You might be unaware that there are dangerous ingredients in many big brand name cosmetics, and a new study is showing that this might be affecting teenage girls.

A recent study found lead in lipsticks. Over 50% of lipsticks tested had lead in them and there are other nasty and unsafe ingredients in our cosmetics.

Surely there can’t be lead in our lipsticks? Isn’t lead really dangerous? Yes it is, but sadly the FDA doesn’t require cosmetics companies to show that their products are safe to use. It’s the same with anti aging and skin care products.

And when we use these products the ingredients soak in don’t they? And so they go straight into our bloodstream. When you put on that blush or rouge some of it goes into our blood.

That’s because our skin is porous and what we put onto it soaks in and ends up in our bodies rather than just on our skin. Moisturizers, for example, are rubbed in a disappear. Where do they go but into our system? Ok if they are harmless, but what if they’re not?

And now a recent study has cast doubt on whether it’s safe for our teenage girls to use some cosmetics. I’ll quote from the website of the Campaign For Safe Cosmetics which summarizes the results clearly.

“Laboratory tests reveal adolescent girls across America are contaminated with chemicals commonly used in cosmetics and body care products.”

Now does that scare you if you have daughters? And of course teenage girls use more cosmetics than just about anyone else.

A study by the Environmental Working Group has found chemicals from 4 different families of chemicals (phthalates, parabens, triclosan and musks) in the urine of young girls (between 14 and 20) who were tested in the study.

Some of these were found in the body of every single girls tested in the study.

And teenage girls are growing very fast, so the last thing they need is to be adding nasty chemicals to their bodies.

Most of these chemicals are hormone altering and so our teenage girls are taking a big risk at a time when they shouldn’t by using these toxic chemicals in their cosmetics.

No one really knows, we’re entering an unknown area and the implications for the future health and in particular hormonal and reproductive health is completely unknown.

If there are risks to our kids using dangerous cosmetics or skin care products or others then they shouldn’t be using them.

That’s a matter of concern for parents and girls, but there are alternatives. There are excellent companies making safe cosmetics and safe skin care products that work very well indeed and don’t contain dangerous ingredients. So no risks to our daughters.

Unfortunately these companies are small niche companies unable to compete with the big brand names, and they don’t even try to compete. You’ll never find them advertising on TV for example. And you’re unlikely to find their products in the department stores either.

However if you take the time to find them their natural cosmetics and natural skin care products are excellent, and price competitive.

So you might decide it’s not worth taking risks with the health of your daughters, (or yours). Use safe cosmetics and natural skin care products that work extremely well and have no dangerous ingredients in them.