What's in Your Cosmetics?

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by Daisy Ratzlaff

Shampoo, conditioner, face wash, lotion, perfume, mascara, hair gel. Ever wondered what these products consist off and what they actually do to your skin or your body?

Realizing that many of us spend at least thirty minutes to get ready in the morning and use various kinds of products highlights the importance of safety and knowledge.

The Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep Cosmetic Database offers anyone a safety guide to cosmetics and personal care products.

Being accessible through the internet, the Skin Deep website ranges from areas such as make-up, skin care, hair care, eye care, nail care, oral care to fragrance. In an effort to protect the public from unsafe chemicals in care products, the Environmental Working Group lists the various ingredients of cosmetics and its possible linkage to cancer, developmental/ reproductive toxicity, violations, restrictions and warnings, allergies/ immunotoxicity, and other concerns such as skin irritation, contamination concerns, and additive exposure sources. Also keeping a score key ranging from 0-2 (low hazard) to 7-10 (high hazard), the Environmental Working Group holds the opinion that manufacturers should be required to prove the safety of their products before the companies are allowed to sell any of their items in stores. It is their belief that "chemicals used in cosmetics and personal care products must pass a strict safety test that protects the most vulnerable in the population," according to cosmeticdatabase.com.

Typing in the name of a product within the search box, such as Clinique Happy Perfume Spray (a fragrance for women) brings up the score key number seven and its connection to cancer and other dangerous safety concerns.

The website does not limit the user to just searching for specific items, but also provides the opportunity to look for individual brands or even companies.

So, if you are curious about your products and its ingredients as well as safety concerns go to www.cosmeticdatabase.com and type your item into the search engine. You will be surprised to see the results.