Avon Phasing Out Antibacterial Chemical Over Concerns of Potential Adverse Health Effects

Avon is the latest company to begin phasing out the antibacterial chemical triclosan from its products because of increasing public concerns about its risks to human health and increasing evidence that antibacterial products are no more effective in killing germs than traditional methods like plain soap and water.

Photo courtesy of business-ethics.com.

Triclosan is an active antimicrobial ingredient contained in a variety of personal care products – including toothpastes, face washes, soaps, and deodorants – where it acts to “slow or stop the growth of bacteria, fungi, and mildew,” says the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Triclosan is a chemical also commonly found in other consumer products, including clothes, kitchenware, furniture, carpeting, toys, caulking compounds, and sealants. It’s also used for industrial purposes as an antimicrobial pesticide in equipment including conveyer belts, fire hoses, dye bath vats, and ice-making equipment.

Among the biggest health concerns for people though still comes from the chemical being incorporated in personal care products, where increasing evidence shows that the risks outweigh any potential benefits.

Looking at antibacterial chemicals in soaps, Colleen Rogers, a microbiologist with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, said in a reported last December that “there currently is no evidence that over-the-counter antibacterial soap products are any more effective at preventing illnesses.”

The FDA report said that, “There are indications that certain ingredients in these soaps may contribute to bacterial resistance to antibiotics, and may have unanticipated hormone effects.”

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Using Beauty Products With Phthalates While Pregnant Could Affect Baby

Every woman wants to be beautiful and we all have different opinions about what beauty is. It can be a couple of things - looking good, being healthy, or helping others. These are the things most of us try to do everyday.

Photo courtesy of Sciencedaily.com.

This post - like many others that I write - is about what’s in the things we buy, and how they might affect us, our families, or unborn children. As part of that, I came across a study which found that higher prenatal exposure to phthalates seems to contribute to behavior problems in children between the ages of four and nine.

The study, Prenatal Phthalate Exposure is Associated with Childhood Behavior and Executive Functioning, was conducted as collaboration between Mount Sinai, Cornell University, and the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

Phthalates are part of a group of chemicals that are known as endocrine disruptors that can interfere with the body’s hormone system. Phthalates are a family of compounds found in a wide variety of consumer products, such as nail polish to increase their durability and reduce chipping; and in cosmetics, perfumes, lotions, and shampoos to maintain fragrances.

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Moms Debut Kid-Inspired Natural Bath and Beauty Products Co.

Graphic courtesy of Sparklehearts Co.

LOS ANGELES- As Hilary Orr’s two daughters got older, they became increasing less inclined to want to use natural or organic products. “They were always attracted to the really fun packaging from products that had all of these awful ingredients in them,” said Ms. Orr, who got together with her longtime friend, Darcy McMahon, to create Sparklehearts Co., a company with natural and organic products designed for kid appeal.

“There was nothing out there on the market that I could find that was fun and hip for the girls, and that was also natural and organic,” added Ms. Orr, who with Ms. McMahon went on a two-year journey of product development and culminated with the debut of Sparklehearts last month at the Natural Expo West tradeshow.

“We got a really great reaction. People really loved our products,” said Ms. Orr, talking about the company’s five product lines which consist of a shampoo, conditioner, hair detangler, body wash, and body lotion.

“With the Shine Shampoo, we wanted to put something a little different in, so we added a little pansy extract, which is a natural sun protectant. We kind of did that with all of our products, but for the shampoo I would like to add that it makes a really great lather, which is unlike a lot of other natural shampoos,” said Ms. Orr.

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