Cosmetic Chemist Shelley Buckman Please note that DHA (dihydroxyacetone) is the active ingredient that gives it bronze color, DHA (dihydroxyacetone), “is a donor of formaldehyde… Picking up self-tanners with DHA,” and thus could be affected by the bill. It is also worth noting that DHA is FDA approved For external use.
Some of these ingredients have been previously fired, including benzene, a known carcinogen. The trace elements of benzene were found in several popular acne products, including benzoyl peroxide, including the effect duo of La Roche Posai, leading to spontaneous recalls. Benzene is another ingredient that companies have not intentionally added to their products. This is usually a result of contamination during manufacturing or a by-product from failed ingredients.
Parabens have also been a hot topic for years. Preservatives were used to prevent mold and fungi in the product, but have been removed from many products due to backlash based on clean beauty derived from potential health concerns. (Backmann, though, has a flag on the fact that parabens also naturally occur in the body, and you can find them in certain foods.)
In 2023, the FDA proposed a ban on formaldehyde, i.e. relaxer and keratin treatments in hair products, and reported that the use of these products is “related to long-term health effects on health, including increased risk of certain canning, such as sensitization reactions and respiratory problems.” However, the ban is currently suspended. In early 2024, California banned 38 beauty materials, but in reality only six products are regularly used in modern cosmetics.
Bachman said the bill was “justified to protect consumers, including those whose health benefits were previously overlooked.” However, banning ingredients completely does not allow for the “dose creates a toxin” nuance, which is essential for safe product formulations. “The potential risks posed by many sources are not that easy to characterize,” she explains in an email, saying she hopes she can escape characterizing the material as inherently good or inherently bad. “You need to consider [things like] Use levels, interactions with other materials, and cumulative exposures from various sources. ”
That cumulative revelations are what Bachman hopes for the general public to have more education. For example, she points out that the antioxidants and preservatives BHA and BHT on the list are also present in bacon. “These materials are also included in products outside of the personal care industry,” she says. “We’re taking these things,” Bachman believes that “a little more education and coordination between industries” would help similar bills. “Also, call your chemist before you start putting these bills into the legislative cycle.”
