The Story of Cosmetics: What's Really in Your Personal Care Products?
Huffington Post
Annie Leonard
July 21, 2010
As a mother, I want to be sure that the shampoo, sunscreen, bubble bath and other personal care products my daughter uses are safe. If I stick to products in the children's aisle at the drugstore -- stuff that's made and marketed specifically for kids -- those should be OK, right?
The labels are reassuring: "Gentle." "Pure." "Natural." "Free of Harsh Ingredients." "Recommended by Pediatricians." "Dermatologists Approved." And of course, "No More Tears."
But when you turn the bottles around, get out a magnifying glass and
read the fine print on the back (and get online to do some research)
it's a different story: sodium laureth sulfate, diazolidinyl urea,
ceteareth-20, PEGs, quaternium-15 -- all these are typically
contaminated with cancer-causing chemicals like formaldehyde or 1,4
dioxane.