Skin Moisturizers and Cancer
A research group, from Rutgers University in New Jersey, discovered that the mice treated with certain skin moisturizers showed an increase in the rate of tumor formation and found that more tumors developed on mice treated with moisturizers than on those only treated with UV radiation. The rates of increase in tumor activity from the application of each moisturizer in the analysis were:

•    24 Percent for Eucerin Original Moisturizing Cream (Beiersdorf of Hamburg Germany)
•    58 Percent for Vanicream (Pharmaceutical Specialties Inc., in Rochester, Minnesota)
•    69 Percent for Dermabase (Patrick Laboratories in Minneapolis)
•    95 Percent for Dermovan (Galderma Laboratory Inc. of Fort Worth, Texas)

Lead researcher Allan H. Conney noted, "The creams we tested have tumorigenic (tumor-causing) activities."  He also stated, "I need to emphasize that what we have done is only in mice.  We don't know the implications for humans.  But it does raise a red flag that this is something that should be considered."

Some ingredients in the moisturizers were identified as seeming to enhance tumor growth.  When mineral oil and sodium lauryl sulfate, previously linked to skin irritation, were removed from the lotion in a mixture created for the analysis, the altered lotion did nothing to encourage the growth of cancer in mice exposed to UV radiation.

The Bottom Line…The Bottom Line…The Bottom Line…

The bottom line, in the skin moisturizer story as related by lead researcher Conney is, "we really don't know what ingredients in these creams are doing that (producing tumors).  There is a need to have the various companies test their creams to see whether or not there is a problem." Conney believes that companies can remove the effect by modifying their products.  Now it is up to the companies to do the right thing and for consumers to read the labels of products.

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