Popular shampoos contain toxic chemicals linked to nerve damage

Researchers at the National Institutes of Health have found a
correlation between an ingredient found in shampoos and nervous system
damage. The experiments were conducted with the brain cells of rats
and they show that contact with this ingredient called
methylisothiazoline, or MIT, causes neurological damage.

Which products contain this chemical compound MIT? Head and Shoulders,

Suave, Clairol and Pantene Hair Conditioner all contain this
ingredient. Researchers are concerned that exposure to this chemical
by pregnant women could put their fetus at risk for abnormal brain
development. In other people, exposure could also be a factor in the
development of Alzheimer’s disease and other nervous system disorders.

The chemical causes these effects by preventing communication between
neurons. Essentially, it slows the networking of neurons, and since
the nervous system and brain function on a system of neural networks,
the slowing of this network will suppress and impair the normal
function of the brain and nervous system.

These finding were presented December 5th at the American Society for
Cell Biology annual meeting.

I have frequently warned readers about the dangers of using brand-name
personal care products. The vast majority of these products contain
toxic chemical compounds like MIT that contribute to cancer, liver
disorders and neurological diseases. In fact, this chemical, MIT, is
just one of dozens of such chemicals that are found in personal care
products.

Why are these dangerous personal care products allowed to remain on
the market? Because the FDA, which is responsible for regulating these
products, spends almost no time, money or effort actually
investigating the safety of such products. Instead, the FDA spends the
vast majority of its time approving new prescription drugs rather than
protecting the public against the dangers from such drugs or personal
care products like shampoos, soaps, deodorants and fragrance products.

In fact, it may surprise you to learn that manufacturers can put
practically any chemical they want into shampoos, even if it is a
hazardous chemical listed in the RTECS database of toxicity and even
if it is considered a toxic waste chemical by the EPA. The FDA allows
all sorts of chemicals to be used in these products, including
chemicals that are known carcinogens and that contribute to liver
failure and nervous system disorders. How’s that for protecting public
health?

If you thought prescription drugs were dangerous, just take a look at
the toxic chemicals found in personal care products used by virtually
all Americans every single day. Americans bathe themselves in toxic
chemicals and they do it by buying and using products made by brand
name companies that have premier shelf positioning at convenience
stores, grocery stores and discount clubs.

One of the more curious personal care products on the market is Herbal
Essences Shampoo by Clairol. Personally, I think this product is a
joke because it’s trying to exploit the word "herbal" to imply that
the shampoo is healthy, even though it is primarily made with the same
ingredients as other popular shampoos. The first three ingredients,
for example, are: water, sodium laureth, and sodium lauryl sulfate.
Big deal, huh? You can find the same three ingredients in 99-cent
shampoo at Wal-Mart. Plus, the product contains all sorts of other
ingredients that I personally would never allow to touch my skin (like
methylchloroisothiazolinone, if you can believe there’s actually a
chemical with a name that long). Think the color of the shampoo is
from the herbs? Think again. Three other ingredients in the shampoo
are Yellow #5, Orange #4 and Violet #2.

In other words, this is a shampoo product purchased by naive
consumers, in my opinion. People who really know herbs and natural
products can only laugh at a product like this. Want a real shampoo?
Buy Olive Oil Shampoo from Heritage Products, available at most
natural health stores.

The bottom line to all of this, though, is that every week, it seems
like we see a new announcement about some toxic chemical found in
personal care products that is related to either cancer or
neurological disorders. And yet week after week these products are
being sold by retailers and consumed in large quantities by the
American people who remain oblivious to the real damage these products
are causing to their health.

Once again, the solution here is to protect yourself by learning the
truth about these products and switching to products made with safe
ingredients. There are safe shampoos, safe soaps, safe laundry
detergents, dishwashing liquids and even deodorant products. You don’t
have to expose yourself to toxic chemicals to take care of personal
hygiene, because whether you agree with it or not, these
disease-causing chemicals are going to remain quite legal in the use
of personal care products for many years to come. Why? You can bet
that the manufacturers of these products will fight against any
attempt to regulate or outlaw these toxic chemicals. That’s because
the chemicals are convenient for such manufacturers. It’s much the
same way in which food manufacturers use sodium nitrate in bacon and
other packaged meats. It’s all about their convenience rather than
protecting your health.

So, here’s the idiot test for today: if I was standing on a street
corner with a bottle of colored liquid, and I told you that liquid
contained a toxic chemical that caused neurological disorders,
Alzheimer’s disease and birth defects, would you buy that product from
me and scrub it into your scalp under warm water?

Of course not. But if you’re buying these popular shampoo products,
that’s exactly what you’re doing right now. Such is the power of brand
marketing in America.