Kiwis lack knowledge about effects of chemicals on skin

MEDIA RELEASE

Kiwis lack knowledge about effects of chemicals on their skin

Skin disorders prevalent yet awareness of harmful chemicals is low

Most Kiwis have little knowledge of the ingredients in everyday products that come into contact with their skin, despite nearly two thirds of households have someone suffering from a skin condition, according to a recent survey by Colmar Brunton.

The research comes soon after an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ruling that nano-particles found in cosmetics and other products such as washing machines, will have to be listed on product labels, as concerns rise about their negative health effects.

The Colmar Brunton study of 1,103 Kiwis looked at their knowledge and use of products that touch their skin, such as laundry powders and skin care products. The results showed that while most (71 per cent) participants agree that the chemicals in these products can be more harmful than chemicals in food or drink, more than half wouldn’t know what those chemicals actually were. When it comes to home cleaning products, 57 per cent don’t know what ingredients they’d consider harmful, along with 63 per cent for personal care products and 50 per cent for baby products.

Just 34 per cent of respondents knew sodium laurel sulphate (SLS) to be a potentially harmful ingredient in personal care products, and only 25 per cent were aware of the concerns surrounding parabens.

Colmar Brunton managing director Jacqueline Ireland says that while people may not know what the chemicals are called, many are aware that there are harmful chemicals in everyday products.

“A very high proportion of respondents – 81 per cent – said they get annoyed when products try to pass themselves off as healthier than they are, and as consumer knowledge increases, so too does the requirement for brands to be even more transparent.”

The survey also showed that only 34 per cent of respondents read labels on laundry powders and 37 per cent on soaps or liquid hand washes.

Malcolm Rands, CEO and founder of skincare and cleaning product company ecostore, says it’s important consumers arm themselves with knowledge so they can make an informed choice.

“Your skin is an organ that absorbs chemicals from the products that you use every day, such as soaps, shampoos and laundry powders. We encourage people to be curious about what’s in the products they buy, and arm themselves with as much information as they can.”

ENDS

© Scoop Media