Recently a news story revealed that the new Welsh nurses’ uniforms were causing many nurses severe skin irritation – and that the cause is highly likely to have been formaldehyde.Formaldehyde resin had been added to the uniforms in order to reduce creasing and mildew during transit.

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Recently a news story revealed that the new Welsh nurses’ uniforms were causing many nurses severe skin irritation – and that the cause is highly likely to have been formaldehyde.Formaldehyde resin had been added to the uniforms in order to reduce creasing and mildew during transit. Levels of the substance are supposed to be lower in clothes to be worn close to the skin, but appear to have been included at a level that caused skin rashes in substantial numbers of people.As well as causing skin irritation and allergic reactions, formaldehyde is also recognised as being potentially carcinogenic for those with long term exposure.The issue has now prompted a toxics expert to call for safer chemicals to be introduced as an alternative to formaldehyde in clothing.However, this chemical is also used as a preservative in some make up and some skin care products. Ingredients such as DEA and TEA – found in a wide range of cosmetics – release small amounts of formaldehyde, which may cause skin reactions.Because of the potential health risks and allergies that people experience, at Green People we do not use formaldehyde or ingredients that may release formaldehyde in any of our products.We prefer to use safe ingredients that are gentle on the skin and derived from natural plant sources wherever possible. Our natural skin care products and organic cosmetics are perfect for those who wish to avoid harsh, irritating ingredients like formaldehyde and are also suitable for sensitive skin.

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