Organic chemicals in Cosmetics.

What are the effects Organic chemicals in cosmetics?

Introduction.

In  our world today, organic chemistry is of vital importance  to the petrochemical, pharmaceutical, textile and cosmetic industries  where  a prime concern is the synthesis of new  organic molecules and polymers. They are various  ways in which organic chemistry is playing  a part   in our daily  lives. But we are going to focus on how  organic chemicals have been used  to produce various substances  which are used  on our bodies, known as cosmetics.

What are cosmetics?

By definition, cosmetics are body care substances  that  used to enhance  the appearance  or odour of  the human body. They are generally mixture of chemicals compounds  of which some of them are derived while  some are synthetic.

In the cosmetic industry, they make use  of various synthetic chemicals to produce  various forms of cosmetic products such as body lotion,  shampoo, shaving cream, etc. it  is  important to note that most of these substances are also  used  in industrial manufacturing  processes  to  clean  industrial equipment, stabilize  pesticides,  and grease gears.

In most developing countries and most especially  in the United States, major gaps in the Federal law allow the cosmetic industry to put  thousands of synthetic chemicals into personal care products even  if those chemicals  are linked to cancer,  infertility of birth defect. As a result of this, it has led to an increased rate of breast cancer incidence since  untested  chemicals have now been introduced steadily into our  environment.

Effect of organic chemicals  in cosmetics  on our bodies?

Most organic chemicals  found in cosmetics are  very good for  our bodies some  of the are safe cosmetics while some of them are  considered  toxic and hazardous to our bodies as well as our environment.  However prolonged use  of cosmetics also  cause damage to our bodies too.

In the table below are some group of chemicals mostly found in found  in cosmetics, their uses  and their side effects.

Organic chemicals	Uses	Health hazards
1.      1. Butyl acetate	It is used in producing nail straighteners and nail polishes	Its vapour may cause dizziness or drowsiness.  Excess usage causes the skin to  crack  and become   dry.
2.  butylated hydroxotoulene	It act as antioxidant which helps to slow the rate at which  a  product changes colour over time,	It may cause   skin and eye irritation.
3. Formaldehyde	It used as  a disinfectant  and preservative  in a variety  of products  such as soaps, deodorant, shaving cream,  adhesive, shampoo, nail polish	It causes multiple health concerns such as cancer,  immune system damage,  genetic damage, triggering asthma and eye irritation
4. Diethanolamine  (DEA)	It is used as  emulsifiers  and foaming agents  in  products  such as shampoos, shaving creams, moisturizers, and baby  washes.	It can  acts as a carcinogen because it can be  absorbed  into the body through the skin It disrupts the hormone in the body.
5. Coal  tar	It dissolves  dead skin cells ,  it is used to control itching and scaling  in the body.	It is a human carcinogen  which could cause cancer.
6.Toulene	It is found in nail polish and hair dye, it  acts as  a solvent to improve adhesion  and add  gloss.	It causes  reproductive and developmental damage, It can be carcinogenic  and it also causes  liver and  kidney damage.
7. Lead  acetate	It  used in making toothpaste , it is also added as  an ingredient in some  lipsticks  and   men’s hair dye	Prolonged  use of product contain   this substance causes  brain damage and developmental delays even at extremely low concentration.
8. Phthalates	It is used to keep  colour and scent  dissolved  in nail polish , perfume ,  hair spray and  others.	It causes  low sperm count in male, genital birth defects,  it also reduces  female fertility