Randi Martin, wtop.com
WASHINGTON – If you haven’t checked the labels on your favorite products, it might be time.
Do you know that the lipstick you’re wearing contains lead? Or that the shampoo promising a silky sheen contains parabens, which have been linked to breast cancer? There are harmful chemicals in everything from our soaps to toothpaste, nail polish to tanning products.
Recently, the FDA found lead in 400 shades of lipstick. Researchers don’t know if it is enough to harm you, but they are trying to find out.
Brianna Rognlin, editor-in-chief of women’s wellness site Blisstree, says cosmetics are one of the least regulated consumer products on the market today. Despite measures like the Safe Cosmetic act of 2011, many common beauty products still contain harmful ingredients.
No one seems to know if the amounts in the products are harmful to us now or after many years of use.
Rognlin urges us to be good consumers and read not only the front of the packaging, but also the back. If you see ingredients like formaldehyde, triclosan or phthalates, ask yourself “Do I want that in my body?”
Also, natural product claims may not be truthful. Many of the safest beauty trends don’t come from high end retailers — they come from local kitchens and family farms. You may have to pay more, but the products will be better for you and the environment.
Follow WTOP on Twitter.
(Copyright 2012 by WTOP. All Rights Reserved.)
