What Is BHT And Why You Should Avoid It.
It’s time to discuss another toxic chemical in our food and skin care products, and this time we’re asking What is BHT? Butylated Hydroxytoluene, or BHT, is an anti-oxidant which reacts with oxygen free radicals to slow down the autoxidation rate of ingredients in a product that can cause changes in the taste or color. As such, it is primarily used to prevent fats in foods from becoming rancid – but it is also used in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, jet fuels, rubber, petroleum products, electrical transformer oil, and embalming fluid. Sure sounds like BHT is something that should definitely be in our food, right?
Dangers of BHT
Turns out this additive, used in all the above products, has a scary MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) that says the following:
- Do NOT let this chemical enter the environment.
- Combustible.
- Ingestion causes Abdominal pain. Confusion. Dizziness. Nausea. Vomiting.
- The substance may have effects on the liver.
- The substance is harmful to aquatic organisms.
That certainly makes BHT look even more appetizing to have in our food and in our cosmetics! The Skin Deep site rates BHT as having a “high hazard to high hazard depending on product usage” and says it has been shown to be linked to cancer, developmental toxicity, allergies, neurotoxicity, endocrine disruption, biochemical or cellular level changes. So what kind of products, other than our food (it is FDA approved for use in food), can BHT be found in?
Products Containing BHT
- Aveeno Baby Natural Protection Mineral Block Face Stick
- Neutrogena Body Oil
- CVS Beauty Bars Sensitive Skin
- Neutrogena Liquid Facial Cleanser Fragrance Free
- Revlon ColorStay Bronzer for the Face
- Loreal Hip High Intensity Pigments
- OLAY Daily Facials Deep Cleansing Cloths
- Lubriderm Advanced Therapy Lotion Moisturizing Lotion
That’s a list of some pretty popular products, all of which require you to wonder what is BHT and why you should be avoiding it. Who wants to use a product or eat a food that has ingredients also used in jet fuels and embalming fluid? Before you buy a product, I highly suggest you check out lists like the one I referenced to see exactly what you are buying. BHT is bad news, and there are plenty of ways to avoid consuming it. Always do your homework before shopping!
Related posts:
- What Is Propylene Glycol And Why You Should Avoid It.
- What Are Parabens And Why Should You Avoid Them.
- What Are Methylparabens And Why You Should Avoid Them.
- What Is Triclosan And Why You Should Avoid It.
- Top 10 Cosmetic Toxins To Avoid.
Like this post? If so, please consider subscribing to my full feed RSS. Or, if you would prefer, you can subscribe by Email:
I remember reading many years ago that the EDTA in mayonnaise is also used in powdered laundry detergent to keep it from getting clumps so it would flow easily. Barf.
I remember reading many years ago that the EDTA in mayonnaise is also used in powdered laundry detergent to keep it from getting clumps so it would flow easily. Barf.
P.S. – Sorry, forgot to tell you great post!
Great post! I just decided to do a look up because I know BHT is in a lot of preserved meats and other products. I bought 2 bottles of Aveeno 30 sunblock and it was the FIRST ingredient!! Yikes! It works really well and I don’t get burned but I think I need to find another natural alternative.
Most natural sunscreens make your skin look white. lol. I’ve been trying to avoid this but I don’t want those chemicals on me or in me. Yuck! Back to the drawing board….
Great post and I didn’t know all that stuff about DEA’S, TEA, polyethylene, parabens bht’s its good to know so we can try to be more cautious about the stuff we use.
I love your sarcasm, causes dizziness, nausea, vomiting if ingeste, hey let’s put it into food! Man, such stupidity would be unbelivable if I didn’t see it with my own eyes.
I reccomend cereals from health stores like Whole Foods, or Sunset. I believe all of Kashi’s cereals do not have BHT. I’d look at the ingredients list before buying it though.
You know, we should be glad that the companies are made to list these additives so we can avoid them. Also Raisin Bran appears to have no BHT, but it seems Kellogs uses HFCS, where Post uses Corn Syrup. I also want to mention again, to read the boxes because you never know unless it’s a health food brand cereal, if they’ll start using BHT. Like, between the time you buy the cereal, and later they might use it I dunno.
