What's In Your Bathroom?
86% of British Public unaware of potentially hazardous toiletry ingredients
The results of a MORI survey published today reveal that the British public harbour concerns about ingredients hidden in common toiletries. The survey of over 1,000 people commissioned by Avalon Organics found that 85% of the British public agree that more information about chemicals in beauty products and toiletries should be available at point of purchase.
Indeed 67% of women and 64% of men agree that they worry that in the future they might find out that chemicals in beauty products and toiletries are harmful to people's health. Ingredients such as parabens (see notes), preservatives have been linked to serious health problems such as breast cancer.
Despite considerable consumer awareness about parabens in the US the MORI research found that 86% of the British public had never heard of parabens and only 1% knew that they are used in beauty products and toiletries.
- 72% of the British Public are seriously concerned about chemicals in food, cleaning or beauty products
- 84% of women have never heard of Parabens, (89% of men)
- 40% of women are seriously concerned about chemicals in beauty products
- 72% of those with children under 16 in the household are seriously concerned about chemicals in food
- 60% of those with children under 16 in the household are seriously concerned about GM food
- 31% of those with children under 16 in the household are seriously concerned about chemicals in beauty products
Notes
What are Parabens?
The term Parabens refers to a class of preservatives widely used in cosmetics. The word Paraben is short for para-hydroxybenzoate. There are 5 parabens used in cosmetics.
- Methyl para-hydroxybenzoate
- Ethyl para-hydroxybenzoate
- Propyl para-hydroxybenzoate
- Isopropyl para-hydroxybenzoate
- Butyl para-hydroxybenzoate
Although not conclusive, *recent studies implicated parabens as being associated with the occurrence of breast cancer, particularly when used in deodorants.
*Concentrations of Parabens in Human Breast Tumours: Journal of Applied Toxicology J.Appl. Toxicol. 24.5-13 (2004)
Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI: 10.1002/jat.958
Technical details
1,010 telephone interviews were conducted among a nationally representative sample of the British public using the MORI Telephone Omnibus. Fieldwork dates: 13-15 May 2005
