Your efforts should be directed at soy products that have become ubiquitous in the food supply. Soy products present a much larger threat to the health of the entire population. Soy products are known endocrine disruptors. The scary part is that soy products are touted as healthy alternatives to real food. Soy products contain anti-nutrients which disrupt the absorption and utilization of essential nutrients.

Parents who feed their babys soy milk product in the well-intentioned effort to improve their health are slowly poisoning their children.

Consumption of the fat-soluble vitamins A & D can prevent toxicity of dioxanes at low levels. However, the damage caused by soy products in some cases is irreversible and leads to a lifetime of health problems.

Great and very specific piece. This stuff needs to be kept simple and you've done it. The easier to "get" -the easier for consumers to act and save themselves from the toxic products.

It might help if, in future piece, you list specific brands that are safe and where to purchase them.

Also, do you have suggestions about how to press mainstream stores to purchase "safe" and non-toxic cosmetic products? I find that there are none in my local stores (other than Whole Foods which is insanely unaffordable and hard for many to locate), and yet there are plenty of products on the shelves with false and misleading green advertising. Many buyers are surely confused by the lies. I'm sure they are buying these supposedly green products with the assumption that they are safe. This upsets me to no end!

http://ecofeminism-mothering.blogspot.com/

Great and very specific piece. This stuff needs to be kept simple and you've done it. The easier to "get" -the easier for consumers to act and save themselves from the toxic products.

It might help if, in future piece, you list specific brands that are safe and where to purchase them.

Also, do you have suggestions about how to press mainstream stores to purchase "safe" and non-toxic cosmetic products? I find that there are none in my local stores (other than Whole Foods which is insanely unaffordable and hard for many to locate), and yet there are plenty of products on the shelves with false and misleading green advertising. Many buyers are surely confused by the lies. I'm sure they are buying these supposedly green products with the assumption that they are safe. This upsets me to no end!

http://ecofeminism-mothering.blogspot.com/

None of our products have any of these toxic chemicals in our products! http://www.goldenpathalchemy.com
All of our products rank a 0-2 on Skin Deep's Cosmetics Database as well. It is crucial to our health that we only use products that are safe enough to eat. We are bombarded with so many chemicals on a day to day basis, but we can control what we put on and in our bodies. Our skin absorbs at least 60% of the products we put on our skin - so make an educated decision about your personal care routine.

Ashley
co-founder of Golden Path Alchemy

I appreciate the advice.

Can you suggest alternatives? Maybe making our own concoctions from fruit and vegetables? I've always been interested in doing that (for facial and hair products) but then I wouldn't know when I'm at risk of bad bacteria getting in my non-scientific mixture.

Thanks!

What is wrong with lactic acid? I have been using it in the form of yogurt for years. I don't see any problems. The yogurt is fresh and home made, so what is the problem?

Cosmetics need to be regulated more, I don't personally use them but have been aware of these bad chemicals for a long time. Try Sanctuary Botanical cosmetics, chemical free and safe for you !!

Ed, this article is about personal products, not food. Of course soy is a very unhealthy product but this is not about food.

As a professional aesthetician I am taking issue with your category of "Alph Hydroxy Acids". Yes, they are serious and strong ingredients. But for women who want to improve the texture of their skin, increase their Natural Moisturizing Factor (NMF), increase cellular turnover and collagen production, these ingredients are the are the answer. When used with professional guidance, common sense, and daily sun protection, the client will be amazed at the results!

I left a long message the other day--not sure where it went!
Great piece. Simple and clear.
I wish you would list some products by name that are easy to find.
i have trouble locating green cosmetics in my local stores--other than expensive places like Whole Foods. It would be great to start a campaign to get local stores, department stories, supermarkets and pharmacies to sell truly green products. They sell the fake ones, which is very confusing to the average consumer.

http://ecofeminism-mothering.blogspot.com/

Thanks for this great article!!

Here's a typo I caught:

Triclosan & Triclocarbon

What are they? Pesticides, believe it or *now* They've been added to personal care products for their antimicrobial properties.

*should be "not"

I handmake most of the personal care products my family uses. I use primarily organic raw materials, most of them edible. I recently started selling my products at the request of a friend who fell in love with my face cream. you can read about my products on my website. It is so important that we not only get toxic chemicals out of our homes, but that we decrease the demand for their production through education and access to healthy alternatives. www.bejoyskincare.com

It is not only the chemicals in cosmetics that are problematic, it is also the overuse of ingredients that sensitize and cause development of life long allergies. For example, aloe vera is a big, big problem as are cinnamon, the citrus essential oils, and even lavender. The list goes on an on.

When all is said and done, most of the hyped "safe" products are asthma triggers for many as well as sources of allergy problems for many.

What about Spring cleaning your cosmetic closet? Do you know when to say good-bye to your make-up?

Organize your cosmetics with the help of the Once Opened Beauty Expiration Kit www.onceopened.com and protect your good looks from make-up gone bad. Many people (especially teens!) are not aware of the effects of make-up used past its prime, a "Period after Opening" date (mandated in Europe not in the USA) or that common permanent markers are not resistant to oil and shouldn't be used to mark-up products.

The Once Opened Beauty Expiration Kit solves this problem by providing 24 attractive self-laminating labels in a pretty pink pouch, nifty mini ultra fine point permanent marker and Beauty Life Expectancy Guide to "Mark-Up Your Make-Up" with date product is opened to prevent using make-up past its prime and risking the spread of bacteria. Don't let make-up gone bad jeopardize your good looks!

Free Shipping for a Limited Time! http:/www.onceopened.com

I would like to thank those at the EWG for all the work they do on informing consumers! And I salute the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics and applaud the Skin Deep Database!! I have been an advocate for toxin free skincare for nearly two decades. The stuff cosmetic companies pass as "good" for us is simply unnerving and absolute deplorable human behavior. My mission has always been to inform the public on the dangers of personal care products and their negative health effects. Organic Un-refined Coconut Oil stimulates collagen and elastin production too - without toxic AHA's, so no more BS-ing ok?!

Having been an Aromatherapist (and healer) for over 16 years, I know the power plant oils have on rejuvenating skin tissue. Through extensive research and clinical trials I have formulated a line of food grade / therapeutic grade 100% pure botanical products for face and body. Organic, raw, wildgrown, Whole Life ingredients are all that is used in each product. Made only when ordered, ensuring the freshest skincare available.

We are currently in the process of getting our website up so we can offer our miraculous skin-loving products to the general public. Meantime, you can send an email for more info on the types of products we offer. A temporary web page has been set up so you can read a bit on the company www.lifeskincare.com - For the Life of Your Skin.

I was recently looking for products for my daughter and found the EWG Skin Deep Cosmetics Database. I could not believe how bad the products I have been using on myself and my children scored on the toxicity scale. During my search for a safe solution I found Ava Anderson Non-Toxic. Ava believes as I do that we should be able to use safe products on are skin. All her products score Zero on the toxicity scale. I'm so impressed with the company that I am now an independent consultant.

Ken,
How do you feel about Melaleuca products?

I just Stumbled this post because everyone should know these things. I am immersed in this info every day and sometimes even I forget which are the most important things to avoid in food, cleaners and cosmetics so these quick read guides are very helpful.