I have cracked/split skin on my fingers during cold weather, so I bought OUTDOOR HANDS Skin Therapy Cream from Tractor Supply after hearing the commercials for it on the radio-it contains BHT(along with several other ingredients). I am now disposing of it! I used Toluene to clean aircraft parts, before they banned us using it anymore for its’ cancer links!
“I used Toluene to clean aircraft parts, before they banned us using it anymore for its”™ cancer links!”
*headdesk infinity*
Its also found in Peanut Butter Captain Crunch. My once favorite cereal.
And this poison is in most chewing gum products in major stores here in the US. Fantastic. Seems like one of the only places to get some non-toxic gum is in Henry’s or Whole Foods. So creepy that the FDA would allow these BHT products to be sold on the market. I guess that’s what lobbying gets you….
I know I’m late to the party but… Someone mentioned Kashi not having this kind of preservative (BHT)in it. Even though that may be true (it may not) please remember Kashi is still a GMO food, they use genetically modified ingredients in every product, with the exception of there elusive organic products they say they sell, but I never see them in stores where I am. GMO’s & dangerous preservatives in foods also goes for many foods that you will find in your local Whole Foods market, and even health food store. A small example of this; my local health food store sells these gluten free muffins and rolls (sold as healthful) with corn syrup as the first ingredient, not to mention a bunch of other GMO laden products you can find in every aisle. In America (especially), if it is not organic (also some organic products are only partially organic and will say 2/3 organic and so on) or labeled Non-GMO then it is most likely genetically modified (and by GMO I do not mean plants that have been responsibly breeded with different varieties to create a new type over decades of cultivation). Please don’t buy GMO’s, these so called agricultural corporations not only control what you eat and grow, they also control all other areas of your life governed by politics & political greed. Don’t just buy organic for your health, buy organic for every living things future, be responsible.
Educate yourself about your food, it’s the most important thing you buy for yourself, your family, and your friends. & buy as much local food as you can. If more people shopped like that then organic food and locally grown food would be more affordable. I hate to stress this but in your average grocery store at least 95% of what is sold should not be considered edible. Start small if you have to, but at least start. & if you eat meat just eat less and try & buy from local farms, buy from responsible farmers who raise & slaughter their animals humanely. I know becoming vegan or vegetarian is not realistic for everyone, & telling people it should be just deters them from wanting to eat healthfully & mindfully.
I’m not going to say which personal medications I’m on, BUT, I found out just recently that this BHT shit has been added as a recently new ingredient in one of my prescriptions! The formula for the pills changed and my pharmacist told me this when I picked them up a few months ago, so I wouldn’t be surprised that my pills looked different all of a sudden, but; I didn’t think anything of it. Many of my medications have changed in appearence or size over the past ten years and never have I known it to be a dangerous thing! Ever since my pills changed I’ve been so sick every day I havn’t been able to stand it! I’ve been throwing up all day, diarhhea, gagging, and have had horrible headaches. I’ve gone to my doctor several times and she’s tested me for this and that but, still it’s all been inconclusive. I think I’ve found my answer. I only found out because, I ran accross this article and remembered the pamphlet that comes with my prescriptions every month identifying the change in ingredients in my pills. The active ingredient (the reason I take it.) is still the same but a whole slew of new (“inactive”.) ingredients are now in the pills that were never listed before. I can’t imagine WHY they would put this in them, but, I’m telling my Dr. RIGHT AWAY about this article and I’m doing more research on this horrible BHT stuff. I’m also going to research my prescription, and, see if other people are also, getting sick. This MUST be why I’ve been so terribly ill for months. I’ve been so worried and scared that something horrible was wrong with me. If I’ve gotten cancer or something from this toxic chemical I’m going to sue the pharmacuetacle company that makes my pills. What on EARTH is WRONG with the FDA?!?! food and drug administration my arse.
