Subscribe in a readerThe Story of Cosmetics: What’s Really in Your Personal Care Products?
Please welcome Annie Leonard as today’s guest blogger. Annie directs The Story of Stuff Project and is author of The Story of Stuff: How Our Obsession with Stuff is Trashing the Planet, Our Communities and Our Health – and a Vision for Change.
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.
Carcinogens in baby shampoo? Are you kidding me?
