Friday 4 May 2012

Phthalates Found in Cosmetics; Ordinance to License Salons in Brookfield, Connecticut


Phthalates have been discovered where they shouldn’t be at all. This class of chemicals not only is hard on the tongue (pronounced th-a-lates) but, it turns out, is hard on the liver and the kidneys as well. And according to a recent study by researchers from Uppsala University, phthalates can jack up the risk of diabetes.

Phthalates are usually found in plastics such as PVCs, mixed in to make the plastics pliable. Now, the Uppsala study has detected phthalates in everyday cosmetics such as face creams, makeup, and perfumes. The Swedish scientists warned that the presence of phthalates significantly ups the risk of type 2 diabetes for users in the same manner that other substances (formaldehyde, for instance) elevates the risk of cancer—something familiar to professional cosmetologists, who are oriented in the hazards of salon chemicals in continuing programs such as, say, a Kentucky Cosmetology CE or a Wisconsin Cosmetology CE.
In a press release, study author Monica Lind stated that “Although our results need to be confirmed in more studies, they do support the hypothesis that certain environmental chemicals can contribute to the development of diabetes. Anyone is exposed to them in many different ways. People can inhale them if they are used in hairspray or air fresheners and food can also be contaminated because of phthalates in the packaging.”


 
The study involved 1,000 people aged 65; the researchers noted their ‘fasting’ blood sugar levels. The blood-test results revealed (after factoring out the contributions of smoking, cholesterol level, and blood pressure) that individuals with higher levels of phthalates in their bloodstream were twice more likely to develop diabetes than those with lower levels of the plasticizer.

Health officials in Brookfield, Connecticut have stirred up some controversy in their cosmetology community with a proposal to license all beauty-care establishments (hair, nail, massage, and other salons) to ensure compliance with health and safety protocols.

On May 2, the town officials will conduct a public hearing to take the business pulse of salon owners—as well as the views of local salon clients—regarding the impact of local regulation. The officials clarified that though these businesses have no state oversight, they have a significant impact on the health and safety of residents.

Although the state Department of Health licenses individual practitioners, the agency neither inspects nor licenses the salons themselves. The proposed ordinance would require all local salons to be licensed and inspected each year.

"This is for the public good of Brookfield. That's the sole reason for it,'' stated town official Bill Davidson. The proposed salon ordinance has been sought for years by the Brookfield health director Ray Sullivan, a legislation that has long been a part of the cosmetology communities of other towns across the state. If enacted, however, the Brookfield ordinance would be the first of its kind in western Connecticut. Davidson pointed out that the ordinance would require the same, yearly inspections that restaurants go through.

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