Potential contaminants

The local unbranded cosmetic product in the market has potential to possessed potential
contaminants. These containments can bring adverse effects to toward the human. Under the
law, cosmetics must not be harmful to consumers when used according to directions in the
labelling or expected way. One of famous contaminants present is some cosmetic product is
1,4-dioxane. It is not used as an ingredient in cosmetics but may be present in extremely small
amounts in some cosmetics. 1,4-dioxane forms as a by-product during the manufacturing
process of certain cosmetic ingredients. These ingredients include certain detergents, foaming
agents, emulsifiers and solvents.

Moreover, 4-dioxane is a potential human carcinogen. Previous report by the

Department of Health and Human Services National Toxicology Program (NTP) on year 2016,
found that 1,4-dioxane is reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen based on sufficient
evidence of carcinogenicity from studies in experimental animals. Although the data available
from human epidemiological studies are not adequate to evaluate the relationship between
human cancer and exposure to 1,4-dioxane. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
has classified 1,4-dioxane as “likely to be carcinogenic to humans,” based on a finding of
sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity in animals intentionally exposed to 1,4-dioxane but
inadequate evidence of carcinogenicity in humans. The research conducted by FDA on skin
absorption studies showed that 1,4-dioxane can penetrate animal and human skin when applied
in certain preparations, such as lotion.

From 1981 to 1997, FDA has conducted 10 surveys on the amount of 1,4-dioxane in
finished cosmetic products, which showed a decline over that period. In 1981, we found an
average of 50 parts per million (ppm) 1,4-dioxane in finished cosmetic products, with a range
of 2-279 ppm, and in 1997, we found an average of 19 ppm, with a range of 6-34 ppm. A
survey was conducted by the FDA in 2008 which showed that 1,4-dioxane was not detected in
80% of the 35 samples tested, where 1 ppm was the level of detection. About 6% were between
1-5 ppm, about 6% were between 5-10 ppm, and about 8% were between 112ppm (the highest
level detected was 11.6 ppm.

Next, the potential contaminants can be present in local cosmetic product is heavy
metals. Heavy metal such as arsenic, cadmium, chromium, cobalt, lead, mercury, and nickel
are elements that are present naturally in the earth that be toxic if present at low concentration
in the cosmetic product. The present of heavy metal can be found in lip products, whitening
toothpaste, eyeliner, nail colour, foundations, sunscreens, eye shadows, blush, concealer,
moisturizers, and eye drops. However, some product already mentions the present of heavy
metal on ingredient labels on product label. The present of heavy metal contamination in
product can develop serious disease towards human health such as cancer, developmental and
reproductive toxicity, and organ system toxicity.

In contrast, some cosmetic product is allowed the use of heavy metals as preservatives
in eye area products. They allowed in cosmetic only as preservatives in eye area products.
Heavy metals such mercury can be used but in a very small amount. FDA must not be more
than 65 parts per million (ppm) in the finished product and can be used if no other effective
and safe preservative is available. Besides, heavy metal also used as colour additives such as
arsenic, lead, and mercury in cosmetic product such as hair colouring. But, FDA approve some
of local cosmetic to use colour additives for their uses with certain limits on heavy metal
impurities. The typical colour additive limits which are arsenic, not more than 3 ppm, lead is
not more than 20 ppm while mercury is not more than 1 ppm in a cosmetic product.

Another potential contamination is microbial contamination. Local cosmetics can

become harmful to consumers if they’re contaminated with harmful microorganisms, such as
certain bacteria and fungi. Microorganism can get into cosmetic due to un responsibility of
cosmetic firm to ensure the product are safe to be used by consumers. Some of ways cosmetic
may become contaminated with bacteria or fungi through contaminated raw materials, water
or other ingredients, poor manufacturing conditions, through the ingredients that encourage
growth of microorganisms, that without an effective preservative system. Besides, poor
shipping or storage conditions cause the product to become easy to favour growth pf
microorganism. Another causes by consumer used, such as when they need to dip fingers into
the product.

