Just when we thought we had heard it all, there is an ant incursion. Tala’s Ant Egg oil is one of a number of products that claim to inhibit hair growth by employing oil extracted from ground-up ant pupae. Additionally, Tala asserts that its product has been “tested with physicians” and is “completely safe with no side effects.” Is this item exceptional or simply ant-worrisome?
What is ant oil precisely?
We are cosmetic chemists, not entomologists, but Ant egg oil appears to be furan-2-carbaldehyde, also known as Furfural. This item is characterized as a reddish-brown liquid with a pungent, ant-like odor. Given that furfural is used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, this is unexpected! This may not be an issue because furfural can be derived from numerous non-ant sources, such as wheat fiber.
We were unable to locate ANY published research indicating that it inhibits hair growth, regardless of source. If, as Tala asserts, this product was “tested with doctors,” the results have not been published in any peer-reviewed database. (As always, if someone locates credible research to the contrary, we will update this page accordingly.)
Is Ant Egg Oil safe to use on the skin?
Furfural not only does not appear to inhibit hair growth, but it may also be harmful to your skin. It is a recognized skin irritant (at high concentrations), and prolonged contact can cause skin allergies and worsened sunburn. Worse, there is some speculation that it may be carcinogenic. Furfural is often used as a scent ingredient at quantities of roughly 0.036%. According to the SCCNFP (SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE ON COSMETIC PRODUCTS AND NON-FOOD PRODUCTS INTENDED FOR CONSUMERS), “the maximum exposure stated by RIFM does not represent any significant cancer risk.” The exposure, however, should not be increased.” Because it is the first component stated in the ingredient list, use levels in ant egg oil creams are far greater than this. In other words, it is not a big deal if it is in your scent at very low levels, but it is not a smart idea as a key ingredient in a skin cream.
In conclusion regarding Beauty Brains
It was not able to find any research that demonstrate that ant egg oil has an effect on hair growth; however, It was able to find at least one article that indicates that using it on the skin in large quantities may have some hazards. A cream such as Vaniqua, which has demonstrated efficacy in inhibiting the development of facial hair in women, comes highly recommended by me.
Ingredients:
Oil from Ant Eggs Glyceryl Stearate, water, ant egg oil, and a few more components are included. Ceteareth-20 and Ceteareth-12 Glyceryl monostearate, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Fragrance, Phenoxyethanol, 1-2-dibroma-2,4-dicyanobutane, and Chamaemelum arvensis are the ingredients in this product.
References:
http://ec.europa.eu/health/archive/ph_risk/committees/sccp/documents/out279_en.pdf
Do you wish to purchase a cream that contains Ant Egg Oil? Almost certainly not. However, the Beauty Brains will get a modest fee that contributes to the reduction of some of the costs associated with the operation of our website if you click on this link for Tala Ant Egg Oil and then purchase ANY product. Thank you!
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