Carcinogenic Contaminant in Your Anti-Aging Creams – Nitrosamines

Some Nitrosamines are believed to be carcinogenic chemical compounds, which are produced from nitrites and amines under very strong acidic conditions. Our skin is the largest organ of our body and many carcinogenic contaminants can be absorbed through it into the blood stream. Nitrosamines are one such chemical that contaminate skin care products, including anti-aging creams, and gets absorbed into the skin and gets accumulate in the bladder, liver and other organs.

According to Dr. David H. Fine, “A person would be applying 50-100 micrograms of nitrosamines to the skin each time he or she uses a nitrosamine-contaminated cosmetic.”

Nitrosamines are commonly found in anti-aging wrinkle creams and other skin care products, but as they are impurities, they are not mentioned on the product label as an ingredient. As an impurity, nitrosamines are present in nearly every type of personal and skin care product including concealer, conditioner, shampoo, toothpaste, sunscreen lotion, mascara, and anti-aging lotions and creams.

How it is formed?

Nitrosamines are formed in anti-aging wrinkle creams and cosmetics when various amino acids and nitrites combine under required conditions. Amino acids and nitrites break down over time and recombine to form nitrosamines.

Nitrosamines are formed as a contaminant in skin and personal products with these ingredients:

Monoethanolamine, Diethanolamine, Triethanolamine, Bronopol, TEA-Lauryl Sulfate, Cocamide DEA, Linoleamide MEA, Oleamide DEA, DEA-Cetyl Phosphate, Stearamide MEA, Oleamide DEA, and Myristamide DE.

Is Nitrosamines a Carcinogen?

Numerous studies done on the nature of nitrosamines indicate that this chemical is potentially carcinogenic. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. National Toxicology Program Report and International Agency for Research on Cancer have listed nitrosamines as a possible human carcinogen.

Various other studies have produced strong evidence regarding the carcinogenic properties of nitrosamines. Since nitrosamines can cause cancer in animals, they are a threat to humans since they may also be carcinogenic in humans. The formation of nitrosamines can occur only under strong acidic condition such as that of human stomach, where pH is more than 7. At very low doses, nitrosamines can disrupt endocrine glands. Therefore, nitrosamines are also linked to neurotoxicity, systematic toxicity, immunotoxicity and reproductive toxicity.

The FDA has long known the carcinogenic activity of nitrosamines in skin and personal care products. They called a meeting on April 10, 1979, to warn the cosmetic industry about the health risk of nitrosamines. The FDA informed them to eliminate N-Nitrosamine and NDELA, at possible extent, from the skin care products. However, neither the manufacturers nor the FDA have eliminated this chemical from anti-aging and skin care products.

What should I do as a consumer?

We all are concerned with our health and beauty. When it comes to selecting a skin care product or anti-aging wrinkle cream for ourselves, it becomes our duty to take precautionary measures for the safety of our skin. It is not easy to trust the products containing chemical ingredients. Therefore, we should go natural and choose a skin care product that is based on natural ingredients.