Buyer beware: Tom's of Maine natural care products are not so natural

    

Tom's of Maine has become a mainstream brand among health-conscious consumers. Unfortunately, it turns out that most of these consumers are unaware of who owns Tom's of Main and what ingredients Tom's products contain. This might be shocking to some but Tom's of Maine isn't owned by Tom and is not from Maine. In fact, it's owned by a well-known corporate giant — Colgate-Palmolive of New York. In the United States alone, Colgate-Palmolive's 35% share mostly relies on a patented gingivitis formula which contains triclosan, a toxic chemical substance that reacts with the chlorine in tap water to become chloroform — a deadly chlorinated aromatic.

Reasons to Avoid Tom's of Maine Products

1. Contain Aluminum. Though Potassium alum used in Tom's of Maine products is a natural mineral salt made up of molecules that are too large to be absorbed by your skin, it is still not completely aluminum-free. It accumulates within the body so that the aluminum becomes more destructive with increased age.

Aluminum has been repeatedly linked to breast cancer, Alzheimer's disease, generalized permanent damage to the central nervous system, brittle bones, autism, infertility, hormonal imbalance.

2. Contain Zinc Chloride. According to the Dangerous Substance Directive , Zinc chloride is classified, as "Harmful (Xn), Irritant (Xi) and Dangerous for the environment (N)." Read the Environmental Working Group's page on Zinc Chloride here.

3. Contain Titanium dioxide. According to the Canadian Center for Occupational Health and Safety, titanium dioxide is a human carcinogen:

Titanium dioxide has recently been classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as an IARC Group 2B carcinogen "possibly carcinogen to humans"... This evidence showed that high concentrations of pigment-grade (powdered) and ultrafine titanium dioxide dust caused respiratory tract cancer in rats exposed by inhalation and intratracheal instillation*.

4. Contain Carrageenan. Tom's of Maine puts carrageenan in its toothpaste, including kids' toothpaste. Many scientific, peer-reviewed studies found that food-grade carrageenan can cause gastrointestinal inflammation, ulcerations, lesions and even colon cancer in laboratory animals. Additionally, recent studies funded by the American Diabetes Association have linked the consumption of food-grade carrageenan to insulin resistance and glucose intolerance in mice.

5. Contain Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS). Although SLS originates from coconuts, the chemical is . The real problem with SLES/SLS is that the manufacturing process (ethoxylation) results in SLES/SLS being contaminated with 1,4 dioxane, a carcinogenic by-product, which will be discussed in more detail later. Rsearch studies on SLS have shown links to organ and reproductive toxicity, neurological damage, endocrine disruption, and cancer.