I don’t know about you but I get lost in pronunciation after Methylisothia…..

Just like food labels…If you can’t pronounce, it DON’T BUY IT.

How do we know this commonly used chemical ingredient is bad for the brain?

Researchers exposed rats to methylisothiazolinone, known as a household biocide, for 10 minutes.   The ingredient killed rat brain cells causing them to conclude that this chemical is highly toxic to brain neurons.  Reading this caused me to conclude that if MIT is bad for a rat’s brain, then it’s bad for MY BRAIN.

WHY do companies put this in skin care products?

It is a product preservative so it prevents bacteria and mold from growing in them (last on the shelf longer but those who use it will not) and because it is powerful, it is also used in antibacterial products such as antibacterial hand wash and leave on hand sanitizers.  I would rather have dirt on my hands then use these products!

The abbreviation for the synthetic chemical Methylisothiazolinone is MIT.  It is often abbreviated on labels so it doesn’t sound so bad. What you should know is that every 3 letter abbreviation on a cosmetic label is BAD.  Examples of this beside MIT is TEA, DBP, DEP, DMP, BBP.  For more information on these chemicals, read “How to Detect Phthalates in your Skin and Body Products” blog by Linda Lizotte. (on this website)

MIT belongs to a group of similar compounds called “isothiazolinones,” which also include the following chemicals:

• Chloromethylisothiazolinone (CMIT)
• Benzisothiazolinone (BIT)
• Octylisothiazolinone (OIT)
• Dichlorooctylisothiazolinone (DCOIT)

BOTTOM LINE TAKE HOME:  

Anything that ends in ONE is another ONE to AVOID. 

Look for these chemical names in “rinse-off” products like shampoos, conditioners, hair colors, body washes, laundry detergents, liquid hand soaps, bubble bath, hand dishwashing soaps, and shampoo/conditioner combinations.