Chemical preservative in baby wipes found to cause eczema-like rashes

Saturday, May 21, 2016 by: PF Louis
Tags: baby wipes, chemical preservative, skin rashes

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(NaturalNews) The mainstream media is reporting that an adverse reaction to a chemical preservative chemical called methylisothiazolinone (MI) in baby wipes is causing a horrific rash due to an "allergic" reaction. MI is used exclusively to extend shelf life and has no other purpose.

Experts have been raising the alarm on dangerous MI reactions, which they say have been reaching epidemic levels since 2005. And MI is in a wide range of beauty and personal care products, not just baby wipes.

Only recently has the spike in MI "allergic" reactions to baby wipes surfaced in the US media. The probable reason for the delay in alerting the public to the dangers of the wipes is that the rash has apparently been widely misdiagnosed as eczema. The inflamed rash is scaly, itchy and looks very painful.

Most troubling is the fact that the wipe chemicals are almost impossible to remove once they have been applied, as they stick to the skin like an adhesive.

According to Dr. Ron Jones, a UK pediatrician: "It works kind of like poison ivy and can cause a vicious rash. If you use this kind of wipe, you think, 'Why can't I wash it off?' That's the problem, because it sticks to the skin and causes the allergy. Once you use this wipe, it's going to be on there for several days."

Baby wipes are just one of many products containing MI

Experts say the scale of the allergic reactions to the chemical, which has been used increasingly since 2005, is alarming. Dermatologists and other skin experts are recommending that MI be removed from all products that are used via the skin immediately. MI has been reported to cause rashes, lumps, blisters, itchy eyes and facial swelling.

Here's just one example of the severe damage MI can cause as reported by the DailyMail. A British national who was on vacation in Spain had to be hospitalized for two days while steroids and antihistamines were administered to treat her MI-induced "rash." The truth is that MI causes a toxic reaction, not merely an allergic reaction. In fact, MIT is a potent neurotoxin.

As AnnMarieGianni.com reports, MIT and other isothiazolinones are in baby wipes and many other personal care products: "shampoos, conditioners, hair colors, body washes, laundry detergents, liquid hand soaps, bubble bath, hand dishwashing soaps, and shampoo/conditioner combinations," as well as cosmetics and lotions.

Although preservation may be its function, the fact is that methylisothiazolinone is actually a toxic chemical that a recent study reported causes nerve damage at low exposure levels. Technically, MIT is classified as a biocide. In other words, it's a chemical that kills microorganisms. But it also belongs to a class of similar compounds called isothiazolinones.

Isothiazolinones also include the following chemicals: chloromethylisothiazolinone (CMIT), benzisothiazolinone (BIT), octylisothiazolinone (OIT) and dichlorooctylisothiazolinone (DCOIT).

Recent laboratory studies done with rat brain cells (in vitro) exposed to toxic MIT for merely 10 minutes resulted in serious damage to the exposed neurons. The researchers observed that a very brief exposure to methylisothiazolinone is highly toxic to cultured neurons. The study was published by The Journal of Neuroscience, source below.

The researchers stated that the toxic effects of MIT have previously been known and reported. Their primary concern was the current widespread low-dose offering of daily exposure of MIT to the general population.

In other words, long-term, low-dose MIT exposure studies should be done urgently to determine safety levels and or health hazards associated with chronic, low-dose MIT exposure. As it stands, the public is unknowingly at risk and is unknowingly participating in a massive, toxic exposure experiment without informed consent.

Caveat emptor: Never buy laboratory-made chemically laced personal care products -- especially for babies and children!

Sources for this article include:

http://www.ky3.com

http://www.jneurosci.org

http://www.dailymail.co.uk

http://www.annmariegianni.com