NFM
`Supplements&PersonalCare
`Customers itching for personal care alternatives
`
`Get the word out about
`common allergens to
`garner new sales
`
`P a m e l a E m a n o i
`
`l
`
`Aesthetician Pamela Drake saw the tell-
`
`tale signs: a red, itchy rash on her
`client’s swollen hands. The cause?
`
`Most likely an allergic reaction to a lotion,
`soap or other topical application. In 2003,
`the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
`received approximately 144 reports of
`adverse reactions to cosmetics. And the
`FDA admits that there could be a whole lot
`more, because many people don’t go to the
`government when their skin gets a little
`inflamed after slathering on a moisturizer or
`when they get choked up after rubbing on
`antiperspirant. Instead, they visit someone
`like Drake, an aesthetician at Pharmaca
`Integrative Pharmacy in Sonoma, Calif., or
`an employee at another natural products
`store for help and natural alternatives.
`To find an allergy-free option, the
`first step is pinpointing the problem ingre-
`dient—not always an easy task. After all,
`the American Academy of Dermatology
`reports that the average adult uses at least
`seven different cosmetic products each
`day. “People can be sensitive to anything,”
`says Kelly Uusitalo, buyer of health and
`beauty aid products for Bastyr University’s
`Center for Natural Health in Seattle.
`“Something that affects one person may
`not affect another.” Still, says Drake, “the
`most common allergens are fragrances and
`preservatives.” Here are several common
`ingredients that can cause allergic reac-
`tions and the pure and safe alternatives to
`which your customers can turn.
`Allergen No. 1: Parabens. Cosmetic
`manufacturers use this ingredient as a
`preservative in lotions, creams, facial
`cleansers, hand soaps, hair conditioners,
`toothpastes and men’s shaving creams,
`according to the Washington, D.C.-based
`environmental watchdog Environmental
`Working Group. Parabens can cause red
`marks and a raised rash on skin, says Jennifer
`Barckley, spokeswoman for Weleda, a Pal-
`isades, N.Y.-based company that makes nat-
`
`ural personal care products. Even worse,
`parabens can cause what Barckley calls an
`“internal allergy.” The theory goes that
`because parabens mimic estrogen, they
`affect hormone function and could ultimate-
`ly cause cancer. In a 2004 study in the Jour-
`nal of Applied Toxicology, researchers did find
`parabens in human breast tumor samples.
`Alternative: essential oils. Tell cus-
`tomers to look for products containing
`essential oils, which inhibit bacteria and fun-
`gus growth. “In nature, essential oils help
`preserve the plant,” says Barckley. “The
`purpose they serve in nature is the same as
`what they do in the beauty product.” In
`addition to their preservative properties,
`essential oils can offer health benefits. “Rose
`oil is harmonizing and restorative,” Barckley
`says. “Lavender is calming and soothing.”
`Other alternatives to parabens, Uusitalo
`says, are sugar (glucose oxidase) and milk
`(lactoperoxidase), which work as natural
`enzyme preservatives in creams and lotions.
`Allergen No. 2: Fragrances. The
`most common allergens Drake sees in her
`practice are synthetic fragrances, which can
`cause swelling, itching and blisters. Unlike
`natural ingredients, which the body has
`been exposed to for many years and there-
`fore knows how to process, synthetic ingre-
`dients can surprise us. “The body doesn’t
`recognize them,” Uusitalo says. “Some peo-
`ple have chemical sensitivities to them.”
`Alternative: fragrance-free products.
`Although people can opt for products with
`naturally aromatic essential oils, some peo-
`ple with sensitivities to synthetic fragrances
`are allergic to essential oils, too, according
`to Drake. To help customers make sound
`decisions, Weleda not only lists the Latin
`scientific name for essential oil ingredients,
`but all the essential oil components. “We do
`this because of allergy concerns,” Barckley
`
`says. “Only 1 [percent] to 3 percent of the
`population has an allergy to essential oils,
`but we want to ensure that people are
`informed.” To be completely safe, Drake
`recommends that allergy-prone clients stay
`away from any fragrances—whether natural
`or synthetic—in shampoos, conditioners,
`soaps and detergents.
`Allergen No. 3: Aluminum salts.
`Another “internal allergen” according to
`Barckley, aluminum pretty much defines
`antiperspirants. “It blocks the skin’s breath-
`ing and sweat, so it can cause some external
`irritation,” says Barckley. “But the internal
`allergy is more serious.” Although a 2005
`study in the Journal of Inorganic Biochemistry
`found that aluminum could interfere with
`hormone action, it is unclear whether alu-
`minum actually plays a role in breast cancer
`incidence. Also, some studies have linked the
`use of aluminum-based antiperspirants to an
`increased risk for Alzheimer’s disease, but
`researchers have yet to give the final word on
`this issue. According to EWG, aluminum is
`a respiratory toxicant and can trigger asthma.
`Alternative: deodorant. These prod-
`ucts aren’t antiperspirants, so customers can
`expect to sweat. “You might have to reapply
`deodorants during the day, but antiperspi-
`rants aren’t natural; sweating is,” says Barck-
`ley, who recommends a sage-infused
`deodorant or one with licorice root extract.
`Sage and licorice root extract both neutral-
`ize bacteria, which causes the unwanted
`odor, and help relieve inflammation.