In additional, sharing local cosmetic with people or anyone can lead to the microbial
contamination. If you are sharing the product, means you are sharing the germs with other
people. Adding of water to the cosmetics can favour the growth of microbes and can watering
down preservative that to prevent to bacteria from growing. Besides, the containers for store
cosmetic must be keep clean. Besides, before applying cosmetic, ensure your hands in clean
condition. Next is pay attention to recalls and safety alerts. Microbial contamination is a
common reason for recalls of cosmetic.
Cosmetic Composition

There are thousands of different cosmetic products on the market with differing
combination of ingredients. A typical product will contain anything from 15-50 ingredients.
Most cosmetics contain a combination of at least some of the following core ingredients such
as water, emulsifier, preservative, thickener, emollient, colour and fragrance. Most of cosmetic
product that comes in a bottle, the chances are the first ingredient on the list is to be water.
Water forms the basis of almost every type of cosmetic product, including creams, lotions,
makeup, deodorants, shampoos and conditioners. Water plays an important part in the process,
often acting as a solvent to dissolve other ingredients and forming emulsions for consistency.
Water that used in the product is pure water that free from microbes, toxins and other pollutants.
For this reason, label on product, it can be referred as distilled water, purified water or just
aqua.

Next is emulsifiers, it is refers to any ingredient that helps to keep unlike substances
(such as oil and water) from separating. Many cosmetic products are based on emulsion,
consists of mall droplets of oil dispersed in water or small droplets of water dispersed in oil.
Since oil and water don't mix together, the emulsifiers are added to change the surface tension
between the water and the oil, producing a homogeneous and well-mixed product with an even
texture. Examples of emulsifiers used in cosmetics include polysorbates, laureth-4, and
potassium cetyl sulfate.

Furthermore, preservatives are important ingredients in cosmetic product. They are

added to cosmetics to extend their shelf life and prevent the growth of microorganisms such as
bacteria and fungi, which can spoil the product and possibly harm the user. Since most
microbes live in water, the preservatives used need to be water-soluble, and this helps to
determine which ones are used. Preservatives used in cosmetics can be natural or synthetic and
perform differently depending on the formulation of the product. Some will require low levels
of around 0.01%, while other will require levels as high as 5%, depend the cosmetic products.
Examples of the preservatives include parabens, benzyl alcohol, salicylic acid, formaldehyde
and tetrasodium EDTA (ethylenediaminetetra-acetic acid). Some cosmetic product comes
without preservatives. Consumers who purchase ‘preservative-free’ products should be aware
of their shorter shelf life and be conscious of any changes to the look, feel or odour of the
product that may indicate it has gone off.
 Besides, another crucial cosmetic ingredient is thickening agents which is function to
give products an appealing consistency. They can come from four different chemical families
which are lipid thickeners, naturally derived thickeners, mineral thickeners and synthetic
thickeners. Firstly, lipid thickeners are usually solid at room temperature but can be liquefied
and added to cosmetic emulsions. They work by imparting their natural thickness to the
formula. Examples include cetyl alcohol, stearic acid and carnauba wax. Next is naturally
derived thickeners come which are derived from nature. They are polymers that absorb water,
causing them to swell up and increase the viscosity of a product. Examples include
hydroxyethyl cellulose, guar gum, xanthan gum and gelatin. Cosmetics with a consistency that
is too thick can be diluted with solvents such as water or alcohol.

Mineral thickeners are also natural, and as with the naturally derived thickeners
mentioned above, they absorb water and oils to increase viscosity, but give a different result to
the final emulsion than the gums. Popular mineral thickeners include magnesium aluminium
silicate, silica and bentonite. The final group are the synthetic thickeners. They are often used
in lotion and cream products. The most common synthetic thickener is carbomer, an acrylic
acid polymer that is water-swellable and can be used to form clear gels. Other examples include
cetyl palmitate, and ammonium acryloyldimethyltaurate

Next important ingredient is emollients. It is function to soften the skin by preventing

water loss. They are used in a wide range of lipsticks, lotions and cosmetics. Several different
natural and synthetic chemicals work as emollients, including beeswax, olive oil, coconut oil
and lanolin, as well as petrolatum (petroleum jelly), mineral oil, glycerine, zinc oxide, butyl
stearate and diglycol laurate.

