Label Reading 101

Methylparaben in a carcinogenic so if you read the labels you ought to be able to avoid it right?

Here are all the possible aliases:
BENZOIC ACID, 4-HYDROXY-, METHYL ESTER; P-CARBOMRYHOXYPHENOL; 4-HYDROXYBENZOIC ACID, METHYL ESTER; P-METHOXYCARBONYLPHENOL; METHYL 4-HYDROXYBENZOATE; METHYL P-HYDROXYBENZOATE; METHYL PARAHYDROXYBENZOATE; METHYL ESTER BENZOIC ACID, 4-HYDROXY-; METHYL ESTER 4-HYDROXYBENZOIC ACID; 4-HYDROXY- METHYL ESTER BENZOIC ACID; METHYLPARABEN

I guess at this point I also wouldn't underestimate the cosmetic companies stealth, they could even create a name like Daisy juice -
D= detrimental
A= alarming
I= insidious
S = substances
Y= you can't find cus we renamed it Daisy juice - ha

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate - what is it?

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate and Sodium Laureth Sulfate are caustic detergents that are used to produce foam and degrease. They are used in garage floor cleaners and car washes. They are both highly irritating chemicals that cause damage to the hair follicle, skin damage and eye damage. The Laureth version is slightly less irritating but cannot be metabolized by the liver so it has long term negative effect.

I had though that maybe this chemical would be one I could live with as I remember it being in products as a kid. Having read the descriptions of irritation and toxicity I've changed my mind. I notice that the natural products without this (some Tom's of Maine toothpaste) do not have that foamy feel.

Note that many products that claim to be natural and organic still contain SLS's. Tom's of Maine toothpaste has SLS unless it says naturally foaming. 7th Generation dish soap has SLS.

READ LABELS....

The Lineup

Unbelievable - apparently they're all toxic and even the products I consider green are not! It's like the terrorist scale: red, orange, yellow, blue, green. Only I don't own any blue or green! The method soap LOOKS so green with a green tea and aloe label... creeps.

1. Alba Very Emollient Body Lotion
2. Cetaphil
3. Ban Deodorant Intensely Fresh
4. Crest Whitening fluoride Toothpaste with Scope
   
5. Suave Shampoo Daily Clarifying
   
6. Suki Hand and Body Creme
7. Method Liquid Hand Soap Green tea and Aloe
   
8. Clean and Clear Continuous Control Acne Cleanser
9. Great Lash Mascara
10. Biolage Shampoo Matrix
    
11. Bobbi Brown Tinted SPF 15 moisturizer - not on database
12. Bobbi Brown Summer Wash Eye Shadow - not on database
    
13. Whole Foods 365 Shampoo - not on database
    
14. Herbal Essence Shampoo Body Envy
15. Herbal Essence Conditioner Color Me
    
16. Aussie Sun Touched Shine Gel
    

The Collection

I've collected all our shampoos and conditioners and some makeup. I'm going to use a list from Environmental Working Group and the Skin Deep Cosmetic Database to see how many ingredients are toxic. It looks like a pretty typical collection, a few organic, upscale- looking brands, lots of CVS purchased name brands, a couple that you gotta know are going to be bad.