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Skin Creams Containing Paraffin Linked to Fire Deaths

  • March 21, 2017

Skin creams and emollients are used for a variety of conditions, from dry skin to eczema to acting as a soothing cream for a burn. While many people are cautious enough to question chemical ingredients in these creams, as it turns out, something that on the surface sounds innocuous — paraffin — can also be deadly. As reported by BBC.com, paraffin-based creams can be extremely flammable and, in the wake of deaths of people whose paraffin creams caught fire, it’s suggested that paraffin-based creams should have warning labels.

Whether it’s a hospital-prescribed emollient or one of the hundreds of products you buy over-the-counter, there’s no question that we need strong labels and warnings about what’s in products you’re putting on your skin. In the U.S. almost 13,000 chemicals are used in cosmetics, and only about 10 percent have been evaluated for safety.

When you consider that the average American woman uses 12 personal care products a day, containing 168 different chemicals, it’s pretty obvious that the safety issue is on YOU, the consumer, to make sure these products won’t harm you.

From paraben to sodium lauryl sulfate to phthalates to methylisothiazolinone and toluene, these chemical cocktails can harm you both short- and long-term. You can slash your chemical exposure by reading labels and refusing to purchase products that contain these and other chemicals.

Better yet, simplify your routine and make your own products. A slew of lotions, potions and hair treatments can be eliminated with a jar of coconut oil, for example, to which you can add a high-quality essential oil, if you like, for scent.