6/26/2017 DangersofPEGCompoundsinCosmeticsWomenatIncreasedBreastCancerRisk

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DangersofPEGCompoundsinCosmetics
WomenatIncreasedBreastCancerRisk?

OneoftheingredientssavvycosmeticshopperswillwanttowatchoutforislistedoncosmeticlabelsaspolyethyleneglycolandabbreviatedasPEG.Whenever
youseeingredientssuchasPEG6,PEG150andothersimilaringredientsoncosmeticandpersonalcareproductlabels,theseare all immediate members of
thePEGfamilyorclosechemicalcousins.

Polyethyleneglycolcompoundshavenotreceivedalotofattentionfromconsumerwatchdoggroups.Theyshould.Thisfamilyofsyntheticchemicalsfunctions
incosmeticformulationsassurfactants,cleansingagents,emulsifiers,skinconditioners,andhumectants.Cosmeticmanufacturerswhorelyonthemextensively
andmanydoare getting away with what we believe to be a conspiracy of negligence to increase consumer cancer risks, including women's risk of breast
cancer.

Only companies like Phend Pharmaceuticals with their range Dermaphend, have gone the extra step of insuring their products are completely free from PEG
compounds.

PEGHazardsRemainIgnoredbyCosmeticCompanies

AccordingtoareportintheInternationalJournalofToxicologybythecosmeticindustry'sownCosmeticIngredientReview(CIR)committee,impuritiesfoundin
various PEG compounds include ethylene oxide 1,4dioxane polycyclic aromatic compounds and heavy metals such as lead, iron, cobalt, nickel, cadmium,
and arsenic. PEG compounds also appear to be highly toxic to persons with damaged skin. In spite of these concerns, the CIR concludes that many PEG
compounds"aresafeforuse"incosmeticsbutaddsthatsuchPEGcompoundsshould"notbeusedondamagedskin."Inspiteoftheseknowncontaminants,
PEGcompoundsremaincommonlyusedincosmeticsandpersonalcareproducts.

TheRestoftheStory

As mentioned, PEG compounds often contain small amounts of ethylene oxide. According to experimental results reported on in the National Toxicology
Program'sEighthAnnualReportonCarcinogens,ethyleneoxideincreasestheincidencesofuterineandbreastcancersandofleukemiaandbraincancer.

According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer Working Group, occupational exposure to ethylene oxide during its production, processing, or
clinical use has been related to an increased incidence of leukemia. Other cancers related to potential ethylene oxide exposure include esophageal cancer,
stomachcancer,pancreaticcancer,bladdercancer,brainandcentralnervoussystemcancer,neoplasmsoflymphaticandhematopoietictissue, and Hodgkin's
disease.

Increased breast cancer rates have further been found among health care workers exposed to ethylene oxide gas used as a sterilant. Noteworthy was the
findingthatthis"groupasawholeappearedtobelargelyfreeofknownriskfactorsforbreastcancer."UsersofPEGcontainingcosmeticsareexposedtosmall
amountsofethyleneoxide.Equallydisconcerting,shopperswhoindiscriminatelypurchasesuchproductssupportcompanieswhoseownworkersareexposedto
thesechemicals.

PEGcompoundscontainpolycyclicaromaticcompounds,alsoknownaspolycyclicaromatichydrocarbons(PAHs).Ithasbeenknownsincetheearly1960sthat
polycyclicaromatichydrocarbonscausebreastandothercancers.

Polycyclicaromatichydrocarbonsareproducedbyincompletecombustionoforganicmaterial,particularlycoalandpetroleum.SeveralPAHs,includingbenzene,
benz(a)pyrene,DMBA,and1nitropyrene,areknowntobepotentinducersofbreastcancer.

