iThei mdcdaelcinfd o c elllllrllll cdt henecessary in the home. If you must use an antimicrobial product for work
or disinfecting purposes, choose an alcohol hand rub or rinse product
that does not list triclosan or “fragrance” in the ingredients.
Used as antimicrobial agents, parabens are found in body washes, sham-
poos, and lotions. They have been implicated in breast cancers and as-
sociated with causing skin reactions. Look for the ending “paraben” (as
in methylparaben) in your personal care products. Choose products that
do not list parabens in the ingredients.
Better Living Through Chemistry?
Much controversy has come from the advertisements we watch on televi-
sion and see in magazine ads that make us think we are inadequate, un-
attractive, dirty, and flawed. Teenage girls are especially susceptible, and
glossy magazines with pictures of airbrushed models have been blamed
for eating disorders and self-esteem issues in young women.
Examining an average American woman’s bathroom, you will likely find
close to 100 personal care products, including nail polish, lotion, sham-
poo, makeup remover, eyeliner, face masks, hairspray, and perfume ...
the list goes on and on. These products are full of chemicals that have
not undergone safety studies to verify their nontoxicity to humans. Most
cosmetic chemists only test the chemicals on themselves to see if the
products make them more aesthetically appealing. Conducting labora-
tory tests to assess blood levels and changes in organ or immune system
function—or any other available medical tests, for that matter—are not
a practice followed by the cosmetic industry.