Beauty Byte: A Chemical to Watch Out for
It seems like warnings about cosmetics safety are coming out every week, and I'm hoping it's only a matter of time before cosmetics are legislated in the US. The latest study suggests that one chemical could increase the risk of breast cancer. By mimicking the effects of estrogen, butyl benzyl phthalate was found to alter the genetic makeup of cells in the mammary glands of rats.
Butyl benzyl phthalate, or BBP, is used to create the shiny finish of lip gloss and nail polish. So I looked it up at Cosmeticsdatabase.com, which lists different cosmetics and the possibly sketchy ingredients within them. Unfortunately, no products showed up in the search. I'll keep looking into it, but for now, this is definitely a story to watch.
