Back to the Future: Take a toxic tour of your bathroom cabinet

Thinking about Anita Roddick and the ground breaking work she carried out with the Body Shop, we thought it would be timely to feature this post from the archives, first posted last year. If you haven't used the Skin Deep database before you're in for a shock. Probably a nasty one. Don't say we didn't warn you!

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We’re getting more and more concerned about the ingredients in our cosmetics at Beaut.ie. Ever since we started to do a little bit of research into dangerous chemicals in beauty and grooming products, we’ve had our eyes well and truly opened.The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics have created the Skin Deep database which allows you to check how safe the cosmetics you use every day actually are. Take a toxic tour of your bathroom cabinet they urge.This database has been created to help fill safety gaps left by an industry that has publicly assessed only 11 percent of the 10,500 ingredients the [US] government has documented in personal care products. Products are rated on a scale of 1-5 according to how toxic/dangerous/potentially carcinogenic etc they are. 0 is the lowest and least toxic, 5 is the highest and most dangerous.

With trepedation I tried out some of my favourite products at www.ewg.org/reports/skindeep2 - try inputting yours and see how toxic they are. The site explains how it comes up with the ratings and explains the danger in certain ingredients. Food for thought for us all.

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