The Cost of Beauty First published in New Vegetarian & Natural Health, Autumn 2002 ©Katrina Fox 2002

©New Vegetarian & Natural Health

Would you consider washing your hair with industrial strength laundry detergent? Or rubbing anti-freeze onto your face? Most of us would probably answer 'no'. But what many people do not know is that the majority of hair and beauty products contain the same ingredients used in these harsh chemical agents, albeit in smaller amounts, writes Katrina Fox.

Take shampoo, for example. The vast majority of shampoos use harsh cleaning and foaming agents such as Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate, Ammonium Laureth Sulfate and Alpha Olefin Sulfonate. These are known as surfactants and come in two types - Linear Alkyl Surfactants and Ethoxylated Surfactants. Ethoxylated surfactants are almost identical to linear alkyl surfactants, except that they have been chemically combined with the compound ethylene oxide. So for example, when ethylene oxide is added to the linear alkyl surfactant Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, its name is changed to Sodium Laureth Sulfate. When you see the word 'laureth', it means it is ethoxylated.

The higher the ethoxylation the greater the risk is of exposure to harmful carcinogens because a by-product called 1,4 dioxane can be released. 1,4 dioxane is a known carcinogen that reacts with other ingredients in shampoos to form dangerous nitrates. These nitrates are capable of permeating through skin each time you shampoo. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, a non-ethoxylated surfactant, has been shown to react with other chemicals that form nitrosamines. Nitrosamines, like 1,4 dioxane, are also carcinogens. Shampoos with high levels of nitrosamines may expose you to these potentially cancer causing agents.

Then there is propylene glycol which is used in so many moisturisers, skin creams and hair conditioning treatments. It is often called 'industrial strength anti-freeze' because it is used to protect machines and heavy equipment from freezing. Cosmetic companies use propylene glycol to help keep their products emulsified, to help them spread or to prevent them spoiling or freezing. But it is a dangerous solvent that can permeate through skin layers and enter the blood stream, where it is suspected of causing liver abnormalities and kidney damage.

Ammonia is another ingredient to avoid. Used in the majority of permanent hair dyes, it is an extremely toxic chemical, especially if inhaled - hard not to do if you are colouring your hair. It can burn the eyes and skin and irritate the mucous membranes.

Cosmetics can be a minefield too as far as toxic ingredients go. Formaldehyde is known to be irritating to the mucous membranes, for example, as are acetone and tolulene. Yet all three are present in the majority of nail polishes and hardeners. Many of the FD&C (Food, Drug, Cosmetic) colours listed on lipsticks, blushers, nail polishes and so on are derived from coal tar and are possible carcinogens.

Another consideration for vegetarians and vegans, as well as the health aspect, is the cruelty involved in many of these products. Many companies, including those who publicly state they are 'cruelty-free', do in fact use ingredients in their products which cause suffering to animals. The fact that they are 'by-products' does not remove the suffering the animal endured.

The myth that milk does not involve cruelty or death of an animal is widespread, for example. To produce milk a cow must remain in a pregnant state, leaving her open to mastitis, a very painful bacterial infection of the udder. Separated from their mothers very early on, many calves are illegally castrated without an anaesthetic by farmers instead of vets. Methods of castration include the use of a rubber ring which is used to constrict the flow of blood to the scrotum so the testicles then fall off. And a surgical procedure whereby the scrotum is cut open with a sharp knife and the testicles are removed by cutting or tearing the spermatic cord. These methods have been shown to cause acute pain. Unwanted bull calves born to dairy cows are taken to the slaughterhouse to have their throats cut and become part of the beef industry by the time they are several days old.

Similar horrors are inflicted upon sheep in the wool industry, a by-product of which is lanolin and its derivatives, used in many beauty products. In addition a procedure called mulesing is carried out. This is where farmers carve huge strips of flesh from around the anal and vaginal area of lambs without anaesthetic or any requirement of skill. This is to leave a smooth scar that will not harbour fly eggs. This is an extremely painful procedure that can take weeks to heal.

Beeswax is another ingredient, particularly favoured by 'natural' product manufacturers. Even though bees are seen flying, they are also subject to the cruelties of the animal farming industry. Queen bees are artificially inseminated with sperm obtained from decapitated bees. Queens are also systematically slaughtered every two years because over a period of time their egg producing abilities decline so their whole hive becomes unproductive and uneconomic. When bee keepers manipulate combs many bees are crushed and killed. Bees are separated from their hives by being shaken vigorously or jetted out with powerful streams of air. They may also have their legs and wings clipped off to prevent them flying off.

Other animal derived ingredients to watch out for include collagen, elastin, and carmine and its derivatives, including Natural Red 4 and E120. The latter are found in many brands of cosmetics to produce a red colour which is made by crushing insects and using their blood.

The list of chemical names found on hair and beauty products can be confusing and worrisome for the concerned consumer, both from a health and ethical point of view. It is true that there are some heavily toxic substances out there, many of which probably have no business being in hair and beauty products. However, the notion that 'all chemicals are bad' is not necessarily true. Sometimes it is the reaction of various substances combined that causes problems, rather than an individual ingredient being toxic on its own. We should also remember that allergic reactions and dermatitis can also be got from 'natural' ingredients as well as synthetic ones. The key is to find what, if anything, is possibly causing you problems and find alternatives that are right for you. Read the labels on products, question the manufacturers, do your own research and get as much information as you can. Talk to your hairdresser or beautician. The more demand there is for safer and completely cruelty-free products, the more firms will spring up offering them to add to those that already exist. The good news is that you can feel good and look glamorous without compromising your health or contributing to animal suffering.

Sources and Further Reading
Beauty to Die For by Judi Vance (1 58348 398 5)
Dying to Look Good by Christine Hoza Farlow (0 9635635 X)
The Consumer's Dictionary of Cosmetic Ingredients by Ruth Winter (0 609 80367 0)
Vegan Society, UK www.vegansociety.com

Katrina Fox is a freelance journalist and co-founder of the Natural Hair & Beauty Shop, a cruelty-free (vegan) salon offering a full range of professional hair and beauty services in Edgecliff, Sydney. Ph 02 9327 8500 or visit www.naturalhairandbeautyshop.com.au

New Vegetarian & Natural Health magazine is published quarterly by the Natural Health Society of Australia, the Australian Vegetarian Society, the Vegetarian Society of SA and the Vegetarian/Vegan Society of Qld. For more information visit www.veg-soc.org or www.naturalhealth.org.au