What is "Formaldehyde"?

Simply said . . . "Formaldehyde is a simple chemical compound made of "hydrogen", "oxygen" and "carbon". And all life forms including bacteria, plants, fish, animals and "humans" . . . naturally produce "formaldehyde" as part of cell metabolism..

Okay . . . .so that sounds all natural . . . . right?

But . . . when formaldehyde is present in the air at levels exceeding 0.1 ppm (parts per million), some individuals may experience adverse effects such as watery eyes, burning sensations in the eyes, nose and throat, coughing, wheezing, nausea or skin irritations. This level can become exceeded when purchasing such items as new furniture, new rugs, new upholstery, curtains or flooring.

So "formaldehyde" is a colorless, strong-smelling gas also used in making building materials as well as many household products. It's used in pressed-wood products, such as particleboard, plywood and fiberboard, glues and adhesives, permanent-press fabrics, paper product coatings, and certain insulation materials.

So it kind of sounds to me like we as consumers can't get away from coming into contact with "too" much "formaldehyde".

Okay . . . So what does this have to do with the skin care and make-up we spoke of yesterday?

Well . . . with the help of preservatives, "formaldehyde" is released in small amount over time to help protect cosmetic products against contamination by bacteria during storage and during "continued use of that product". Common "formaldehyde" releasers include "quatemium-15" and "DMDM hydantoin".

And the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has classified "formaldehyde" as a "probable human carcinogen". While the National Cancer institute researchers have concluded that, based on data from studies in people and from lab research, exposure to "formaldehyde" may cause leukemia, particularly myeloid leukemia in humans.

So the question is . . . are using products on our body containing small amounts of "formaldehyde" everyday . . . . silently killing us? So PLEASE read labels people!

Okay . . . time for me to get on my soapbox again on this one!!!!

You know . . . I listen to all the "BS" in the media everyday and it makes my skin crawl.