Physical Science

Performance Task
Household Chemicals and Personal
Care Products

OBJECTIVES:
1. Identify active and major ingredients in cleaning and personal care products
2. Explain the mode of action and precautionary measures indicated in various
cleaning products and cosmetics
3. Create a set of guidelines in selecting healthy and environmentally safe products
4. Explore and create alternative homemade cleaning and personal care products

DEFINITION OF TERMS:

 Consumer goods are products bought for consumption by the average consumer.
 Active ingredients are substances that directly help in achieving the performance objective of the
product. All other components of the product are called inactive.
 Personal care includes products as diverse as cleansing pads, colognes, cotton swabs, cotton
pads, deodorant, eye liner, facial tissue, hair clippers, lip gloss, lipstick, lip balm, lotion, makeup,
hand soap, facial cleanser, body wash, nail files, pomade, perfumes, razors, shaving cream,
moisturizer, talcum powder, toilet paper, toothpaste, facial treatments, wet wipes, and shampoo.
Refer to any substance intended for use on the external parts of the body. They are used for
cleansing, beautifying, protecting external parts and perfuming.
 Household Cleaning Products Include general purpose cleaner, bathroom cleaner, special surface
cleaners and stain remover. Each type contains specific active ingredients.
 Cleaning agents are substances (usually liquids, powders, sprays, or granules) used to remove
dirt, including dust, stains, bad smells, and clutter on surfaces. Purposes of cleaning agents
include health, beauty, removing offensive odor, and avoiding the spread of dirt and
contaminants to oneself and other.
 An allergen is a type of antigen that produces an abnormally vigorous immune response in which
the immune system fights off a perceived threat that would otherwise be harmless to the body.
Such reactions are called allergies.
 An irritant is a substance that causes pain, itching, or discomfort. Chlorine, which is commonly
used in swimming pools and hot tubs, is an irritant that dries out.
 Reproductive toxicity is a hazard associated with some chemical substances, that they will
interfere in some way with normal reproduction; such substances are called reprotoxic. It
includes adverse effects on sexual function and fertility in adult males and females, as well as
developmental toxicity in the offspring.
 A carcinogen is a substance that causes cancer (or is believed to cause cancer). A carcinogenic
material is one that is known to cause cancer. The process of forming cancer cells from normal
cells or carcinomas is called carcinogenesis.
 Neurotoxins are toxins that are poisonous or destructive to nerve tissue (causing neurotoxicity).
Neurotoxins are an extensive class of exogenous chemical neurological insults that can adversely
affect function in both developing and mature nervous tissue.

HOW TO MAKE SURE YOUR COSMETICS AND PERSONAL CARE

PRODUCTS ARE SAFE

Choosing safe products can be a daunting task without the proper knowledge and tools. Many
product packages are deceptively designed to make you believe that the product inside the
package is herbal, all natural, safe and gentle, when in fact the product contains little or no
natural or herbal ingredients, is contaminated with carcinogens and is irritating to the skin. This is
the case because of the lack of regulation in the cosmetic and personal care product industry. But
armed with a little knowledge and some helpful tools, there is much you can do to protect
yourself.
 Here are ten things you can do to make safer and healthier choices
when selecting your toiletries.

 Read the ingredients on the label.

