Cosmetic Ingredient Review; Triclosan
Updated January 20th, 2011
Have you been purging your parabens? Continue to check your ingredient labels, it is well worth it to do so.
The next ingredient on the list of suggested ingredients to avoid is triclosan.
Triclosan is an artificial antimicrobial chemical (say that three times fast) used to kill bacteria on the skin and other surfaces.
It is the most comon ingredient found in antibacterial hand soaps as well as skin care and cosmetics. In skin care, it tends to show up in your facial cleansers.
You will also find it in a number of everyday items such as dishwasher detergent, toothpaste and deodorants.
Recent studies indicate that the thyroid function is effected by triclosan and potentially other hormone systems can be disrupted. There is also evidence that it can react with chlorine in tap water to form chloroform, another suspected chemical that can be damaging to our health.
Due to the fact that triclosan is stored in the fat cells and can build up in our bodies over time, it is important to avoid it where you easily can.
Easy enough to start with your makeup and skincare.
Want to do more research?
Skin Deep; Cosmetics Safety Database , which tends to be on the radical side and not cosmetic industry friendly, ranks it as a 7 or ‘high hazard’.
Personal Care , which tends to be more conservative and written by those in the cosmetics industry.
Medscape a reliable source in the medical profession, though again on the conservative side.
Have at it! And let us know what you come up with? What is your assessment on triclosan? Will you make every attempt to avoid it where you can? Or, not so much?
What are my thoughts? I find it a questionable enough ingredient. I avoid it, where I can. I suggest you do the same.
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