Toxic Cosmetics

See this at: alternet.org| Added on 10/27/07

Carcinogens in cosmetics? Petrochemicals in perfume? If only this were an urban legend. Unfortunately, it's a toxic reality, and it's showing up in our bodies. In 2004, scientists found pesticides in the blood of newborn babies. A year later,... See more

Carcinogens in cosmetics? Petrochemicals in perfume? If only this were an urban legend. Unfortunately, it's a toxic reality, and it's showing up in our bodies. In 2004, scientists found pesticides in the blood of newborn babies. A year later, researchers discovered perchlorate, a component of rocket fuel, in human breast milk. Today, people are testing positive for a litany of hazardous substances from flame retardants to phthalates to lead. In her new book, Not Just a Pretty Face: The Ugly Side of the Beauty Industry, Stacy Malkan exposes the toxic chemicals that lurk, often unlabeled, in the personal care products that millions of American women, men and children use every day. See less

Highlights: There are no standards or regulations like there are in, for example, the food industry, where if you buy organic food or food labeled "natural," there's a set of standards and legal definitions that go behind those words. We might like to see those be stronger, but nevertheless, there are...

See this at: action.safecosmetics...| Added on 10/11/07

Toys made in China aren’t the only products laced with dangerous heavy metals: lipsticks manufactured in the United States and used daily by millions of American women also contain surprisingly high levels of lead, according to new product tests just... See more

Toys made in China aren’t the only products laced with dangerous heavy metals: lipsticks manufactured in the United States and used daily by millions of American women also contain surprisingly high levels of lead, according to new product tests just released by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. The lead tests were conducted by an independent laboratory in September on lipsticks bought in Boston, Hartford, Conn., San Francisco and Minneapolis. More than half of the 33 brand-name lipsticks tested contained detectable levels of lead, with levels ranging from 0.03 to 0.65 parts per million (ppm). One-third of the tested lipsticks exceeded the FDA guideline for lead in candy, 0.1 ppm, established to reduce lead exposure among children. Even though lipstick products, like candy, are directly ingested and absorbed into the body, the FDA has not set a limit for lead in lipstick. It’s part of a disturbing pattern of lax safety standards in the $50 billion personal care products industry. See less

Highlights: The lead tests were conducted by an independent laboratory in September on lipsticks bought in Boston, Hartford, Conn., San Francisco and Minneapolis. More than half of the 33 brand-name lipsticks tested contained detectable levels of lead, with levels ranging from 0.03 to 0.65 parts per...

See this at: ewg.org| Added on 10/20/06

See less

Highlights: Skin Deep is a personal care product safety guide with in-depth information on 14,841 products - 1,052 brands of lotion, lip balm, deodorant, sunscreen and other popular products - and the 7,093 ingredients that form them. With its core of 37 toxicity and regulatory databases, Skin Deep...

See this at: safecosmetics.org| Added on 10/20/06

See less

Highlights: Major loopholes in federal law allow the $35 billion cosmetics industry to put unlimited amounts of chemicals into personal care products with no required testing, no monitoring of health effects, and inadequate labeling requirements.

See this at: idealbite.com| Added on 03/27/07

As many-a-Biter knows, parabens are synthetic preservatives that can disrupt hormones - and they're everywhere, even your makeup bag. Next time you primp, use paraben-free cosmetics for gorgeousness inside and out.

As many-a-Biter knows, parabens are synthetic preservatives that can disrupt hormones - and they're everywhere, even your makeup bag. Next time you primp, use paraben-free cosmetics for gorgeousness inside and out. See less

Highlights: Avoid ingredients with the word "paraben" at the end and freshen up your makeup bag with our fave finds: * Anne Marie Borlind Eye Shadow - get naturally pretty peepers with several shade combos ($29). * Dr Hauschka Eyeliner - quince wax and neem formula ($17). * Lavera Volume Mascara - our...

See this at: miessenceproducts.co...| Added on 03/31/07

In the case of cosmetics, what you don't know -- will indeed hurt you. Take a peep at this ingredients list -- then join http://safecosmetics.org -- and help toss a little toxicity back at the women (and children) harming, cosmetic industry.

