Moisturizers Up Skin Cancer in Mice

[OKIsItJustMe]

http://www.webmd.com/melanoma-skin-cancer/news/20080814/moisturizers-up-skin-cancer-in-mice

Moisturizers Up Skin Cancer in Mice

4 Commonly Used Moisturizing Creams Promote Tumors in UV-Exposed Mice

By Daniel J. DeNoon
WebMD Health News
Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

Aug. 14, 2008 -- Four commonly used moisturizers promoted skin cancers in mouse studies.

Mice are not men. But the unexpected finding suggests that these -- and perhaps other products -- may not be as safe as they're thought to be.

The moisturizers tested in the study were Dermabase, Dermovan (a wholesale-only product discontinued in 2006), Eucerin Original Moisturizing Cream, and Vanicream.

In a mouse model of sun-related skin cancer, frequent application of each product resulted in more skin tumors and faster tumor growth, says study leader Allan H. Conney, PhD, director of the Susan Lehman Cullman Laboratory for Cancer Research and professor in the school of pharmacy at Rutgers University in Piscataway, N.J.

…

[kimmerspixelated]

1. I never use mainstream creams or lotions anymore.

All one has to do is look at the list of ingredients on the label. Parabens of all kinds are particularly harmful. And additionally,there is an organic watchdog site(sorry no link now), that sifts through all the ones that claim to be pure, that aren't. With enough pressure, maybe the cosmetic industry will finally put away all there chemicals! You really have to read labels.

[supernova]

2. Salient points from Discover magazine

There is a more detailed version of this article in Discover magazine, quoting New Scientist. Here's the money quote:

The ingredients responsible for this effect remain a mystery, but two prime suspects are mineral oil, which has been shown to be tumorigenic in animal models, and sodium lauryl sulphate, a known irritant .

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2008/08/15/moisturizers-and-skin-cancer-probably-no-reason-to-panic/