Colouring agents/pigments can be split into two main categories: organic, which are
carbon-based molecules and inorganic molecules. Inorganic metal oxide pigments do occur
naturally as mineral compounds. The two most common organic pigments are lakes and toners.
The lake pigments are made by combining a dye colour with an insoluble substance like
alumina hydrate. This causes the dye to become insoluble in water, making it suitable for
cosmetics where water-resistant or waterproof properties are desired. A toner pigment is an
organic pigment that has not been combined with any other substance. The inorganic metal
oxide pigments are usually duller than the organic pigments, but are more resistant to heat and
light, providing a longer-lasting colour.
 Examples of pigment is iron oxide which can gives colours in yellows, reds and black.
Blending different types of iron oxide can give a range of browns and natural skin colours.
Besides, chromium oxide provides green pigments. It can be safely used in cosmetics that are
applied externally, but is not permitted for use in lip products, where there is the potential for
it to be ingested. Another examples is ammonium manganese (III) pyrophosphate is an oxide
of manganese which provides a deep purple colour. Iron blue, or Prussian blue is made by
oxidising salts of iron cyanide and was one of the first synthetically-produced pigments. It
gives a deep blue colour and was originally developed as an alternative to the more expensive
lapis lazuli ultramarine. It is not permitted for use in lip products.

In addition, glimmer and shimmering effects can be creates the shimmering effect
common in many cosmetics. Cosmetic mica typically comes from muscovite also known as
white mica. It naturally forms in flaky sheets and these are crushed up into fine powders. The
tiny particles in the powders refract (bend) light, which creates the shimmering effect common
in many cosmetics. Mica coated with titanium dioxide gives a whitish appearance when looked
at straight on, but then produces a range of iridescent colours when viewed from an angle. Next
is nismuth oxychloride (BiClO) is used to create a silver grey pearly effect. This compound
occurs naturally in the rare mineral bismoclite, but is usually produced synthetically and so is
also known as synthetic pearl. The size of the particles used to create pearly and shimmering
looks affect the degree of glimmer the product has. The smaller the particle size (15–60
microns, where one micron is one millionth of a meter), the less lustrous the powder will be,
and more coverage it gives. Larger particle sizes, up to 500 microns, give a glitterier lustre and
are more transparent.

Finally, fragrances are the most important ingredient in cosmetic products. No matter
how effective a cosmetic may be, no one will want to use it if it smells unpleasant. Consumer
research indicates that smell is one of the key factors in a consumer’s decision to purchase
and/or use a product. The types of fragrances consist of chemicals, both natural and synthetic
are added to cosmetics to provide an appealing fragrance. There are over 3,000 chemicals used
to formulate the huge range of fragrances used in consumer products worldwide. A
comprehensive list has been published by the fragrance industry. All the ingredients on this list
have passed the International Fragrance Association (IFRA) safety standards for use in
commercial products. However, without knowing which individual ingredients went in to
making up the fragrance of a product, consumers can find it difficult to make informed choices.
If consumers are concerned they should look for fragrance free products and buy from
companies that label their products more comprehensively.

[1] Hardy J. Chou, Perry G. Wang, Wanlong Zhou, and Alexander J. Krynitsky,
“Determination of 1,4-Dioxane in Cosmetic Products.” Poster session presented at 124th
AOAC Annual Meeting; 2010 Sept. 26-29; Orlando, Fl

[2] Wenninger, J.A. (1980) Drug Cosmet. Ind. 127, 62, 64, 68-69, 117-118; FDA “Cosmetic
Handbook” 1983, 1991, 1994.

https://www.fda.gov/Cosmetics/ProductsIngredients/PotentialContaminants/ucm2016771.ht
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