It is so aggravating trying to find a safe product for ourselves and our pets. I just bought a new bottle of MALIBU Tan Hemp Moisturizer because what I did read in the store sounded good. Got home and saw it has BHT in it also.
I too just got my prescription for Retin A Micro Gel and it has BHT in it. So does all my breakfast cereals “for freshness.” I am disgusted at the FDA that is bought by these companies’ lobbists and FDA has NO POWER to ban these chemicals but can ONLY MAKE SUGGESTIONS to these corporations that make this poisonous crap. Unbelievable. LOOK up the FDA’s abilities and it is a joke. Educate yourself.
Nabisco Wheat Thins “Stix” does not have BHT in the product apparently, but it lists, ‘BHT added to packaging material to preserve freshness’. There goes my favorite snack. Whether in it or in the packaging material, it cant be good either way.
I just watched “Food, Inc” – a documentary currently on the Wii Netflix menu.. if you haven’t seen it, I HIGHLY recommend it.. was absolutely horrified by it’s content, which is on par with all of your previous comments above. I did not realize that corn is the main ingredient in our foods (the meat we eat is now corn-fed, the majority of preservatives we ingest have a corn derivitive and our government is subsidizing these farmers to mass-produce corn). AND conveniently enough, the key figures at the FDA also happen to be have been key figures in the few major food companies that dominate the marketplace.. and I sure there is no bias there.. I nearly lost my son at 18 mos to E-Coli and subsequent H.U.S.. had no idea the increase in E-Coli cases was directly related to all the corn-feeding that goes on in the meat we buy (Food, Inc does a better job of explaining why – it has to do with the cows no longer having the ability to fight off the E-Coli bacteria that being grass fed allows for vs corn). AND, to combat this problem.. the meat packaging houses now add amonia to our meat to try and combat the E-Coli… it’s also amazing to me how we have to take out a 2nd mortgage to afford the healthy stuff yet the bad stuff is often available for $1.. why isn’t the government subsidizing the healthy food market??? Maybe because local growers don’t often have the funds to line their pockets… I got started on this whole rant because I looked at the ingredients in my favorite breakfast cereal (whole grain large shredded wheat by General Mills) and realized it contains BHT.. did a search and found this site… so thank you for the information on that fabulous poison!! Wish I had known all this when my son (just turned 20) was born… I feel like I have been unknowingly poisoning him all this time…
Just because a chemical has a name you aren’t familiar with that happens to be in food products does NOT inherently make it unsafe. All the negative side effects listed in this post are just as true for an alcoholic beverage.
Also, just because a chemical has versatile used, does not make it dangerous or unhealthy. Every application listed to make BHT seem harmful also uses water in the same processes.
@LA and Jackie. Toluene is a much different compound than butylated hydroxytoluene. Think of chlorine and sodium chloride. One is incredibly toxic and dangerous, while the other is table salt. Scientific names are means of identifying the structure of a compound, not its uses, benefits or harms.
I agree we should eat healthier and less processed foods. I just thinks its ridiculous to think that everything out there is going to kill us.
Just because a compound is used in industrial contexts such as “jet fuels, rubber, petroleum products, electrical transformer oil, and embalming fluid” does not make it inherently unsafe. Obviously, one shouldn’t think of ingesting these products, but moreso because of the other ingredients they contain (i.e. toxic solvents). BHT is present in these mixtures of chemicals for the same reasons it is in foods- as an antioxidant.
Additionally, it should be kept in mind that data from the MSDS is mostly relevant to workers handling large quantities of product. For example, a worker who must measure amounts of this from a barrel cold accidentally inhale a large amount of dust
The difference between medicine and poison is the dose, after all…
Just for reference, most Migraine Diets contain a ban for BHT. Apparently, most chemical food additives are bad for migrainers but BHT is by far the worst. My neurologist has me on a migraine diet [which is actually mostly healthy foods!] so there are a LOT of things I can’t eat. ~sigh~
@OrganicPusher: For those who happen to be on a migraine diet, vegan or vegetarian diets are pretty much impossible. The very things that are used for non-meat protein in those diets are banned in migraine diets; no legumes, no typical beans [green beans/wax beans are ok], no tofu [soy-based], no nuts, no pretty much anything protein that isn’t meat or meat by-product [eggs/milk/etc].
