Advertorial promotion

A warning from natural active foot care specialist, The Feets, highlights the potential risks associated with the synthetic ingredients found in some footcare products, including potential carcinogens and endocrine disruptors.

From athlete’s foot to blisters and sores, when we suffer from common foot ailments, many of us reach for the pharmacy shelves for a cure. But the majority of these products rely heavily on synthetic ingredients, which may help relieve our feet, but also have the potential to cause concerning, unwanted side effects.

Synthetic ingredients to watch out for:

Tolnaftate

An ingredient in some athlete’s foot treatments, Tolnaftate is a synthetic antifungal drug of the thio-carbamate class, commonly used in over-the-counter athlete’s foot and ringworm treatments. Tolnaftate is not a naturally derived compound and has the potential to cause some users allergic reactions, such as skin irritation, itching, swelling, dizziness, or difficulty breathing.

Butylated Hydroxytoluene (BHT)

Another ingredient found in some products is Butylated Hydroxytoluene (BHT, E321), the potential hazards of which include skin irritation, endocrine disruption, and carcinogenicity.

Clotrimazole

Some athlete’s foot products contain Clotrimazole, a synthetic antifungal drug of the imidazole derivative. This is shown to have potential side effects like skin rash, itching, hives, or joint pain, along with more serious but rare reactions such as difficulty breathing and racing heart.

Hydroxyisohexyl-3-cyclohexene carboxaldehyde (Lyral)

One synthetic ingredient sometimes found in anti-blister treatments is Hydroxyisohexyl -3-cyclohexene carboxaldehyde (Lyral). This is a synthetic fragrance ingredient that gives the product a floral scent. Scientific research has found that Hydroxyisohexyl 3-Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde (Lyral) is a potential skin sensitizer, which has led to it being banned in the EU (due to its strong sensitizing potential – allergic skin reaction to more serious inflammation).

Miconazole Nitrate

Another ingredient found in some synthetic athlete’s foot treatments is Miconazole Nitrate, a synthetic antifungal drug of the imidazole derivative. This one has potential allergy risks with rarer symptoms including anaphylaxis, rash, hives and swelling of the face, lips, or throat.

Polysorbate 85

Synthetic footcare products can also contain an ingredient called Polysorbate 85. Polysorbates are emulsifiers commonly used in food and pharmaceuticals to blend oil and water ingredients and stop them from separating. They have been shown to potentially cause allergic reactions.

Switching to natural footcare products

Logan Estop-Hall, Founder of The Feets, commented: ‘It’s deeply concerning that so many footcare products on the market contain synthetic ingredients that can trigger allergic or anaphylactic reactions, or even pose more serious health risks over time. The skin on our feet is just as sensitive as anywhere else on the body, and what we put on them matters.

‘You should always rely on 100% natural, plant-based solutions that work in harmony with the body rather than anything with such potentially serious, documented side effects – especially as active people will be using these products very regularly.

‘There is no reason to compromise between effectiveness and safety. When nature provides us with powerful, proven active ingredients, there’s simply no need to turn to chemicals that can have detrimental effects on our health.’

The Feets’ range of footcare products are made from 100% natural ingredients. Free from synthetic chemicals or additives. These natural ingredients include Kaolin Clay, Arrowroot Powder, Neem Powder, Eucalyptus Oil, Tea Tree Oil and others.

The information in this release is based on publicly available information, safety data from regulatory and scientific sources, as well as scientific reports, medical websites, and journal papers.

Sources