`Allergen No. 4: Propylene glycol.
`Like parabens, this ingredient with humec-
`tant properties serves as a preservative in just
`about every type of personal care product,
`including creams, hair gels and fragrances.
`Propylene glycol can cause shortness of
`breath, bumpy rashes and inflammation,
`See PC ALLERGENS on page 42
`
`Circle Reply #136
`40 The Natural Foods Merchandiser I April 2006
`
`Circle Reply #137
`
`naturalfoodsmerchandiser.com
`
`Petitioner Dr. Squatch
` Ex. 1023
`
`

`

`NFM
`Supplements&PersonalCare
`Allergy-free options abound—and work
`
`PC ALLERGENS from page 40
`
`according to Drake. EWG reports that
`propylene glycol also enhances penetration,
`which means it allows other chemicals to
`penetrate deeper into the skin and thus
`increases the amounts of chemicals that can
`reach the bloodstream.
`Alternatives: natural oils or antioxi-
`dants. For use in creams, Uusitalo recom-
`mends that people look for unrefined oils,
`
`such as avocado oil, that naturally preserve
`products and offer many skin-friendly
`nutrients. “This is whole food for your
`skin,” Uusitalo says. “You want to recog-
`nize what’s listed on the label and if not,
`you want to be able to find out without a lot
`of research.” Drake says that natural antiox-
`idants, such as vitamins A, C and E, can also
`help preserve personal care products with-
`out too much allergy risk.
`Allergen No. 5: Sodium lauryl sulfate.
`
`This ingredient produces the foaming action
`in shampoos and other products. It also can
`cause dry, irritated skin, according to Uusita-
`lo. Some experts, such as Drake, aren’t so
`concerned about the ill effects of sodium lau-
`ryl sulfate. “I don’t get as upset about these
`in shampoos as I would with some ingredi-
`ents in lotions, which stay on your skin,”
`Drake says. “You wash off shampoo.”
`Alternative: aloe. This thick and
`gooey plant extract can add body to sham-
`
`Circle Reply #139
`42 The Natural Foods Merchandiser I April 2006
`
`Ingredients that help
`heal allergic reactions
`Calendula. A natural cortisonelike
`ingredient. Encases skin to calm and
`ease irritations.
`Chamomile. Soothes and repairs
`aggravated skin.
`Viola tricolor (wild pansy). Heals
`blemishes that can result from
`allergic reaction.
`
`poo and lather up. “You get some sudsing,”
`Uusitalo says. “But not to the degree of
`sodium lauryl sulfate.”
`Allergen No. 6: Nut oils. Even a hint
`of nuts in food can be a matter of life or death
`for some people. Take the example of the
`Canadian teenager who late last year went
`into anaphylactic shock and died after kissing
`her boyfriend, who had eaten a peanut butter
`sandwich hours earlier. Peanut or tree nut
`allergies affect about 3 million Americans,
`about 1.1 percent of the population, accord-
`ing to a 1999 report in the Journal of Allergy
`and Clinical Immunology. “The question is, can
`they cause similar allergies if applied topic-
`ally?” Barckley asks. As a response, in 2005
`Weleda removed all nut proteins, which
`cause the allergic reaction, from its products.
`“We took out peanut oil protein because of
`the perceived concern, not because we had
`any allergy cases,” Barckley says.
`Natural alternatives: organic sun-
`flower oil or organic sesame seed oil.
`These are gentle and stable oils, according
`to Barckley. “They are similar in quality to
`peanut oil,” she says.
`Allergen No. 7: Petroleum/mineral
`oils. These notorious oils in moisturizers
`are supposed to hydrate the skin, but they
`“don’t let the skin breathe,” Uusitalo says.
`The lack of airflow can lead to a negative
`reaction, such as a breakout.
`Alternative: jojoba oil. A lot of
`light and natural vegetable oils would
`work well as a replacement for mineral
`oils, but jojoba is rich in natural vitamin E
`and compatible with the skin, Barckley
`says. “The skin absorbs and utilizes it,”
`she says. “It’s not occlusive.”
`
`The difference?
`In most cases, the natural, allergy-free
`ingredients will work as well if not better
`than synthetic ingredients, which tend to be
`the most common irritants. But keep in
`mind some of the differences. “We may
`need to change our concept of what we want
`from a shampoo, for example,” Uusitalo
`says. “We want it to suds up, remove oils,
`but then add back in some oils. One natural
`product may not be able to do it all without
`chemicals. The chemicals are doing what
`we’re expecting to happen.” Also, natural
`preservatives may not offer a forever-and-a-
`day shelf life. “If you buy an apple, you
`know it has a shelf life, and you wouldn’t
`expect otherwise,” Uusitalo says. “It’s the
`same with natural products.” Most natural
`products have a two- to three-year maxi-
`mum shelf life, according to Uusitalo.
`“Look for expiration dates,” she says. “Com-
`panies should list them on the package.”
`Still, an informed approach to personal care
`is worth it, the experts say. “The skin is the
`largest organ,” Uusitalo says. “You’re feed-
`ing it, so know what you put on it.” I
`Pamela Emanoil is a freelance writer in
`Boulder, Colo.
`
`naturalfoodsmerchandiser.com
`
`