What is methylisothiazolinone (MI ) - and why
should we find out ?
Methylisothiazolinone (MI ) is a chemical preservative found in many common
skincare products including liquid soaps, moisturisers, make-up , baby wipes
and sunscreens and also more widely in paints, laundry products and even in
paper used for wrapping food.
There
have been concerns about it as an allergen in the UK press since 2013 .
It
was named "Contact Allergen of the Year 2013" by the American Contact Dermatitis Society.
Allergy to MI manifests itself in different ways, from an obvious red, raised itchy rash which may blister to a longer term contact dermatitis/eczematous reaction where the skin is chronically red and irritated.
The most commonly affected areas are the face following use of liquid soaps and shampoos, hands and the buttocks and genital areas from use of pre moistened wipes, such as when changing baby’s nappies or after using the bathroom . It may even be the person who changes the nappies who has the allergy, not the baby!
For example, in the event that an allergy to MI is suspected Dr Zirwas says “If someone suspects an allergy to moistened wipes, they need to stop using them for at least one month. A week or two isn’t enough time. ”
MI is so widely present that it is really important for the consumer to be aware of it when they make a purchase.
It is important to note that the majority of the population are not sensitive to this chemical but if you suspect that it may at the root of your problems, or if you wish to avoid it, you do need to become an “allergen-detective ” making the effort to check for Methylisothiazolinone , usually at or near the end of the ingredients listing when you are making a purchase.
Wash Products Containing MI :
MI is present in so many wash products that it
is unrealistic to think of compiling a
comprehensive listing but we have given
pointers to some of the most popular ranges in which it is found, some of which were quite surprising .
Shampoos containing MI :
It is almost impossible to avoid MI when it comes to shampoos but a look around the shelves in Boots turned up the following which do not contain MI: L'Oreal, Schwarzkopf, Dr Wolf, Garnier and Trevor Sorbie are all MI – free as far as I could see, and Johnson and Johnson’s Baby Shampoo is also MI-free.
Nonetheless, it is very important to check for yourself as, since this information became available last year, many companies have been making a big effort to eliminate MI from their ranges and things are changing fast.
With regard to baby wipes many wipes are now manufactured without MI and it is possible to get a 100% natural option but do check the packaging before buying.
Found on a recent shopping trip :
All the following companies have skincare/hand/bodywash products which contain MI , so do look at the labels if you are considering a purchase and want to avoid it.
Baylis and Harding
Boots own brand
Champneys
Cussons Baby range
Clarins
Clinique
Dettol
Disney Princess
Dove
FCUK
Imperial Leather
Marks and Spencer
Sanctuary Spa
Soap and Glory
Ted Baker
Tesco own brand
TOPMAN
Treacle Moon
This is not an exhaustive list, merely products on the shelves on an ordinary day and there are many others which I could not track down, I am sure. Nonetheless it is an illustration of how hard it is to avoid MI when you are shopping for your skincare .
It is likely that long term most companies will remove this chemical from their products, but it may take some time and in the meantime those of us who are concerned need to take the initiative and do our own homework.
Background information :
The chemical preservative methylisothiazolinone, (used to prevent bacterial growth in water-containing commercial cleaning products) also known as MI , was previously mixed with another preservative, Methylchloroisothiazolinone
(MCI) in a three-to-one ratio ( as it still is
in the USA ) in a product called Kathon
CG. (They are still commonly found together in skincare products but not in this single product in the EU.)
However in the EU, growing concerns in
the mid-2000s about MCI causing allergies meant some manufacturers started using
MI as a single agent but at a much higher concentration than before.
When the two compounds were used, MI
it was found in concentrations of around four parts per million (ppm). On its
own a level of up to 100ppm, a 25-fold increase, is allowed under European
regulations introduced in 2005.
Experts believe there is a link
between the serious rise in cases of contact dermatitis and the increase in its
concentration in skincare products particularly
in the last two years. While a 1 -2% rate of allergy to any product might be
expected, the rate of allergy to MI can be 10%.
In January 2013 Margarida Gonçalo, the president of the European
Society of Contact Dermatitis (ESCD, wrote to the European Commission calling for
an investigation into what levels of MI are safe.
She said: “This new epidemic of
allergic contact dermatitis from isothiazolinones is causing harm to European
citizens; urgent action is required.”
In July 2013 Dr John McFadden,
consultant dermatologist at St John’s Institute of Dermatology in London said
about MI, “We are in the midst of an
outbreak of allergy to a preservative which we have not seen before in terms of
scale in our lifetime. Many of our patients have suffered acute dermatitis with
redness and swelling of the face. I would ask the cosmetics industry not to
wait for legislation but to get on and address the problem before the situation
gets worse.”
This is not a new scenario, methyldibromo
glutaronitrile, another preservative, was banned from use in cosmetics in 2005
after it was linked to an increase in eczema cases.
However, experts believe that the
increase in eczema cases is happening even faster with MI and some specialists
have been even more outspoken : Consultant dermatologist Dr Ian White, has been reported as saying :
“Bluntly, I think the European Commission has been negligent over this, they
have had warning after warning. If it was food there would have been action.”
In his response at that time Dr Chris Flower,
director general of the Cosmetic, Toiletry and Perfumery Association, the UK
cosmetic trade association, said : “Human safety is the cosmetic industry’s
number one priority; in fact it is the law. Every cosmetic product must undergo
a rigorous safety assessment before it is placed on the market. The assessment
covers all of the ingredients, the final product, how and where the product is
to be used, how often and by whom and must be carried out by qualified
assessors.”
On 12th December 2013 Cosmetics Europe,
the personal care association, issued an industry-wide recommendation to
discontinue the use of the preservative MI in leave-on skin cosmetics and personal care
products. The recommendation was made in the interests of consumer health
and in response to recent clinical data showing an increase in adverse skin
reactions to MI.
Until 2013 the worries about MI focused on its presence in “leave-on” products
, those products which are designed to remain on the skin such as as creams or
lotions .
However in the
US, the director of the contact dermatitis center at Ohio State
University’s Wexner Medical Center, Dr Matthew
Zirwas has identified MI as being linked to a dramatic rise in allergic
reactions in other common skincare products as well .
Dr Zirwas says : “In the last two or
three years, we’ve suddenly seen a big increase in people with this type of
allergy. For some patients, their rash has been unexplained and going on for
years.”
MI is
found in many water-based products like liquid soaps, hair products, sunscreen,
cosmetics, laundry products and cleaners as well as pre-moistened personal
hygiene products and baby wipes.
The
irony is that many people are developing these reactions to products which they
are using to clean themselves and in our modern search for total hygiene may
even inadvertently increase their use in the mistaken belief that they may be able to help them clear up the very allergy they are causing!
Disclaimer : This blog represents my own views and are not intended as medical advice. If you have any concerns about skin/health problems , please contact your own doctor who will be able to advise you .
