Are we slathering toxins on our bodies with this stuff??

Greg and I stopped at the local library this afternoon and I picked up a copy of a book called "Gorgeously Green". I have a friend who is starting a company called Posi-Pair, which tracks chemicals and labor in various items we use, so I've become more interested in this issue.

The book was more than a wee bit scary. I couldn't check it out since I'm not a native, but will place it on hold for my library back home. According to the book, a huge number of the chemicals in cosmetics are not safety tested and many are toxic. The author, Sophie Uliano, included a "red alert" list of seven items that are the most dangerous and often found in shampoos, toothpastes, mouthwash and deodorants.

So I came home and looked at our sink area. Sure enough, our Listerine lists FD&C1, otherwise known as coal tar, a known carcinogen. My Mitchum's anti-perspirant has aluminum, listed as carcinogenic, toxic and mutagenic. I will have to do some more research on other products.

She lists several options for safe deodorants - Tom's of Maine and Dr. Hauschka's.
She also lists a website called www.safecosmetics.org that allows you to type in a product and get a rating from 0-10 (0 being the safest and 10 having the most dodgy chemicals) and suggests you avoid ratings of 5 or higher.

The author also has a great website I just checked out called www.gorgeouslygreen.com