The1,4DioxaneScandal

Perhaps most troubling is that PEG compounds are routinely contaminated with the carcinogen 1,4dioxane. Surveys of cosmetic raw materials and finished
productsforthepresenceofthecarcinogen1,4dioxanehavebeenconductedbytheU.S.FoodandDrugAdministrationsince1979.Thecarcinogen1,4dioxane
wasfoundinrawmaterialsatlevelsupto1,410partspermillion(ppm), and at levels up to 279 ppm in cosmetic finished products. Levels of 1,4dioxane in
excessof85ppminchildren'sshampoosindicatethatcontinuedmonitoringofrawmaterialsandfinishedproductsiswarranted,accordingtoFDAresearchers.
In a 1991 study, 48 percent of the total cosmetic products investigated contained 1,4dioxane at levels from 7.3 ppm to 85.9 ppm. Studies show that 1,4
dioxanereadilypenetrateshumanskin.

AccordingtotheNationalToxicologyPrograminitsNinthAnnualReportonCarcinogens,"1,4dioxaneisreasonablyanticipatedtobeahumancarcinogen."

In experimental studies, the contaminant increased incidence of liver and lung tumors and carcinomas of the gallbladder. As a promoter in a twostage skin
cancerstudy,thecompoundcausedincreasedincidencesofskintumors.

IndustryFailuretoCleanUpPEGCompounds

http://www.phend.co.za/health/Chemical5.htm 1/2
6/26/2017 DangersofPEGCompoundsinCosmeticsWomenatIncreasedBreastCancerRisk
Thecarcinogen1,4dioxanecanberemovedfromcosmeticsthroughvacuumstrippingduringprocessingwithoutanunreasonableincreaseinrawmaterialcost.
Doingsoisnotmandatorybutshouldbe.Thecosmeticandpersonalcareproductindustryhasshownlittleinterestindoingso.TestingcommissionedbyThe
Doctors' Prescription for Healthy Living has confirmed that approximately 50 percent of all PEGcontaining cosmetics and personal care products contain
significantamountsof1,4dioxane.Suchcontaminationthereforeisarealandcommonproblem.

EvenFoundinNaturalCosmetics

YouwouldthinkthatnaturalcosmeticmanufacturerswouldavoidPEGcompounds,especiallyinproductsforsensitiveordamagedskinsinceitsusecancause
sensitization and kidney damage. Yet, members of the PEG family are routinely used in even natural products. Sadly, most manufacturers don't even know
abouttheinformationinthisreport.Hopefully,thisreportwillsensitizesuchmanufacturerstotheseriousnessofthissituation.Atpresent,thereisnotenough
informationshownonproductlabelstoenableyoutodeterminewhetherPEGcompoundsarecontaminated.Whileoccasionally,consumersmayhavefavorite
productswithsuchingredients,ourrecommendationistoavoidusingcosmeticswithPEGcompoundswheneverpossible.

References:

Black,R.E.,etal."Occurrenceof1,4dioxaneincosmeticrawmaterialsandfinishedcosmeticproducts."JAOACInt200184(3):666670.

Dao,T.L."Theroleofovarianhormonesininitiatingtheinductionofmammarycancerinratsbypolynuclearhydrocarbons."CancerResearch,196222:973.

Johnson,W.,Jr.&CosmeticIngredientReviewExpertPanel."FinalreportonthesafetyassessmentofPEG25propyleneglycolstearate,PEG75propyleneglycolstearate,PEG120
propyleneglycolstearate,PEG10propyleneglycol,PEG8propyleneglycolcocoate,andPEG55propyleneglycololeate."IntJToxicol,200120(Suppl4):1326.

NationalToxicologyProgram."TR415toxicologyandcarcinogenesisstudiesofpolysorbate80(CASNo.9005656)inF344/NratsandB6C3F1mice(feedstudies)."January1992.

Scalia,S.&Menegatti,E."Assayof1,4dioxaneincommercialcosmeticproductsbyHPLC."Farmaco,199146(11):13651370.

Stolley, P. "A preliminary report of cancer incidence in a group of workers potentially exposed to ethylene oxide." Clinical Epidemiology Unit, University of Pennsylvania School of
Medicine,April25,1986.

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