The packaging may say such things as natural, herbal or hypoallergenic. This has nothing to do
with what’s really in the product or how safe it is. Manufacturers make a lot of claims on the
package to “sell” the product. They can do this because some of the terms don’t have official
definitions and they can use them however they want. To really find out what’s in a product, you
must read the ingredients in the small print, you know, the ones that you sometimes need a
magnifying glass to be able to see.
 Interpret and understand the ingredients.
Once you find the ingredients, you have to be able to know what they are and if they are safe,
harmful, questionable or untested. A great many ingredients have chemical names that only a
cosmetic chemist would understand. However, you don’t have to be a cosmetic chemist. The
book, Dying To Look Good, makes it easy for you to choose products with safe and healthy
ingredients.
 Choose products without parabens.
Parabens are xenoestrogens or endocrine disrupters. They disturb the hormone balance in your
body. They are also skin sensitizers and have the potential to cause allergic reactions. They have
been found in breast cancer tumors, but it is not known if they cause breast cancer.
 Stay away from products containing amines.
Chemicals that fall into the category of amines can combine with nitrosating agents to form
nitrosamines, which cause cancer. Nitrosamines are formed during the manufacturing process
when an amine combines with a formaldehyde-releasing preservative. Some of the amines
commonly used in cosmetics and personal care products are Cocamide MEA, Cocamide DEA, TEA,
sodium lauroyal sarcosinate and amino methyl propanol. Several of the formaldehyde-releasing
preservatives include sodium hydroxymethylglycinate, quaternium-15, DMDM hydantoin and
diazonlidnyl urea.
 Steer clear of products containing talc.
Talc is found in talcum powder, baby powder and makeup. It is a carcinogen if it contains
asbestiform fibers. The quantity of asbestiform fibers in cosmetic-grade talc is unregulated in the
U.S. Some research suggests a link between talc and ovarian cancer.
 Be cautious about products that contain fragrance.
Manufacturers are not required to disclose the ingredients used in frgrances. A single fragrance
may contain hundreds of different chemicals. Some of the chemicals used in fragrances are
hazardous, such as benzyl chloride, methyl ethyl ketone, methylene chloride, toluene and
phthalates. Fragrances may also contain chemicals that cause cancer. Even products listed as
fragrance free may have fragrance added to mask offensive odors.
 Avoid D&C and FD&C Colors.
Most D&C and FD&C colors are derived from coal tar which is a carcinogen. Most coal tar colors
are potential carcinogens, may contain carcinogenic contaminants and cause allergic reactions.
These colors must be certified by the FDA to contain not more than 20 ppm of lead and arsenic,
but the certification does not address any other harmful effects these colors may have on the
body.
 Beware of products containing chemical preservatives.
Chemical preservatives can be irritating and are the number one cause of contact dermatitis.
Some preservatives you should watch out for are benzethonium chloride, BHA, BHT, diazolidinyl
urea, imidazolidinyl urea, phenoxyethanol and methylisothiazolinone.
 Watch out for “and other ingredients.”
This means there are one or more ingredients that the manufacturer considers a trade secret and
does not want to list on the label. There is no way of knowing if these ingredients are safe or not.
 Be wary of products with long lists of ingredients.
Many of the chemicals used in cosmetics and personal care products have not been tested or
have not been adequately tested. Even those that have been tested have only been tested
individually, not in combination with other ingredients. Nobody knows the effects of the many
different ingredients used in thousands of different combinations, the effects of using numerous
different products, one on top of the other, or the effects of repeated use of ingredients or
 products over time.Become a label reader and learn how to decipher the ingredients for safety.
It’s easy with the help of Dying To Look Good.
Product exploration
Fill the table below with the different personal care and household products assigned to your
group. The “Mode of Action” in the last column will be filled out AFTER you have conducted
independent research. Observe the products with caution, particularly in smelling and touching as
they may have harmful effects upon contact.

Texture,
odor, Mode of
Active/ Guidelines Precautions
Product color of Action
Product major in using the in using the
description product of Active
ingredient product product
*observe ingredient
CAUTION
Research on the mode of action of the major/active ingredient of your assigned product. Before your
group proceeds with your independent research, here are some possible terms that you may encounter:

a. Biodegradable - capable of being decayed by the action of living organisms. The number of
years depends on many factors such as the kind of waste, environmental temperature and type of
microorganism.
b. Non-biodegradable - incapable of being decayed by the action of living organisms
c. Oxo-biodegradable - capable of being decayed by living organisms only after the help of metal
salts added in the material’s composition. The metal salts speed up the initial decay process after
which the process is left to microorganisms to finish.
d. Surfactants - a surface active agent, capable of reducing the surface tension of liquids. For
example, in washing oil off plates, surfactants help the oil and water come together by weakening
the surface tension of oil.
e. Emulsifier - encourages the suspension of one liquid in another (e.g. margarine is a mixture of oil
and water). It is also called a stabilizer. It extends storage life and prevents separation of ingredients.
f. Buffer - a solution of acid and base or salt that helps maintain the pH of a solution constant.
g. Emollient - any substance that softens the skin by slowing the evaporation of water.
h. Oxidizer - a substance that oxidizes another substance. Oxidizing a substance may mean
supporting combustion, helping a substance breakdown, etc. The fact sheet you will make from your
research can either be electronic or handwritten. The fact sheet guidelines for the project are listed
below.
The fact sheet that you will make from your research can either be electronic or handwritten. The fact
sheet guidelines are listed below.

Fact Sheet Guidelines

1. Data on active/ major ingredient:
a. Chemical formula (and structure if available)
b. Mode of action
c. Where the ingredient comes from
d. How the ingredient should be handled, what are its precautionary measures?
e. Other uses of the chemical
f. How does the chemical affect the environment? (if available)
g. Is the chemical biodegradable or not? (if available)
h. Is the chemical natural or synthetically derived? (if available)
i. Are there alternatives for this chemical? What are the alternatives? (if available)
*a to e are mandatory information that you must look for.

A fact sheet normally includes:

- title/heading
- diagram/drawing/picture
- statistics in the form of a graph/ chart
- easy to read descriptions written in outline or paragraph form
- sources of information
- Factsheets are usually one to two pages long.

When your groups are done with your fact sheets, and after conducting your research, create your
own guidelines in choosing a safer, healthier and environmentally friendlier product.

Examples:
1. be proactive and will research on the products that I am using
2. choose products that have a short ingredient list (10 or less ingredients)
3. buy products that are biodegradable
Demonstration Rubric

Criteria
Accuracy of information
Organization
Readiness of materials
Communication skills / Presentation
Teamwork
Sources