The majority of shampoos and other body care products do not have their ingredients tested for safety before being used.  According to the FDA Office of Cosmetics and Colors, 1995, the "FDA cannot require companies to do safety testing of their cosmetic products before marketing."  It is unlikely that individual applications of one product are causing immediate harm, however, most of us use many products per day, such as shampoo, conditioner, make-up, skin care like facial cleanser, moisturizers, etc., and all these exposures may add up.  

Did you know that pharmaceutical companies have investigated putting drugs into shampoos because the scalp is so thin that it readily absorbs substances that are put on it?  Many other personal care products are put on our skin and stay there and are absorbed all day long.  Do you ever wonder about their safety?According to the Environmental Working Group, in the United States, the FDA has banned or restricted nine (9) ingredients out of 1,175 that are used in personal care products.  The European Union, in contrast, has banned 450 ingredients for use in cosmetics.  

Hmm!Some further food for thought:  Cancer rates are now approaching 1 in 2 American men and 1 in 3 American women.  This is up from 1 in 4 Americans in the 1950s despite huge expenditures on the "War on Cancer."  Dr. Samuel Epstein from the University of Illinois says that cancer rates have gone up about 60% from 1950 to 1998.  A lot of us think that these rising cancer rates are at least in part due to our increasing exposure to carcinogenic chemicals, often in small amounts that accumulate in our bodies over time.  

These come from our food, our air and water, household furnishings and building materials, cleaning products and personal care products.Commonly Used Chemicals in Personal Care Products That May Be Toxic:Artificial fragrances are derived in large part from petrochemicals, not flower essences or other herbal products as many imagine.  These petrochemicals release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that often cause headaches, skin irritation, nausea and allergies.  Some are carcinogenic, contain or release formaldehyde or are toxic to the nervous system.