Dollar stores are super cheap and convenient. You can stock up on household items, school supplies, children’s toys etc. all with some couch change. But as diving in a little deeper reveals, the more bang for your buck may not be worth the potential consequences on your health.
You get what you pay for. Cheaper products equal cheaper materials which usually equals cheap quality. Not only are dollar-store goods bottom-of-the-barrel when it comes to calibre, but some of their ingredients have also been reported to cause some bad reactions to consumers.
While those with sensitive skin should skip dollar-store skin products altogether, no one is safe from the irritating ingredients they could contain. Aside from chemical-heavy fragrances and synthetic dyes which are known skin irritants, other harmful chemicals can be present.
Triclosan and Formaldehyde can cause skin irritation, according to Health Canada and may be found in those low-cost $1 and $2 cosmetics. Sodium lauryl sulphate is another ingredient that can cause reactions to the skin, lungs, and eyes according to the CDC.
Dermatologist, Dr. Lisa Kellett told Global News that children are even more susceptible to these harmful ingredients. Distraught mother Kylie Craven took to Facebook to tell the story of her three-year-old daughter who was hospitalized after using a children’s makeup kit from Family Dollar. While Cravens thought the set was nontoxic, her daughter suffered a severe allergic reaction of swollen eyes, blistering and a rash all over her body. She later found out the makeup kit contained multiple ingredients commonly known to cause allergic reactions.
It doesn’t end at cosmetics, soft plastics used in dollar-store products like silly straws, plastic film, inflatable toys and other children’s toys may contain phthalates. Studies by the National Center for Biotechnology Information have linked some phthalates to risks of asthma and allergies in children.
Consumers like Kylie Craven are urging customers to understand what chemicals they are exposing their children and themselves to. “Please be aware of what you are letting your babies have,” she wrote in her Facebook post. “Especially kids cosmetics. So this doesn’t happen to your child.”
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