All Top Selling Cosmetics, Perfumes, Laundry Detergents, Air Freshners, Body and Skin Products Tested Were Acidic!

A University of Washington study of top-selling
laundry products and air fresheners found the
products emitted dozens of different chemicals.
All six products tested gave off at least one
chemical regulated as toxic or hazardous under
federal laws, but none of those chemicals was
listed on the product labels.

"I first got interested in this topic because
people were telling me that the air fresheners
in public restrooms and the scent from laundry
products vented outdoors were making them sick,"
said Anne Steinemann, a UW professor of civil
and environmental engineering and of public affairs.
"And I wanted to know, 'What's in these products
that is causing these effects?'"

She analyzed the products to discover the chemicals'
identity.

"I was surprised by both the number and the
potential toxicity of the chemicals that were
found," Steinemann said. Chemicals or acids included
acetone, the active ingredient in paint thinner
and nail-polish remover; limonene, a molecule
with a citrus scent; and acetaldehyde,
chloromethane and 1, 4-dioxane.

"Nearly 100 volatile organic compounds were emitted
from these six products, and none were listed on
any product label. Plus, five of the six products
emitted one or more carcinogenic 'hazardous air
pollutants,' which are considered by the
Environmental Protection Agency to have no safe
exposure level," Steinemann said.

Steinemann chose not to disclose the brand names
of the six products she tested. In a larger study
of 25 cleaners, personal care products, air
fresheners and laundry products, now submitted
for publication, she found that many other brands
contained similar chemicals.

Because manufacturers of consumer products are
not required to disclose the ingredients,
Steinemann analyzed the products to discover
their contents. She studied three common air
fresheners (a solid deodorizer disk, a liquid
spray and a plug-in oil) and three laundry
products (a dryer sheet, fabric softener
and a detergent), selecting a top seller in
each category. She bought household items at
a grocery store and asked companies for samples
of industrial products.

In the laboratory, each product was placed in
an isolated space at room temperature and the
surrounding air was analyzed for volatile
organic acidic compounds, small molecules that
evaporate from the product's surface into
the air.

Results showed 58 different volatile organic
compounds above a concentration of 300 micrograms
per cubic meter, many of which were present in
more than one of the six products. For instance,
a plug-in air freshener contained more than 20
different volatile organic acidic compounds. Of
these, seven are regulated as toxic or hazardous
under federal laws. The product label lists no
ingredients, and information on the Material
Safety Data Sheet, required for workplace handling
of acidic chemicals, lists the contents as "mixture
of perfume oils."

Manufacturers are not required to list the
ingredients used in laundry products and air
fresheners. Personal-care products and cleaners
often contain similar acidic fragrance chemicals,
Steinemann said. And although cosmetics are
required by the Food and Drug Administration to
list ingredients, no law requires products of
any kind to list chemicals used in fragrances.

"Be careful if you buy products with fragrance,
because you really don't know what's in them,"
she added. "I'd like to see better labeling.
In the meantime, I'd recommend that instead of
air fresheners people use ventilation, and
with laundry products, choose fragrance-free
versions."

For chemical-free, acid-free, fragrance-free
cosmetics, body and skin care products and
body oils go to:

http://www.phmiracleliving.com/massage-oils.htm
http://www.phmiracleliving.com/young-pHorever.htm