Odd Ingredients - Eww

[WhiteRose]

I ran out of my favorite St. Ives Vanilla Honey lotion last week, and since my grocery store changed flavors on me I decided to try a "national brand". Having mainly used one brand for quite awhile, I wasn't sure which to choose, but I went with Vaseline Intensive Care because they were running a sale on the 23oz size. So I've been using this lotion awhile. It's okay. Doesn't leave my hands too greasy (I hate that), but it only does a fair job of relieving dry skin (Denver's extremely dry, and this is supposedly the "dry skin" formula). It also doesn't smell all that great.

So just now, for some odd reason, I decided to read the list of ingredients. Blah blah blah...I get down to the 10th ingredient...urea. Okay, this term is sort of familiar to me. I look it up in the dictionary just to make SURE that's what it is, and I was right.

as taken from the Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary
Urea: "a soluble weakly basic nitrogenous compound that is the chief solid component of mammalian urine and an end product of protein decomposition, is synthesized from carbon dioxide and ammonia, and is used esp. in synthesis and in fertilizers and animal rations."

Mammalian urine. Hm. What I can't figure out is WHY this is a necessary ingredient in a topical solution people are expected to put on their skin and quite possibly their faces as well. I went back and checked the old bottle of my St. Ives lotion...no urea. I checked the small Walgreens' brand sampler I carry in my purse...no urea. Check the small bottle of Hawaiian Botanical lotion I have in the bathroom...no urea.

So now I'm stuck with this image of breaktime at Chesebrough-Ponds where all the factory workers are standing around outside smoking ciggys and whizzing into a huge vat all for the benefit of creating this wonderful product to soften skin.

Excuse me, I have to go wash my hands now.

 

[bluespoke]

You did notice the word synthesized?


However, the image of the workers is infinitely funnier!

 

[WhiteRose]

I did, but it doesn't say "synthesized urea" on the bottle, just "urea", so how does one tell? And who would think to include "the chief solid component of mammalion urine" in a hand lotion? That's just wrong.

 

[WhiteRose]

I do understand that urine is pretty close to sterile, and that it was used in tanning hides, etc. but still...eww.

 

[bluespoke]

I do understand that urine is pretty close to sterile, and that it was used in tanning hides, etc. but still...eww.

Just as well when you see what waiters do to your coffee or soup in restaurants!

 

[Arc da Rat]

Hmmm ...

the Oxford dictionary that I have sez ...

Urea: Noun: soluble nitrogenous compound contained esp. in urine

*shrug* It must be found in other things but is most commonly found in urine

 

[Arc da Rat]

Just as well when you see what waiters do to your coffee or soup in restaurants!

Euuuwww ... I don't wanna know ...

 

[InnocentAngel81]

not to scare you, but i noticed it in a few shampoo's and soaps.

 

[WhiteRose]

Eww now I have to check everything *lol* It's not like they specify WHAT mammal they use, but then again it doesn't really matter. I prefer not to have urine all over me. Not even mine. Normally when I go to the bathroom, I wash my hands afterwards. Now, I go to the bathroom, wash my hands, add lotion...then wash my hands again?

Originally posted by bluespoke
Just as well when you see what waiters do to your coffee or soup in restaurants!

*holds hands over ears and sings loudly* LALALALALALALA I can't hear you!

 

[Susano]

I've known teenagers who work at Taco Bell. I never, ever get Baja sauce.

Other weird ingredients -- In many General Mills kids' cereals, you'll see Trisodium Phosphate about halfway down the ingredients list.

That's an industrial-strength floor cleaner. I've never figured that one out.

 

[ronde]

It was of interest to me when I learned that an old school friend collects and sells the urine from his pregnant Belgian mares. It seems the hormones of pregnant horses are similar to those of human females, and since Belgians are big horses, the quantity makes the effort profitable. These horse hormones are extracted from the urine for use in hormone therapy for human females.

 

[CharlieG]

About a hundred years ago they discovered that urea catalyzes electroplating. There were a number of identical copper-plating vats, but the one on the end plated many times faster than the others. Nobody could figure out why until they installed a 24-hour secret observation post. The night watchman was taking his nightly piss in the #1 vat!

 

[InnocentAngel81]

eww now i'm paranoid to eat my lucky charms

 

[Susano]

eww now i'm paranoid to eat my lucky charms

That's just my little contribution to those 10-15 lbs... Although you look fine with them, in my opinion. As does your doppleganger in MD.

 

[InnocentAngel81]

hehe aww thanks

 

[WhiteRose]

About a hundred years ago they discovered that urea catalyzes electroplating. There were a number of identical copper-plating vats, but the one on the end plated many times faster than the others. Nobody could figure out why until they installed a 24-hour secret observation post. The night watchman was taking his nightly piss in the #1 vat!

And see? There we have whizzing in a vat again!

Susano, I love your av...and have hidden it from my cat. I wouldn't want to give her any ideas, she harrasses me enough as it is.

Floor cleaner in kids' cereal? That's pretty bad. One of my fantasies is to live in a small town and lead a slow simple life where everyone meets at the farmer's market in town to do their daily shopping and buys everything fresh each day. Bugs and dirt I can wash off the food.

One of my finance teachers in high school told us about a part time job she'd had during high school working in the bakery in our local grocery store. She'd just gotten hard contacts and wasn't used to wearing them, and one day while mixing dough, one of her contact popped out and fell into the batter. She and her boss tried to find it, but he finally told her to just forget about it and they'd deal with it if anyone ever found it. Nobody ever complained about a contact in their baked goods.

 

[Nora]

I use Vaseline Intensive Care on my face... ew.

Oh well, it's still the best lotion around. *shrug*

 

[teddybear4play]

"It's a floor cleaner!" "It's a dessert topping!" "It's a floor cleaner AND a dessert topping!"

I remember seeing a jar of urea in my chemistry lab's chemical room and freaking out in a similar fashion.

But please, no more horror stories. I'd like to keep my dinner down, thanks.

TB4p

 

[WhiteRose]

[BBut please, no more horror stories. I'd like to keep my dinner down, thanks.

TB4p [/B]

Yes, but do you know what's in it? *grins evilly* hehe

It's hot here, and I'm in a weird mood.

Back when I was in high school, my mom took my brother and me to the mall in Boise, and we stopped in to eat lunch at the Blimpie's there (it's a sandwich shop for those who aren't familiar, similar to Subway). I can't remember what she ordered, but I'm pretty sure it didn't include the needle she found it in it when she bit into it. She was REALLY lucky it was in there sideways and she caught it between her teeth rather than biting down on it vertically. She refused to even complain to the manager about it.

 

[teddybear4play]

OK, it's morning now and I don't have to worry about my dinner staying down . . .

My stepdad's mother bought potato salad from the grocery store where she happens to work. Unfortunately, there was a loose bolt in it and she bit down on it and cracked a few of her teeth. Luckily for the store, she doesn't believe in suing people for every possible dime she can get from them. She just asked that they pay for her dental bills, and the store gratefully approved.

TB4p

 

[WhiteRose]

Owwww! That must have really hurt

A couple of years ago, some co-workers and I went out for a quick lunch at Applebee's. We only had 30 minutes, so we all ordered salads. One of my co-workers ended up with a bug in her salad (which killed everyone's appetite), and the manager said she wouldn't have to pay for the meal and tried to give us coupons for another free meal. I politely turned mine down. I figured since I already knew they served bugs that I'd rather have a coupon to a DIFFERENT restaurant.