Stephen Harper Hair

B, my partner in life, has recently started sporting what he himself has coined 'Stephen Harper hair.' For a little while now, he's been subjected to my random rants about the evils of the cosmetic industry and warnings about the carcinogenic ingredients in his soap, shampoo and fancy pomade. But it wasn't until recently, when baby M started pulling at his hair (nose and glasses) that he became genuinely concerned about parabens. Enough to suddenly stop using his fancy pomade and go au naturel.

So why are there parabens in our soaps, shampoos and styling products? And what's Health Canada doing about it?

Parabens are synthetic preservatives that have been used in the cosmetic and food industries for many years. They are effective at preventing the growth of bacteria and fungi in all types of products. In 2004, a paper published in the Journal of Applied Toxicology concluded that parabens can accumulate in the body, mimic estrogen, and have been found in breast tumours. This research raised concerns about the long term effetcs of low-dose exposure to these substances, and precipitated additional research on the safety of their inclusion in our cosmetic and food products.

Somehow, the Scientific Committee on Consumer Products (SCCP) in Europe came to a different conclusion about parabens than both Health Canada and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). A 2005 SCCP report states that more data is required to determine if certain types of parabens can be safely used in cosmetic products, even at low concentrations. The main concern is with parabens' ability to mimic estrogen, effectively binding to estrogen receptors and activating genes. There is currently a limit of concentrations up to 0.4% in the EU.

Health Canada and the FDA share the same opinion: that the concentrations of parabens usually present in cosmetics do not cause a health risk to consumers. There are currently no restrictions in place on the use of parabens in Canada, and they do not appear on the Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist. In fact, there is no mention of parabens' use in cosmetics on the Health Canada website at all. What I did find online is a Health Canada letter to Mr. Praznik of the Canadian Cosmetic Toiletry and Fragrance Association (CCTFA), a response to his letter asking for clarification on Canada's stance on substances identified by the David Suzuki Foundation as the "Dirty Dozen." Although the CCTFA concludes in a holding statement that, "In the Canadian regulatory system, Health and Environment Canada will ultimately be the respective final arbitrators in protecting Canadians," I am not convinced that Health Canada is acknowledging, and therefore legitimizing, Canadians' concerns about parabens.

The marketplace has been quicker to respond to consumers, perhaps because they have more to gain if they do. And fortunately for B, the selection of paraben-free beauty products on drugstore and grocery store shelves is getting bigger and better. The challenge for us as consumers is to differentiate between marketing and facts, because, unfortunately, sometimes appearing to care is as profitable as actually caring. More work for us. Thanks, Health Canada!

And for the record, neither Harper's hair, nor his politics, are attractive.