2. In the presence of heat or light sodium benzoate and potassium benzoate can combine with ascorbic acid (vitamin C, E300) to form benzene, a known carcinogen.

3. Professor Peter Piper of the University of Sheffield claims that sodium benzoate by itself can damage and inactivate vital parts of DNA in a cell’s mitochondria which produces the energy for cells.

4. Sodium benzoate can create an increased retention of water which is an issue if you have heart disease according to drug monographs.

5. Sodium benzoate can increase your chances of side effects if you have cancer.

6. Some recent research has found that artificial food colors combined with SODIUM BENZOATE may adversely effect the behaviour patterns of children. The work published in the medical journal Lancet outlines work at the University of Southampton (U.K.) which found that a significant number of the about 250 kids studied displayed hyperactive behavior when given food colors + sodium benzoate in controlled double blind conditions. This research has shown the adverse effect for a specific set of food colors plus sodium benzoate, a preservative. It does not PROVE artificial food colors alone or sodium benzoate alone are a problem BUT WHY TAKE A CHANCE WITH YOUR KIDS HEALTH?.

7. My family and I are avoiding products containing sodium benzoate preservative when possible.

For more info subscribe to a Healthy Choice Products newsletter and read some of our other blogs and upcoming blogs:

- Quick Reality Check – Artificial Food Colorings – avoid when possible

- Quick Reality Check – “Herbal” & “Organic” Shampoos and Conditioners contain potentially harmful ingredients

- Quick Reality Check – Vitamin C – Miracle Vitamin?

- Quick Reality Check – The scary stuff in shampoo

- Over 14,000 health products contain at least 1 carcinogen

- Body Wash dries skin and expensive moisturizer is the antidote!

- You are what you “wash with”

- Sunscreen Choices – Simple Health Aid or Toxic Soup

- How to Prevent Skin Cancer

Wayne Conrad

2. My personal hypothesis is that the ever increasing variety of chemicals that we are exposed to each day is the cause.

3. I recommend that you look at the label of some of your favorite shampoos, conditioners, skin care products, make up and perfume and then look up what some of these ingredients are and their potential health effects.

4. Consider just a few of the following ingredients that were listed on a baby shampoo!!

(a) Cocamidopropyl Betaine – This material is used as an antistatic agent, hair and skin conditioner, as a surfactant and to thicken products. The National Library of Medicine HazMap considers it as toxic to the immune system and can cause an allergic reaction to the skin and/or lungs.

(b) PEG-80 Sorbitan Laurate – This material is a fragrance ingredient and a cleansing agent which the Cosmetic Ingredient Review assesses as NOT SAFE for injured or damaged skin. My kids have often had scrapes, cuts and minor rashes and I though that a “baby shampoo” would be safe. This materials is linked to developmental/reproductive toxicity, allergies/immunotoxicity, and organ system toxicity. This is a very scary ingredient.

(c) PEG-150 Distearate is a cleansing agent which the Cosmetic Ingredient Review assesses as NOT SAFE for injured or damaged skin. My kids have often had scrapes, cuts and minor rashes and I though that a “baby shampoo” would be safe. This materials is linked to organ system toxicity. This is a moderately scary ingredient.

(d) Sodium Trideceth Sulfate is a cleansing agent; surfactant; emulsifying agent; foaming additive where there is no safety data available that I could find!!!

(e) Fragrance – THIS IS THE SCARIEST POSSIBLE LABEL ON THE BOTTLE BECAUSE IT COULD BE ALMOST ANYTHING!!! This is not an ingredient – it is a “catch all” for many potentially hazardous chemicals. This is a VERY scary label on any product.

(f) Polyquaternium-10 is an antistatic agent; film former; hair fixative for which a few articles were found on PubMed. There is limited safety data available.

(g) Tetrasodium EDTA is a chelating agent which has a low risk by itself but it may allow other chemicals to be better absorbed by the skin which can make hazardous ingredients more hazardous because they can pass into the body more easily.

(h) Quaternium-15 is an antistatic agent which is linked to a risk for cancer; developmental and reproductive harm, allergies, immunotoxicity; and organ system toxicity. This is a moderately scary ingredient.

5. If you want to know more subscribe to a Healthy Choice Products newsletter and read some of our other blogs and upcoming blogs:

- Over 14,000 health products contain at least 1 carcinogen

- Body Wash dries skin and expensive moisturizer is the antidote!

- You are what you “wash with”

- Sunscreen Choices – Simple Health Aid or Toxic Soup

- How to Prevent Skin Cancer

2. Some phthalates are being phased out of many products such as children’s toys and baby bottles in the United States and European Union over health concerns. Phthalates have been linked to allergies and altered reproductive development.

3. I was surprised to learn that phthalates are still being used as coatings for pharmaceutical pills, detergents, some food products, and in personal care products including nail polish, perfumes, and even products designed for babies!

4. The skin is the largest organ of the body.

5. The skin allows water and chemicals to be expelled from our bodies and it should not be a great surprise to us that the body can also absorb chemicals into our bodies.

6. One recent study at the University of Washington and Seattle Children’s Hospital Research Institute, nine different phthalates were found in urine samples collected from 163 infants, aged 2 months to 28 months. This study found a strong correlation between the use of baby lotion, powder and shampoo and higher concentrations of phthalate in an infant’s body.

7. Babies may be more at risk than children or adults because their reproductive, endocrine and immune systems are still developing.

8. Researchers hypothesize but have not conclusively show than phthalate exposure in early childhood has been associated with altered hormone concentrations as well as increased allergies, runny nose and eczema.

9. Although more research is needed to determine if exposing very young children to phthalates is linked with reproductive or other problems as the animal studies suggest, but I think “WHY TAKE A CHANCE?”

10. I personally chose to use lotions, shampoo, and baby powder sparingly unless otherwise indicated for a medical reason to decrease by children’s exposures to phthalates.

11. I am currently researching alternative lotions, shampoo, and baby powders which do not include phthalates in the product or in the packaging. Check upcoming blogs for more information or sign up for more information at Omachron OnLine

Wayne Conrad