For everything from skincare to cooking, coconut oil seems to be all the rage these days. And for good reason too — It's far less toxic for cooking than vegetable oil and has been documented to provide a wide range of health benefits, from burning fat to killing harmful microorganisms.
But not all forms of coconut oil are healthy. Unfortunately, as with many products, there are forms of adulterated coconut oil on the market that cause a variety of health concerns.
Companies are capitalizing on the recent craze regarding coconut oil by deceptively claiming to use the substance in their products, when in reality it's something quite unnatural.
A new report from the Center for Environmental Health lists several coconut oil shampoos, soaps and children's products with coconut oil as harmful due to the presence of cocamide diethanolamine.
The list of products and manufacturers is quite extensive and includes the following:
I mean, it seems innocent enough right? It's just coconut oil, right?
Actually, it's a highly artificial, manufactured chemical produced by reacting a mixture of coconut oil fatty acids and diethanolamine.
It's what makes shampoos and soaps foamy.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer lists cocamide diethanolamine in the IARC Group 2B of carcinogens, meaning it is potentially cancer-causing to humans.
It also has been identified to have a high irritation potential.
Michael Green, executive director at the Center for Environmental Health says:
"Most people believe that products sold in major stores are tested for safety, but consumers need to know that they could be doused with a cancer-causing chemical every time they shower or shampoo."
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- Walgreen Co. Prell Classic Clean Shampoo
- Bliss World LLC Bliss Super Minty Soapy Suds Body Wash + Bubbling Bath
- Avlon Industries, Inc. Kera Care Anti-Dandruff Moisturizing Shampoo
- Colgate-Palmolive Company Palmolive Caprice Especialidades Anti-Ceramidas Shampoo
- Alberston's LLC Equaline Medicated Dandruff Shampoo with Menthol
What's So Bad About Cocamine Diethanolamine Anyway?
I mean, it seems innocent enough right? It's just coconut oil, right?
Actually, it's a highly artificial, manufactured chemical produced by reacting a mixture of coconut oil fatty acids and diethanolamine.
It's what makes shampoos and soaps foamy.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer lists cocamide diethanolamine in the IARC Group 2B of carcinogens, meaning it is potentially cancer-causing to humans.
It also has been identified to have a high irritation potential.
Michael Green, executive director at the Center for Environmental Health says:
"Most people believe that products sold in major stores are tested for safety, but consumers need to know that they could be doused with a cancer-causing chemical every time they shower or shampoo."
How Do You Make Sure Products You're Buying Are Safe?
Healthy, gentle products like California Baby + Kids do not contain any cocamide diethanolamine. You'll want to look out for products with the following ingredients listed on the label. They are all indicative of cocamide diethanolamine.- Cocamide DEA
- Cocamide MEA
- DEA-cetyl phosphate
- DEA oleth-3 phosphate
- Myristamide DEA
- Steramide MEA
- TEA-lauryl sulfate
