Chemical of the Week: (It's a doozie) Methylcholoroisothiazolinone(Meth-el-clor-ol-so-fiz-i-pha-lon-ee) and Methylisonthisazolinone(Meth-el-lye-sol-thy-a-zol-lee-own) (Say that one three times fast)
What. A. Mouthful!! So, what is it?
Both are common preservatives used as an antibacterial and antifungal. It can be labeled as Methylisothiazolinone(MIT:2-methyl-4-isothiazoline-3-one, Neolone 950 preservative, MI, OriStar MIT and Microcare MT. Methylchloroisothiazolineone(CMIT):5-Chloro-2-methyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one and MCI. But, let's call these bad boys Methyls for short... Yeah I know... My eyes widened too trying to decipher those let alone type them out, but believe me, I actually found both these chemicals on the back of....Drum rollllll please.... Pantene PRo-V Conditioner. A very popular brand.
What products are Methyls they found in?
Methyls are commonly used in liquid personal care products, such as shampoos, conditioners (like Pantene pro-v), hair dyes, baby lotions, hair spray, make remover, liquid soaps, liquid detergents to promote extreme shelf life. No one wants to find mold or super bacteria in their hands when squirting out there products... but...
Why are they a concern?
Rats exposed to high concentrates of Methyls showed a range of symptoms such as significant weight gain and death due to reddened lungs and swollen intestines. Factory workers are at higher risk working with concentrated amounts of Methyls than the consumer. However, Methyls are responsible for contact dermatitis or skin irritation, and neurotoxicity with long term use.
Cosmetic companies defend the use of these chemicals by using the word "Low risk". They also claim because the ingredient is a "rinse off" product, dangerous toxic effects are washed down the drain into our drinking water to later be doused with other chemicals like chlorine to kill off these toxins, if they work.
But, to stay on topic, who would really want to put this chemical on their themselves or their children knowing the risk involved with not only this one chemical, but the many others combined.
There are other solutions to finding everyday products that lack these toxins.
