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The honest truth about beauty & personal care products

I have decided to take a deep dive into water. When vacationing in Newfoundland this past summer, I noticed that my hair and skin became softer, smoother and healthier. Friends noticed, my hairdresser noticed. My hypothesis that the change of water was behind it was reinforced by seeing a gradual reversion to dryer, duller hair and skin on my return to New York.

Most of us are in contact (especially via our tap water) with heavy metals that can be harmful to our skin. Heavy metals include iron, copper, magnesium, zinc and lead. They interact with free radicals, which then attack collagen fibers in the skin. Their harsh effects can also result in breakouts. Metal content in water varies, depending on location and there are frequent updates showing the worst offenders.

Signs that metal in water might be affecting your hair include a change in your hair color, especially a green or brassy tint. Brittle, lifeless hair that’s experiencing increased breakage can also be a result of metal (source). Signs of metal induced skin damage include wrinkles, acne, dry skin and irritation (source).

Of course, we can’t move to environments with pristine water. So what to do? Dr. Dennis Gross turned me on to the importance of chelators. Chelating agents or sequestrantsinteract with and inactivate metallic ions using a multiple bonding (polydentate ligand) around a single central atom. Another way to think about this is to visualize chelating ingredients as Pacmen that actually chomp up these metals and dispose of them.

My discussion with Dr G was a few years back and his seemed to be a voice in the wilderness. Recently, I have noticed some real interest in chelating ingredients. Notably, hair product powerhouse, OLAPLEX recently launched Broad Spectrum Chelating Treatment to remove what it calls “cortex-level deposits of product buildup, oil, hard water minerals, chlorine, heavy metals, pollutants and more”.

I was also excited to see a new research study that concluded that a combination of chelation and antioxidants could be used instead of sunscreen. And other studies shows that metal-chelating agent and reduces inflammation (source).

The Pacmen of the cosmetic world come in the form of gluconolactone (also an antioxidant) and trisodium ehylenediamine disuccinate, or ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and its derivatives, etidronic acid and its derivatives, galactaric acid, sodium metasilicate and phosphate derivatives. Disodium EDTA and tetrasodium EDTA have been two popular chelators used in the US personal care industry. However, chelators like EDTA (Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid) are not easily biodegradable and pose environmental risks So, where  possible look for properly formulated, natural chelating agents using alternatives derived from rice, mucic acid from citrus, or apple cider vinegar.

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