The answer is yes. Magnesium stearate is important in cosmetics:
1. Adjust viscosity
As a thickening agent, magnesium stearate can control the viscosity of cosmetic products so that the products have ideal texture and rheological properties. It is particularly widely used in paste cosmetics, such as moisturizers, face creams, lipsticks, etc.
2. Stable emulsion
The stability of emulsions is important for cosmetics because, once the emulsion breaks, its stability will be greatly affected. Magnesium stearate can stabilize the emulsion by keeping the oil-water mixture in cosmetics uniform.
3. Increase gloss
Magnesium stearate has a gloss-increasing effect on lipsticks, lipsticks, and other products. It increases the strength of the product and keeps it shiny.
4. Antioxidant
Magnesium stearate has strong antioxidant properties and can provide antioxidant protection for cosmetics. Appropriate addition of magnesium stearate can reduce oxides in cosmetics, thereby extending the shelf life of the product.
On March 6, local time, the U.S. independent laboratory Valisul said that high levels of the carcinogenic chemical benzene were detected in acne treatment products of brands such as Estee Lauder's Clinique, Target's Up&Up and Reckitt Benckiser's Clearasil.
Valisour said the levels of benzene in prescription and over-the-counter benzoyl peroxide (BPO) acne treatment products may be "unacceptably high." Not only were the acne products tested, but they also found high levels of benzene in the air around the incubation products, suggesting the carcinogen may be leaking from some packaging, posing a potential inhalation risk.
Valisul also said that the benzene detected in acne treatment products is very different from other cases, "The benzene we find in sunscreen and other consumer products is an impurity from contaminated ingredients, but benzoyl peroxide The benzene in the product comes from benzoyl peroxide itself."
Valisul Laboratories said it conducted a preliminary GC-MS analysis of 175 acne treatment products, 99 of which contained BPO. Of the 99 products containing BPO, 94 contained benzene without any high-temperature incubation - some acne products from brands such as Clinique, Serena, Up&Up, and Clearasil were also included.
In October 2017, the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer published a list of carcinogens, and benzene was included in the list of Class I carcinogens. Whether it is the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or Chinese Food and Drug Administration, the standard for benzene content in cosmetics is not to exceed 2 ppm (2mg/kg).
Judging from the test results, the benzene content of Clinique, a brand of the American Estée Lauder Group, was detected to be 200 times higher than the legal limit, Clearasil-related products of the British Reckitt Benckiser were found to be 150 times higher than the legal limit, and many products of Johnson & Johnson's Neutrogena and L'Oréal's Serena products were 2.5 times higher than the legal limit. ~5 times. The benzene content in some products may even exceed the benzene concentration limit set by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) by 800 times.
It sounds scary. Dr. Bao Feng, Ph.D. in Physiology from Fudan University and founder of Ingredient Control, pointed out that the so-called carcinogenic risk is not BPO but benzene generated at high temperatures.
Temperature is a key variable in the above test results. Valisul also conducted specific tests on benzene in the air around acne treatment products and found that if the unopened product is kept in an environment of about 37.8°C for about 17 hours, a large amount of benzene will leak. Some BPO products will produce more than tens of ppm (parts per million) of benzene within a few weeks if exposed to 37°C; hundreds of ppm of benzene will be generated at 50°C; and BPO product packaging will break if exposed to temperatures of 70°C. However, according to the storage requirements of cosmetics, benzoyl peroxide usually needs to be sealed and stored in a dark and cool place away from light. According to relevant regulations in China, the storage temperature of related products should not exceed 20°C.
In response to Valisul's testing, Estee Lauder responded to the 21st Century Business Herald that no products in its brand portfolio use benzene as an ingredient. BPO is a commonly used acne treatment ingredient approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, but It is not benzene and is safe when used as intended. The British group Reckitt Benckiser also issued a statement stating that all Clearasil products are safe when used and stored in accordance with the instructions on the label.
It's worth noting that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has questioned Valisul's testing method. The regulatory authority said independent laboratories should use the same process as drug manufacturers for testing, which is often more costly than the current testing method in Valissur.
Valisul supports his testing method and points out that it is certified by an international standardization organization. Although the organization has developed testing guidelines for various products, including pharmaceuticals, the test results have yet to be confirmed by an authoritative agency, and the specific results still need to be discovered.
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