiethanolamine (NDELA), another carcinogen
as well recognized by Federal agencies and institutions at the World Health
Organization, which, like DEA, is also rapidly absorbed through the skin.
In 1979, the FDA warned that over 40% of all cosmetic products were contaminated
with NDELA and called for the industry "to take immediate action to eliminate
this carcinogen from cosmetic products." In two 1991 surveys, 27
out of 29 products were found to be contaminated with high concentrations
of this carcinogen, results which were subsequently confirmed by the FDA.
Based on this information, the European Union and European industry have
both taken strong action to reduce or eliminate DEA and NDELA from cosmetics
and toiletries. In sharp contrast, the FDA has taken no such action,
nor has it responded to a 1996 petition from the Cancer Prevention Coalition
to phase out the use of DEA or to label DEA-containing products with an
explicit cancer warning. The mainstream U.S. industry has been similarly
unresponsive, even to the extent of ignoring the explicit warning by the
Cosmetics, Toiletries and Fragrance Association to discontinue the uses
of DEA. Such reckless intransigence is in strong contrast with the responsiveness
of the growing safe cosmetic industry.
Tom Mower, CEO of Neways Inc., a major distributor of carcinogen free
cosmetics, emphasizes: "I see no reason at all to use DEA, as there are
safe and cost-effective alternatives which we have been using is a wide
range of our cosmetics and toiletries for the last decade."
Faced with escalating cancer rates, now striking more than one
in three Americans, the FDA should take immediate action to
prevent further exposure to the avoidable carcinogens DEA and NDELA in
cosmetics, toiletries and liquid soaps. Safe and effective alternatives
to DEA are readily available.
SOURCE Cancer Prevention Coalition
/CONTACT: Samuel S. Epstein, M.D., Professor of
Environmental Medicine at the University of Illinois Chicago, School of
Public Health and Chairman, Cancer Prevention Coalition, (312)996-2297/
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