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.
