Are You Using Safe Cosmetics?

Everyone should be able to assume that they use safe cosmetics. After all why would the cosmetics you use be dangerous? However, sadly, you can't assume that you use safe cosmetics and you can't assume that the government protects you from dangerous cosmetics. But surely the products that you use should be safe?

If you use big brand cosmetics you aren't using safe cosmetics. Neither the government or the cosmetics companies protect you from dangerous ingredients, and so your cosmetics may well be laced with dangerous ingredients. Dangerous ingredients like dioxane, lead and parabens.

Surely the FDA stops this? Unfortunately no it doesn't. The FDA doesn't test to establish the safety of cosmetics ingredients, and it says this on the FDA website. The government doesn't make any attempt to ensure that the ingredients of the cosmetics that you use now are safe for people to use on their bodies. As a result the cosmetics that are found on the shelves of stores all around the US pose a threat to the health of American women.

The situation is so bad that there are now entire organizations set up to raise public awareness of this problem. Primary amongst them is one called the Campaign For Safe Cosmetics.

Unfortunately neither the government or the cosmetics industry are listening to the Campaign For Safe Cosmetics, and nothing much is happening to improve the safety of those mascaras, blushes, eye shadows, face creams, lipsticks, bronzers and many more that most of us use, unaware that we may be damaging our health.

Here's a couple of examples of unsafe cosmetics for you, though there are many.

The Campaign For Safe Cosmetics did some tests of major big brand name lipsticks back in 2007. The results were amazing. Over 50% of the big brand name lipsticks including brands you may well use now contained lead. Over 50%! And that includes some of the biggest names in lipsticks.

In 2002 laboratory testing found Phthalates, a family of industrial chemicals linked to birth defects and abnormalities in male genitals and feminization of males, in the majority of 72 common brand name personal care products, beauty products and cosmetics that we all use day to day. These included products by some of the biggest names in the industry, including Revlon, Christian Dior, Calvin Klein and Proctor and Gamble.

And products tested includes common everyday products used by almost everyone like toothpastes and shampoos.

There were 72 products tested. Phthalates were found in 52 of them and Phthalates weren't listed on the labels.

Now is that scary or what?

Is it possible to buy safe cosmetics? Yes it is, in fact the Campaign For Safe Cosmetics runs a register of companies that are prepared to sign a compact pledging the company to make products using only known safe ingredients. And there are some excellent safe cosmetics to be found, but you won't find them on the shelves of your local store.

And the companies that make them aren't household names, in fact chances are that you've never heard of them. But their products, including their safe cosmetics, are first class.

Visit my website to find out more about safe cosmetics.

Want to know where to find the best Natural Cosmetics? Head over to Peter's webite Natural Skin Care and find out more about Natural Skin Care Products as well.

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