Cosmetic is a popular product across the world. Its range varies from hair, skin, body, to face products. The purpose of cosmetic is to maintain the aesthetic as well as the health of those parts. The spectrum of customers using it is also wide. Ranging from adult, teenager, kids until baby and toddler. Seeing how popular the cosmetic use is, many industries begin to dot on chemical for more efficient and effective resulting products.
Health Canada List of Prohibited and Restricted Cosmetic Ingredients
However, not all chemicals are safe. Canada, just like US with their List of Prohibited and Restricted Cosmetic Ingredients by FDA issued list of prohibited and restricted cosmetic ingredients as listed below.
- Bromine
The first cosmetic ingredient prohibited in Canada is Bromine. Bromine is halogen derivates compound belongs to organic chemical. It has red color with sharp and light shade. Due to its being soluble to water, industries widely utilize bromine as dye in hair dye, as well as color for shampoo and other hair products.
The use of bromine declined after study found bromine to be dangerous chemical. In the case of human’s health, bromine can disrupt nervous system and damage thyroid gland. Moreover, it can also trigger cancer. In environment, bromine can contribute to ozone depletion, which definitely also contribute to the reason why Canada bans this chemical.
- Butadiene
The next chemical in prohibited cosmetic ingredient hot list is butadiene. Butadiene is colorless gas organic compound that often condensed to liquid. Even though it is an organic derivatives, it has the characteristic to polymerize. Turns out butadiene exposes severe hazard and should be on the banned list.
chemical known to cause cancer can also cause internal organ damage, cancer to death. For environment, butadiene may have the tendency to bioaccuulate and is very toxic. Any cosmetic products containing butadiene should never be on market. Thus, customer needs to be aware of the danger of butadiene.
- Naphthol
Naphthol is one of chemicals found as cosmetic ingredient. It is a clear solid crystalline that may change color in some reaction. The use of naphthol in cosmetic production specifically on hair dye product. It helps to impart the hair dye color to the hair themselves. Therefore, many hair dye products utilize naphthol in their ingredients to improve their products’ quality.
Nonetheless, after numbers of study related to this compound, there is possibility that this chemical posses hazardous effects to human. Some effects of chemicals that may occur including disrupted thyroid system, allergy, leading to cancer. Permanent hair dye is also no longer recommended due to the dye may infiltrate and poison internal organ. There is also Chemicals to Avoid in Mascara Ingredients people should be careful of.
- Nitrobenzene
Another chemical that Canada prohibits for its use as cosmetic ingredient is nitrobenzone. Nitrobenzone is pale, yellow oil organic compound made from benzene derivates. The chemical also has extreme exothermicity reaction when reacted to acid. It has many uses from hair dye to odor masker. Odor masker will mask unpleasant odor from a product and nitrobenzene certainly nails it.
However, this chemical is far from safe as there are many hazards that this chemical expose to. Some of nitrobenzene hazards are damaged nervous system, impaired vision, internal organ damage, and many more. The damage nitrobenzene can cause is very severe, thus several countries ban this chemical including Canada.
- Mercury
Cosmetic products distributed on the market do not contain legal products only but also illegal ones. Most of the illegal ones contain mercury in their ingredients. Mercury itself is chemical element with atomic number 80 and symbol Hg. The chemical is toxic and its derivates is non absorbable and is among chemicals to avoid in skin cream. Therefore, it may stay in the organ who consumed it.
Since mercury can accumulate within body, particularly if it is in skin care, it can cause skin cancer. When inhaled or digested, mercury can damage the organ where it concentrated the most. Certainly mercury is not suitable for cosmetic despite it can whiten skin in a short time. Therefore, Canada bans mercury as cosmetic ingredient.
- Methylbutane
Another cosmetic ingredient prohibited in Canada is methylbutane. Methyl butane is alkaline chain from alkane compound. The chemical is colorless and odorless and the least dense of alkene compound. It is also heavily used in industry and some used in cosmetic. Even though it is not a common ingredient, exposure to it is still dangerous.
The danger that methylbutane can cause is mainly because it is toxic and more suitable for heavy industry. Those exposed to it may experience respiratory problem, digestion problem to probable cancer. Thus, always pay attention not to find this chemical in the cosmetic.
- Catalase
Catalase actually is a very common enzyme found in living organism. It is generally safe only if it is for the intended use. This enzyme has many uses and in cosmetic, they apply its original function of avoiding receding and gray hair.
However, a synthesized catalase is not as safe as the one produced naturally by living organism. Canada restricts its use for people not to apply it to abraded or broken skin just like Europe with list of banned chemicals in cosmetics. Catalase that seeps through skin can cause several health problems since body identifies it as strange chemical.
Aside from those in the list, there are also another chemicals on the list.
Other Prohibited or Restricted Cosmetic Ingredients in Canada
These are other health Canada list of prohibited and restricted cosmetic ingredients:
- Calcium peroxide
- Butoxyethanol
- Meprobamate
- Metaldehyde
- Nitroxoline and its salts, and many more.
There are certainly many other compounds in cosmetic ingredients that come in question for its safety. As consumer, using cosmetic and health care product should always be careful and always aware of what is inside the products to prevent further health problem. This is because cosmetic has contributed greatly to the decline of health and death case.