Author Archives: diana kim

Daily products, how safe are they?

Posted on November 5, 2017 | 4 comments

As we live our daily life, there are some products we need to use on a daily bases. One of the products we cannot leave out is shampoo. Even though we use shampoo everyday, we may have to pay close attention to what it is made of.

(CC0 Creative Commons, From Pixabay)

Shampoo contains many chemical substances. There are many people who try to avoid chemical substances and it is not difficult to find those who make their own shampoo or choose products that are made of organic sources. Why do we need to care about the product which so many people on earth use daily without questions?

Many shampoo products contain 1,4-deoxane and diethanolamine, which are used to make bubbles and make the shampoo more efficient in cleansing. These substances can be hazardous to us, damaging nervous system and even causing cancer if exposed for a long time.

structure of 1,4-dioxane (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

structure of diethanolamine (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

1,4-dioxane is not used as a material to make a shampoo, but rather, it is produced during the process of making shampoo, depending on the substances used. Therefore, it is very difficult to avoid 1,4-dioxane completely. Researches have found that 1,4-dioxane can be absorbed through skin or be inhaled to cause serious damage. If we are exposed to 1,4-dioxane, it can cause irritation on mucous membranes of eyes and nose, and dizziness. If with great exposure for a long time, it can even cause death.

Diethanolamine, on the other hand, is widely used as a surfactant to make shampoo. It can be absorbed through skin as well, causing irritations to skin and eyes, and further damage kidney.

To avoid these hazards, it is best to use products that does not contain 1,4-dioxane and diethanolamine if possible. Also, minimizing the time of use and amount of shampoo will help preventing them from being absorbed into skin. Even though everyday products are used by many people for a long time and seem safe, we would need to think more about what exactly we are using.

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Perfumes: Invisible Hazards

Posted on October 15, 2017 | 4 comments

How often do you use air fresheners, candles, or perfumes at home? A lot of people love using perfumes when they go out, and air fresheners and candles to get rid of unpleasant smell in their homes. But, have you ever thought about where those chemical substances go?

The researchers from The York University in UK have discovered that level of limonene, which is the main source of citrus scent in perfumes and air fresheners, was significantly high in homes that use perfumes. Limonene is a common substance that also exist in foods we eat, and is not harmful to our health. However, the problem occurs when limonene reacts with ozone, which is part of the air we breath in. The limonene reacts with ozone to produce formaldehyde.

Limonene react with ozone to form formaldehyde copyright-created by Diana Kim

Formaldehyde is named as a known human carcinogen. Ozone is also present indoors, with higher level when we use electronic devices. Therefore, when we use perfumes at home, it is likely that the limonene will turn into hazardous carcinogen in the air. The research also has mentioned that higher concentration of limonene in the air means there are more possibilities that it is going to turn into formaldehyde. It is better to use perfumes in an open space, with windows opened to let the substances out.

To minimize the exposure to formaldehyde in your home, it is the best to ventilate home regularly. Also, having air-filtering plants at home helps getting rid of formaldehyde in the air. The air-filtering plants, such as garden mum, spider plant, dracaena, ficus, and peace lily, absorb formaldehyde in the air.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3APeace_Lily.JPG

Although scents can help stabilize our emotions and therefore can be good for our mind and gets rid of unpleasant smell immediately, we would have to think more about how it can harm our health directly.

 

-Diana Kim-

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Anyone Wants a Second Skin?

Posted on September 18, 2017 | 1 comment

Skin is crucial part of our body, and as a part of the body, it ages. As the skin ages, it loses its ability to recover rapidly and gets damaged easily. Many people get stressed as they look in the mirror every morning, about wrinkles and blemish on their faces, and hope that they can erase them. Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to recover the skin to its full youth state with existing solutions.

Image from Pexels : https://www.pexels.com/photo/black-and-white-crinkles-elder-elderly-258308/

To solve these problems, scientists have developed a ‘second skin,’ which is a clear, flexible polymer that mimics the properties of real skin that can be worn directly to the skin.

The idea of artificial skin came with scientists’ interest in creating autonomous intelligent robots among with other applications, leading to development of electronic hand with sensors since 1974. A lot of research has been conducted then to enhance the function of electronic skin and to make it resemble that of human. Inspired from scientific fictions, researchers have developed flexible and active-matrix electronic skin in 2004. However, there was still a long journey left to catch up with the complicated, real skin.

Finally in recent studies, Daniel Anderson, an associate professor in Chemistry Engineering in MIT, and his research team along with Harvard University developed a ‘second skin,’ called XPL. This wearable skin, an elastic polymer layer, has the properties of real skin and can be applied on human skin as a cream, instantly without use of heat or light-mediated activation.

Application of platinum catalyst to polysiloxane compound. Image credit : Olivo Labs

The second skin works in two-step process, where polysiloxane compounds, followed by platinum catalyst, is applied. The platinum catalyst enables the polymer to be attached to the skin for up to 24 hours, resisting washing and rubbing. The platinum catalyst does this by creating a strong layer on top of the polysiloxane compounds and adhering strongly to the skin.

To see the applicability of this material, Anderson has observed the visual impact when it is worn, tested on durability by twisting the skin with XLP on top, by wearing it over 24 hours, and by washing and rubbing under running water. The result was amazing. The ‘second skin’ was found to be ‘wearable, moisturizing, safe, well tolerated, and provides enhanced mechanical integrity to the underlying skin’ (Anderson, 2016).

“So the goal was to really create something that was totally invisible, breathable, could coat the skin, protect it, perhaps deliver drugs to it, and also perhaps even make it look better,” Anderson says.

Not only does it hide the wrinkles which many people get stressed about, it also protects our skin from UV radiation, the well-known main cause of skin cancer.

 

While further research will be continued to create more ideal products in the future, the ability to deliver drugs, to protect the underneath skin layer, and its invisibility gives hope to the people with diseases or wounds on their skin. Also, this could make our life easier by replacing cosmetics!

 

-Diana Kim-

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