In the case of cosmetics, what you don't know -- will indeed hurt you. Take a peep at this ingredients list -- then join http://safecosmetics.org -- and help toss a little toxicity back at the women (and children) harming, cosmetic industry. See less

Highlights: DERMATITIS IN SUSCEPTIBLE INDIVIDUALS. INGESTION: CAN BE FATAL. INHALATION: CAN BE CORROSIVE TO THE MUCOUS MEMBRANES AND THE LUNGS. CAN CAUSE AN ALLERGIC REACTION IN SUSCEPTIBLE INDIVIDUALS.

See this at: thegreenguide.com| Added on 03/08/07

In pursuit of cleanliness and beauty, we buy approximately $20 billion worth of personal care products every year. Unfortunately, many ingredients in these potions and lotions have the opposite effect on the planet—and some of them are linked to... See more

In pursuit of cleanliness and beauty, we buy approximately $20 billion worth of personal care products every year. Unfortunately, many ingredients in these potions and lotions have the opposite effect on the planet—and some of them are linked to damaging effects on human health. And unlike the pharmaceutical industry, the government does not require safety testing for these products before they go to market.Updating "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly" (GG94), we've culled a list of the worst of the worst, ten chemicals you do not want on your skin. For a downloadable wallet card to serve as a reference when you're out shopping, see the Sidebar See less

Highlights: You'll want to keep these chemicals off your skin and out of your body. Now, with our downloadable wallet card, you can check ingredients while you're at the store.

See this at: thegreenguide.com| Added on 03/08/07

See less

See this at: safecosmetics.org| Added on 02/08/07

Women’s Shampoos and Body Wash also Contaminated: A hidden cancer-causing petrochemical has been found in dozens of children’s bath products and adults’ personal care products, in some cases at levels that are more than twice the U.S. Food and... See more

Women’s Shampoos and Body Wash also Contaminated: A hidden cancer-causing petrochemical has been found in dozens of children’s bath products and adults’ personal care products, in some cases at levels that are more than twice the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s lenient recommended maximum. See less

Highlights: Laboratory tests released today revealed the presence of 1,4-Dioxane in products such as Hello Kitty Bubble Bath, Huggies Baby Wash, Johnson’s Baby Wash, Scooby-Doo Bubble Bath and Sesame Street Bubble Bath. The tests also found the carcinogen in Clairol Herbal Essences shampoo, Olay...

See this at: ewg.org| Added on 02/10/07

See less

See this at: latimes.com| Added on 11/25/06

Wood, toys, electronics, pesticides and cosmetics are among U.S. products that contain substances that are banned or restricted elsewhere, particularly in Europe and Japan, because they may raise the risk of cancer, alter hormones or cause... See more

Wood, toys, electronics, pesticides and cosmetics are among U.S. products that contain substances that are banned or restricted elsewhere, particularly in Europe and Japan, because they may raise the risk of cancer, alter hormones or cause reproductive or neurological damage. Michael Wilson, a professor at UC Berkeley's Center for Occupational and Environmental Health, said the United States is becoming a "dumping ground" for consumer goods that are unwanted and illegal in much of the world. Wilson warned earlier this year in a report commissioned by the California Legislature that "the United States has fallen behind globally in the move toward cleaner technologies." The European Union, driven by consumers' concerns, has banned or heavily restricted hundreds of toxic substances in recent years, invoking its "precautionary principle," which is codified into law and prescribes that protective steps should be taken when there is scientific evidence of risks to public health or the... See less

Highlights: Some toys, nail polishes and other beauty products are made with plastic softeners and solvents called phthalates that the EU has banned as reproductive toxins

See this at: organicconsumers.org| Added on 03/31/07

According to University of Missouri-Columbia scientist Frederick vom Saal, endocrine-disrupting chemicals found in everyday plastics and pesticides may influence obesity. A study conducted there has found that these environmental substances can... See more

According to University of Missouri-Columbia scientist Frederick vom Saal, endocrine-disrupting chemicals found in everyday plastics and pesticides may influence obesity. A study conducted there has found that these environmental substances can change the functioning of a fetus's genes, altering the metabolic system and predisposing him or her to obesity. What you need to know - Conventional View * According to vom Saal, there are approximately 55,000 man-made chemicals in the world, 1,000 of which might fall into the category of endocrine disruption. * When fetuses are exposed to these chemicals the way their genes function may be altered, making them more prone to obesity and disease, according to Vom Saal * Environmental chemistry is the scientific study of the chemical and biochemical phenomena that occur in natural places. * "You inherit genes, but how those genes develop during your very early life also plays an important role in your propensity for obesity and disease. People... See less