Are there really crab shells in my cosmetics?

Cynthia is feeling crabby…I heard a rumor that many cosmetic products use crab shells as an ingredient. This sounds a little bit ridiculous to me but if it’s true I wonder why it’s so hush-hush. Is it because the cosmetic companies are worried that the animal-rights activists will find out? The Beauty Brains respond: Actually, Cynthia, crab shells are a legitimate ingredient in many cosmetics. What is chitin? You’ll never see “crab shells” listed as an ingredient. Instead you’ll see some version of a chemical called “chitin.” Chitin is a polysaccharide which means it’s sort of like cellulose and it comes from the exoskeletons of crustaceans, insects and even arachnids. When you realize this stuff could come from scorpions suddenly crab shells don’t sound so bad. Chitin was “discovered” in 1811 by Professor Henri Braconnott. He found it, in all places, in the cell walls of mushrooms. I’m guessing that it’s too expensive to get significant amounts of high-quality chitin from mushrooms hence the use of crustacean shells. That’s much more cost effective since these shells are a by product of the animals we use for food (crabs as well as shrimp and lobsters.) One of earliest applications for chitin was in preparing wound dressings where its moisture retention properties speed the healing of burns. Today it’s found in a variety of products including diapers, feminine napkins, and tampons. (Since these aren’t cosmetics they don’t have to provid...
Source: thebeautybrains.com - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Bizarre Natural Source Type: blogs