Our Official Position on Benzophenone-1
By: AILA Cosmetics
At AILA Cosmetics, we are committed to ensuring you – the health-conscious consumer – are afforded every opportunity to make as informed a decision as possible with respect to whether or not you use our products. That means disclosing our factually based official position on the chemical Benzophenone-1-- a chemical often found in nail lacquers, and one that has been the subject of some controversy.
This information is a bit technical, so bear with us. We want you to have the most recent data verified by reputable scientific studies, while explaining it as clearly as we can in layman terms.
AILA Cosmetics’ suppliers submit a LOI (list of ingredients) to the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) and to the State of California (AILA’s lacquers, Coconut Nail & Cuticle Therapy, ‘Prime’ base coat, ‘Shine’ top coat and Better Than Gel top coat are manufactured in California. Its 3-IN-1 Remover is manufactured in Kentucky.). The AILA Cosmetics LOI includes Benzophenone-1. Benzophenone-1 is different than a similarly named substance that is considered to be toxic when absorbed or ingested. That substance is called Benzophenone. Unfortunately, the name Benzophenone-1 is often mistaken for Benzophenone, but they are actually two different chemical substances.
The molecular difference between these two ingredients is indicated by the dash-one (-1).
MOLECULAR DIAGRAM OF BENZOPHENONE
(Courtesy of U.S. National Library of Medicine/National Center for Biotechnology Information)
2D
3D
MOLECULAR DIAGRAM OF BENZOPHENONE-1
(Courtesy of U.S. National Library of Medicine/National Center for Biotechnology Information)
2D
3D
The ‘-1’ indicates a modification to the starting molecule. Due to concerns about Benzophenone, a method has been found to produce Benzophenone-1 from a different molecule, bypassing the need to begin with Benzophenone.
The noted difference is shown by the CAS (Chemical Abstracts Service) number indication for each chemically distinct substance:
BENZOPHENONE CAS No. 119-61-9
BENZOPHENONE-1 CAS No. 131-56-6
AILA Cosmetics does not use CAS No. 119-61-9 (i.e., Benzophenone). We use CAS No. 131-56-6 (i.e., Benzophenone-1)
Why is Benzophenone-1 Used in Nail Lacquer?
Benzophenone-1 is an ultraviolet stabilizer that resists color changes when the dry film is exposed to sunlight.
That means it is basically a UV blocker to prevent photo-degradation of polymers in polishes to maintain polish color. It allows manufactures to package the product in clear glass or plastic, and prevents the polish from discoloring while in the nail lacquer bottle. Without it, opaque or dark packaging would likely be required. It may also deliver some preventative discoloring of the product itself.
Is Benzophenone-1 Considered Safe to Use in Nail Polishes?
Cosmetic safety information should come from proper scientific resources such as the: FDA, International Cosmetic Ingredient Dictionary, EU Cosmetic Directive (Annex II and III), INCI toxicology reports, IARC (International Agency on Research on Cancer), CIR (Cosmetic Ingredient Review panel), EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), and several other regulatory advisory boards focused on safety and use.
The beauty industry is governed by several government agencies including the FDA, which states that all ingredients used in cosmetics must be listed in the ICID (International Cosmetic Ingredient Dictionary). Benzophenone-1 is NOT the same chemical construct as Benzophenone, and Benzophenone-1 is NOT considered by the applicable regulatory bodies to be carcinogenic when used as indicated in nail polish and has long been approved for such use. In studies of Benzophenone-1, government regulatory bodies and other authoritative sources (including the EU Cosmetic Directive) have concluded that it is suitable for cosmetic use and is, thus, considered non-toxic when used as recommended.
The evaluation of safety / toxicity must be based on reliable scientific data, which takes into consideration the means of exposure, dosage and recommended use levels. In other words, in order to determine if an ingredient is unsafe, it must be found to be unsafe by reliable scientific evidence that evaluates the ingredient as it is actually used, both in application and quantity, by the public. As far as AILA’s team is aware, there are no reliable scientific studies demonstrating that Benzophone-1 is harmful or toxic when used as recommended as a nail polish ingredient and thus is considered safe for such use.
What is California Proposition 65 and Does It Prohibit the Use of Benzophone-1 in Nail Polishes?
In the state of California (AILA’s lacquers, Coconut Nail & Cuticle Therapy, ‘Prime’ base coat, ‘Shine’ top coat and Better Than Gel top coat are manufactured in California. Its 3-IN-1 Remover is manufactured in Kentucky.), AILA is governed by laws set forth by the state. An example of a state government law in the state of California is Proposition 65 (Safe Drinking Water & Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986). It is a law requiring disclosure of substances that are known to cause cancer or reproductive toxicity. This law prohibits businesses from allowing such chemicals to enter into the drinking water (streams, rivers, no dumping, etc.). It also requires that warnings be given to individuals exposed to chemicals subject to Proposition 65. California Proposition 65 does NOT list Benzophenone-1 as a toxin. Therefore, Benzophenone-1 is not considered a toxin under Proposition 65.
We welcome your comments, feedback and questions. If you have any, please don’t hesitate to contact us at hello@ailacosmetics.com. We’ll do our best to answer your questions or address your concerns about any and all ingredients in AILA’s products.
Thank you again for caring enough about your well being to read this site page.
~ AILA Cosmetics