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How to recognize controversial ingredients in shampoos?

A sometimes thorny subject within the scientific community, the European Commission, and lobbies, cosmetic brands and groups, "controversial" ingredients are today tracked by cosmetic scanning applications and the media.

I decided to write this article for consumers who would like to expand their knowledge on the subject of endocrine disruptors, allergens, preservatives, etc., so that they can make more informed choices when purchasing their cosmetics . Here, I am particularly interested in shampoos and hair cosmetics.

First, it is important to pay close attention to the sources of information. Avoid taking articles without reliable scientific sources at face value.

To write this article, I relied on data from Que Choisir , a magazine of the Federal Union of Consumers, renowned for its reliability and independence in terms of analysis of the compositions of cosmetics (and not only).

Sometimes I also directly consulted scientific studies available in open access, or used the resources of CosmeticObs .

Note that ingredients of chemical origin are not necessarily bad for your health or the environment, and the same goes for natural ingredients.

The priority in cosmetics remains consumer safety , which includes, among other things, proper preservation of the formula.

Because LAO is a brand committed to the environment and it seems inconceivable to me not to take environmental criteria into account when choosing my cosmetics, I have also decided to display the polluting ingredients here.

Let's classify the "questionable" ingredients into four categories here.

1. Endocrine disruptors

2. Allergens

3. Irritants

4. Pollutants

1. Endocrine disruptors

"An endocrine disruptor is a substance or mixture of substances that alters the functions of the endocrine system and thereby induces adverse effects in an intact organism, in its offspring or in (sub)populations" WHO, 2002

In other words, these substances disrupt the functioning of the hormonal system of living beings (so not just us humans) and can interfere with all the major functions of living organisms: growth, reproduction, behavior, nutrition, metabolism, nervous system, etc. These effects are observed over the long term.

Among the most well-known effects of endocrine disruptors, there are suspected effects on fertility , the development of cancers (hormone-dependent: testicle, breast, etc.), the brain, obesity and diabetes, and on the development of the fetus in pregnant women. Since these pathologies are multifactorial, the responsibility of endocrine disruptors is still difficult to determine.

On the other hand, endocrine disruptors do not yet have an official regulatory definition (European Commission) and are poorly regulated . There is still some vagueness today regarding some of the ingredients as well as the protocols for testing and evaluating their toxicity.

On the other hand, endocrine disruptors are suspected of not being dependent on the threshold effect, meaning they could have negative effects even at very low doses. For more information on their effects, take a look at the dedicated page on the website of the French Agency for Food, Environmental, and Occupational Health and Safety.

Among the endocrine disruptors suspected in cosmetics, we note:

Phenoxyethanol,

used as an antimicrobial. This one is not classified but it is highly recommended to avoid it

Some silicones :

such as cyclopentasiloxane , dimethicone (Not classified as an endocrine disruptor according to Que Choisir, but it remains a silicone), and names derived from -siloxane and -methicone ).

They are mainly used as texturizers for the formula, and in hair products they provide a sheathing, smoothing, shiny effect to the hair but cause asphyxiation because they are also "film-forming" . The hair fiber, coated with silicone, deteriorates little by little, making the hair more brittle. When we stop using silicones in hair products, we go through a " withdrawal " effect. The hair fiber gradually gets rid of the silicone and its true nature appears. We can see the hair damage, previously hidden.

Stopping silicones allows you to discover the true nature of your hair , and more natural treatments will allow you to obtain, after adaptation, naturally healthier hair.

They are also excluded from the specifications for organic cosmetics and are pollutants . This point will be developed in part four below.

Some parabens,

used as chemical preservatives: butyl paraben , ethyl paraben , methylene paraben , propyl paraben . Be careful, sometimes they are replaced by methylisothiazolinone , which is a powerful allergen that triggers a violent and immediate reaction.

Triclosan ,

used as an antibacterial preservative.

The BHA ,

used as preservative and fragrance: Butylated Hydroxyanisole BHA

Phthalates ,

used as fixing agents: Diethyl Phthalate

Alkylphenols ,

used as emulsifiers: Nonylphenol and names derived from -nonoxynol

Resorcinol ,

used in hair dyes: 1,3 Benzenediol ; Resorcin 1,3 Benzenediol ; 1,3 Dihydroxybenzene ; M-Hydroquinone ; M-Phenylenediol ; 3-Hydorxyphenol ; 4;M-Dihydroxybenzene.

The lilial ,

used as fragrance: Butylphenyl Methylpropional

The UFC Que Choisir website has compiled fact sheets on each of the molecules to avoid in cosmetics. Find them in detail here .

2. Allergens

Allergenic substances include molecules that trigger allergic reactions in people who are sensitive to them.

They come mainly from the fragrances incorporated into the formulas (present in certain essential oils in particular).

The threshold of sensitization varies from person to person; just because you are not sensitive now does not mean you will not be later.

The 26 allergens that cause the most allergic reactions are required to be labeled as soon as they are present at more than 0.001% in non-rinsed products and 0.01% in rinsed products.

They are very common and it is recommended that pregnant women, sensitive people and children avoid them.

