How much do you know about the chemicals you're exposed to through every-day things like cosmetics and skincare, clothing or even food packaging, and food itself? How about what chemicals might be contaminating air, soil and water from industrial processes? Do you ever even think about it? We often presume governments and companies will protect us from harmful substances, but history is full of examples where the advice over what's safe and what's not changes over time (from asbestos to cigarettes to talc) - the science moves on, new studies are published and one day something everyone presumed was just fine turns out to have grim consequences. Can anyone really say what levels of chemicals with potentially harmful health effects are definitively safe for people, animals and the environment, given the variables involved?
Andrea Rudolph is a sustainability pioneer, and a much-loved Danish cultural force. A former TV and radio presenter, she started her organic skincare company Rudolph Care back in 2009, after taking part in a Greenpeace activation that tested the blood of eight Danish volunteers for chemicals present. What Andrea discovered rocked her world, and changed the path of her career.
Now she’s on a mission to raise awareness about toxic PFAS. Andrea wants to see “forever chemicals” banned from consumer products, and to stop any more of them from building up in our environment. This is also the story of one woman’s battle with breast cancer, the power of Nature and how life gets even more precious when you fear losing it. A heart-felt and ultimately hopeful interview, about activism, vulnerability and what really matters. Andrea's message to the consumers: We can change things - but first we have to know what we're dealing with.
FURTHER LISTENING Try Episode 111, The Slow Travels of Emily Penn - this extraordinary story is about microfibres and plastics, but ocean explorer Emily also got switched on to pollution after participating in a project that involved having her blood tested. You might also want to revisit Episode 124, about chemicals in fashion’s supply chains and the ZDHC initiative, and Episode 95 with Kirsten Brodde, who led Greenpeace’s Detox My Fashion campaign.
Andrea founded RUDOLPH CARE in 2009. It’s the first skincare collection in the world to carry both the Nordic Swan Ecolabel and Ecocert COSMOS Organic certification, and it’s also a B Corp. The brand transparent about its ingredients, it lists them all on their website - as Andrea says, it starts with transparency. RUDOLPH CARE is supporting the Danish organization TÆNK in their fight to ban PFAS in consumer products in Denmark.
My dream with Rudolph Care is to challenge established beauty industry standards. We are well on our way. With Rudolph Care, we have brought together two worlds that should never be separated – luxury and sustainability. I am proud of making effective, organic and sustainable beauty products in the luxury category – without compromising or feeling that I have had to settle for less.” - Andrea Rudolph
NOTES
PFAS are known as “forever chemicals” because they are practically indestructible - they can bioaccumlate in humans and the environment. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a diverse group of human-made chemicals used in a wide range of consumer and industrial products. Certain PFAS are also intentionally added as ingredients in some cosmetic products, including lotions, cleansers, nail polish, shaving cream, foundation, lipstick, eyeliner, eyeshadow, and mascara. These PFAS are used in cosmetics to condition and smooth the skin, making it appear shiny, or to affect product consistency and texture.
According to the New York Times, “Since the late 1930s, these chemicals have been used in almost every kind of consumer product, including cooking pans, shampoo, cleaning products and cosmetics, to make products resistant to water, oil or heat.”
America’s FDA admits “there have been few studies on the presence of PFAS in cosmetics” - in other words, we don’t have a clue what slathering this stuff on our skin is doing to our health.
Common PFAS used as ingredients in cosmetics include PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene), perfluorooctyl triethoxysilane, perfluorononyl dimethicone, perfluorodecalin, and perfluorohexane.
John Oliver on PFAS
Here’s what toxicologist Linda Birnbaum, former director of the US National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences, says: “There’s an increasing amount of data showing PFAS are associated with a wide variety of health effects, not only in people but in animals.
“I like to remind us all that we are a kind of animal … there are now hundreds of epidemiology studies showing associations with a wide variety of effects, including cancer, liver effects, kidney effects, effects on development and reproduction, growing evidence for effects on neurodevelopment, growing evidence for effects on type 2 diabetes … It’s kind of like the more you look, the more you begin to find associations.” Read the article here.
When paint is spilled, PFAS make their way into the water system. They exist in rainwater at higher concentrations than the standards set for rivers. Via Guardian
“Thinx just settled a lawsuit alleging its products contain harmful chemical compounds, raising further questions about the safety of period products overall.”… Are PFAS in most period products?
It’s hard to know. There has been “a long history of lack of oversight” when it comes to period products, said Dr. Sharra Vostral, a professor of history at Purdue University who has studied the policy, design and approval processes behind menstrual products. In general, she said, they “have not really been fully tested and understood.” Read the rest on NYT here.
PFAS ARE ALL OVER YOUR HOME RENO. This is from a Guardian story: “PFAS also show up in paint (as a binding agent and to give a smooth finish), wood lacquers (for repelling oil and water, and stain resistance) and sealants. They are used in the top layer of solar panels, artificial grass and firefighting foams…. Some PFAS used in building materials include big molecules, such as fluoropolymers, used as coatings on roofing, that are not released when it rains. But they leach into the soil once a building gets knocked down and goes into landfill. Substances that add water-repellency or are used to make paints, inks, varnishes and lacquers are more of an immediate environmental concern, because they have smaller residual PFAS molecules that wash off more easily.” Read in full here.
"Why do we allow that some products are secretly filling us and the world with harmful substances? It makes me angry. We should be able to care for our skin without filling our bloodstream with harmful substances such as PFAS. We have known this for decades, which is why I am astounded that PFAS has not been banned. Their use is widespread: it’s in our food, our clothes, our kitchen utensils, our bicycles and our beauty products. It is rampant in our everyday life.” - ANDREA RUDOLPH
Recording the podcast at Rudolph Care in Copenhagen, 2023.
On the podcast, Andrea mentions that SILICONE is often added to personal care products. Silicone is not a PFAS. Nevertheless, it’s still a controversial - albeit very highly used - ingredient. “Like plastic wrap, silicones form a barrier on top of your skin. That barrier can lock in moisture, yes, but it can also trap dirt, sweat, bacteria, sebum, dead skin cells and other debris along with it!” says Michelle Villett founder / editor of The Skincare Edit. This Canadian former beauty editor reckons silicone can cause breakouts, and actually make your skin more dehydrated “manifesting as dryness and dullness instead of acne. Not only do silicones prevent additional moisture from getting in, but the impacted materials can dehydrate your pores and throw your skin's natural regulatory processes off-balance.” The Skincare Edit is an excellent resource if you love your beauty stuff.
CERTIFICATIONS are one of the best ways for consumers to rest assured and trust the brands they buy from. Here’s where you can find all the info about the COSMOS Standard and NORDIC SWAN.
