Revealed: the secret truth about the cosmetics industry (part 4)
Synthetic colours
Synthetic colours are among the most aggressive allergens and they can cause asthma, nettle rash and other strong immune reactions. Gained from mineral oils or coal, they are ubiquitous in the products of the cosmetics- and food industries.Their only job is to make the product look better. They have no other use whatsoever.
They are cheap indeed, and the unsuspecting consumer often falls for a nicely coloured product. You may not even realise how many dangerous compounds are hidden beneath catchy packaging and misleading brand names.
You are tricked both on quality and price. First, the product looks good and the manufacturer positions it as something luxurious and top-notch. Then there’s the price: paying a fortune for the product makes you believe that it’s fantastic and safe.
Clinical tests have confirmed that regular use of synthetic colours can lead to a number of different conditions such as cancer.
The biggest threat is synthetic colours in lipsticks, lip balms, lip shines and lip liners – simply because you can’t avoid swallowing a hefty amount of the colours.
It’s best to avoid synthetic colours altogether. You have to be very vigilant because nowadays, synthetic colours and scents are everywhere! Profit is a matter of life and death these days and everything boils down to the decisions made in front of supermarket shelves. Rest assured that the sexier a product looks the more toxic stuff it contains.
It’s poisoning you
Manufacturers can’t be bothered by the above fact any more. They are thinking about the launch of The Next Big Thing which will be cheap to produce and profitable to sell. Some colours are now shunned by the food industry but still used in the cosmetics industry with the pretext that cosmetics are not something you eat.
According to INCI standards, colours have to be indicated with the letters ‘CI’ and a five-digit number (this is how you spot them on cosmetics’ labels) whereas in food, they carry the widely-known ‘E’- identification codes.
The most hazardous colours:
- E102 tartrazine C.I. 19140 – allergy, asthma, nettle rash, migraine
- E123 amarant C.I. 16185 – mutagenic, carcinogenic
- E124 ponceau C.I. 16255 – allergy, respiratory problems
- E127 erythrosine C.I. 45430 – behavioural anomalies, neural problems, allergy
- E128 red C.I. 18050 – allergy
- E129 allura red C.I. 16035 – allergy hyperactivity, carcinogenic
- E131 patent blue C.I. 420051 – allergy, carcinogenic
- E132 indigotin C.I. 73015 – allergy, carcinogenic
- E133 brilliant blue C.I. 42090 – allergy, carcinogenic
- E142 green C.I. 44090 – carcinogenic
These compounds are most commonly used in the following cosmetics: hair dyes, shower gels, facial creams, shampoos, conditioners, and every product which appears to be too colourful.
The regulation of these ingredients is not entirely harmonised. For example, chinoline yellow (E104 C.I. 47005) is legal in the EU but banned in the US and in Japan.
It’s best to throw out all cosmetics which contain synthetic colours, scents and other chemicals. Take control over your skin’s health now!
Have a wonderful an chemical-free day,
Andrea Varga-Darabos
PS: I feel honoured by your decision to learn from me. However, if you want more in-depth knowledge on these subjects, check out these sites: https://mannasoap.uk/references-synthetic-colours