Not all allergens have the same sensitizing potential, which is why you will find them classified below:

Weak sensitizers - alpha-Isomethyl ionone - Amyl cinnamal - Anise alcohol - Benzyl alcohol - Benzyl benzoate - Benzyl salicylate - Hexyl cinnamal - Limonene - Linalool

Medium sensitizers - Amylcinnamyl alcohol - Benzyl cinnamate - Citronellol

Strong sensitizers - Cinnamal - Cinnamyl alcohol - Citral - Coumarin - Eugenol - Farnesol - Geraniol - Hydroxycitronellal - Isoeugenol - Methyl 2-octynoate

Let's also not forget methylisothiazolinone , which is sometimes used as a paraben substitute and is very strong. This substance is now banned from leave-on products.

Allergens are often found in natural cosmetics because they are found in certain plants, in the form of oils, hydrosols or essential oils.

If you are not sensitive to them, there is no need to avoid them at all costs, but you will need to avoid overexposure.

3. Irritants

Frequently used in cleansing cosmetics (shower gels and shampoos) for their cleansing, even stripping, action, sulfates and their derivatives can irritate the skin and scalp, but this is not systematic. Some people are more sensitive to them than others.

They are found in most conventional shampoos . Those to avoid are:

- ammonium lauryl sulfate (ALS)

- sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS)

4. Pollutants

PEGs

They are primarily used as humectants, meaning they help "retain" water and prevent both cosmetics and skin from drying out. According to CosmeticObs, "the general consensus among scientists and health authorities is that these compounds do not pose any real health hazard in themselves, even though they may potentially serve as carriers for other chemical substances, some of which are carcinogenic, but in the form of residues at very low doses."

The site also specifies that "they are mainly criticized because of their manufacturing process , one of the most polluting in cosmetics for the environment, and they also turn out to be quite difficult to biodegrade ."

Say no more. We will therefore avoid PEGs in our natural cosmetics . They are very easily recognizable in the INCI lists.

silicones

In addition to being problematic for hair due to their film-forming action, silicones are known for their harmful effects on the environment .

However, I had difficulty finding scientific studies that concretely attested to this. The only studies I identified linking silicones to the environment were on the CNRS website, and I didn't have access to them. However, according to many sources, including CosmeticObs, "The cyclomethicone family is also classified among those that can pose a danger to aquatic environments.

And silicones in general, which are very poorly biodegradable, are known for their potential to pollute the environment."

Some vegetable oils

As we told you in the introduction, just because an ingredient is natural or of natural origin does not guarantee its safety for the consumer or its effect on the environment .

As well as the effects of the components when they are released into the environment through wastewater, their origin and method of obtaining can be a source of pollution or serious damage.

In this sense, we have added certain vegetable oils to our blacklist. Coconut and palm oils, for example, are harmless to the consumer (apart from the comedogenic effect of coconut oil), but their method of production is controversial. The deforestation and destruction of biodiversity caused by food and cosmetics manufacturers who always want more of these high-yield exotic oils need no introduction. The main regions affected are: the Amazon and Indonesia, but also the Philippines, India, Tanzania and certain island states.

Of course, there is now a label, the RSPO (Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil), which brings together the various players in the sector and has established standards for more environmentally friendly palm oil . However, this label is controversial, particularly by Greenpeace, which points out through a study carried out in 2013 that RSPO has not contributed to the reduction of deforestation . More greenwashing?

In addition to ecological problems, these exotic oils also pose ethical problems because the workers often suffer from inhumane working conditions.

The latest scandal: the use of monkeys, chained and exhausted, trained to collect as many coconuts as possible.

Brut shot some footage that might shed some more light on this:

It is worth noting that palm oil is sometimes replaced by coconut oil under the pretext of ecology, when in fact this only shifts the problem.

In France and Europe, we benefit from vegetable oils with undeniable qualities: safflower, corn germ, rapeseed, olive, sunflower. France is, among other things, one of the world's leading producers and exporters of flax.

Be careful, however, to choose these certified organic vegetable oils , because it would be a shame to contribute once again to the destruction of biodiversity in our country.

To benefit from their nutritional qualities, it is best to choose these cold-pressed oils.

What about alcohol?

Alcohol is a solvent commonly used in cosmetics and can dry out the skin. In organic cosmetics, it is used as a preservative . Que Choisir does not consider it a problematic ingredient.

Why do some brands continue to use certain ingredients that are considered harmful or unnatural?

It is to be hoped that no brand deliberately exposes its customers to potential risks.

However, according to Que Choisir, "they continue to use these problematic molecules as long as they remain authorized to avoid having to reformulate their products or modify their packaging, these reformulations being obviously quite complicated for them."

I would add that reformulation is costly , time-consuming , and focusing on it distracts brands from pure innovation. Furthermore, driven by cosmetic scanning apps, many are reworking their formulas. We will write an article dedicated to cosmetic scanning apps, which do not always take all the variables into account in their ratings.

Que Choisir also states that they "also deplore the fact that manufacturers add problematic compounds for the sole purpose of providing their products with features that are of no real interest to consumers. Thus, there is no point in putting UV filters, some of which are endocrine disruptors, in lip balms or hair dyes!"

We couldn't agree with them more!

If we take the example of surfactants , those originating from Asia are often much less expensive than those manufactured in Italy or Germany. In this sense, we will notice that manufacturers often favor sulfates and derivatives (although recognized as irritants) over alternatives such as glutamates (much more expensive, but gentle and with less impactful manufacturing processes).

Conclusions

Of course, we will always rely on scientific studies and regulations to assess the effects of molecules in cosmetics. The above list is subject to change and is not exhaustive. It is indicative and aims to inform consumers to help them make informed choices when it comes to cosmetics.

The environmental dimension also seemed particularly important to me to share with you.

Sources

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