@The originator of the article, THANK YOU! I’ll be printing this out and taking it to my neurologist.
I like to stay away from “also used in” scarephrases. That can lessen effectiveness of argunents, if not backfire. Consider water — also used in weed killers, paint, radiator fluids, toilet cleaner, artificial maple syrup, window cleaner…. Awful stuff!
someone mentioned on this board that they use sunscreen and its first ingrediant is BHT.
Another great source for a sunscreen is Cocanut Oil, that you cook with. It takes a little bit, but it is a natural barier and will allow vitamin D to be created on your skin naturally.
Try it. It is edible as well, because you cook with it.
And there is not BHT in it.
U can find it in any health food store. Completely natural And it allows you to brown, without burning.
I have fair skin, I burn everytime, but I tried the Oil and it was amazing.
Thank you ‘really’ and Marissa for bringing some logic to this argument. BHT is proving to be very helpful in curing hepatitis-C. Google it.
I agree, all chemicals [and many plants] have the ability to sicken or kill depending on dosage. However, there are certain things than are almost universal in the American diet which are almost impossible to avoid.
Have you ever noticed how many items have soy in them, for instance? Soy protein, soy lecithin, soybean flour, vegetable [ie, soybean] oil? It’s almost impossible to buy premade bakery products, pizza, even crackers that don’t contain some type of soy–even some instant oatmeals have it!
This is also true [to a lesser extent] for BHT. It’s present in virtually ALL dry cereals, in many cookies and crackers, even in BREADS, and a large variety of other foods and compounds.
For those of us who are barred from ingesting those items due to allergies or illness, it makes a diet miserable. I could give you an example of my daily menu [only dinner varies... ever], but it would depress me.
As for fear-mongering, I think there’s a lot of very good information in this comment section. The fact that some people may be avid opponents doesn’t make everything that’s been said irrelevant.
It’s also nice to see that I’m not entirely alone with some of my dietary problems.
Just noticed that the Cinnamin Toast Crunch cereal had “BHT added to preserve freshness” as the final ingredient, hence the googling of this website:)
I have been trying to live by Michael Pollans book “Food Rules.” One rule is to eat only foods with 5 or less ingredients and another is to be able to pronounce all of the ingredients. I thought I was doing good and saw a couple of my “good” foods had this BHT in it. This just disgusts me and that NOBODY is questioning it (Except for us few). I guess what my life needs is COMPLETE simplicity in all aspects. Life is sweet as it is. I dont need to have all this crap added to make it taste good. God has given us so much and we have ruined it.
That’s a great book to live by!
BHT is also found in Kellogg’s Corn Flakes.
Great Post!! I just started eating some snack, and was looking up the ingriedients at the side of the box, and read that BHT is added last to the snacks packaging. I was curious what it was, and..Well… here I am!! I have one more in the list of hundreds of chemicals and materials to avoid. Thanks to your website! Great stuff!! Thank you!!! Keep the truth on product/material info coming!!!!
A chemical is a chemical. No way around it folks. Its un-natural to put a man made chemical “They” “Think” is safe and tell us it’s safe in our foods. Critically think about it.
A chemical free organic apple, free of pesticides, chemically based fertilizer, and who knows what else the corperate apple may have in it to “Preserve” taste and shelf life.
versus
An apple grown with Montesanto seeds, sprayed with man made pesticides, chemicals and who knows what else.
I choose my own garden and apple tree.
Peace!!
I have been using BHT for 31 years and have had nothing but excellent results. I will continue to use it until I die. I use it as a life extention material and to control herpes. I have not had a outbreak of herpes for more than 30 years and only then because I let my supply run out. It is effective against all lip coded viruses and is use as a super antioxidant.