AIBU to panic about my personal care and grooming products now?

[PeaceAndHope]

Apparently I am very ignorant when it comes the potential health dangers of cosmetics:(

I used to be a make-up artist when I was younger and I still enjoy painting on a face when I'm stepping out

My SIL has just sent me a barrage of emails about the carcinogens (cancer-causing agents) in moisturisers, make-up and perfumes. There is all this information about lead in lipsticks, chromium and iron in eye shadows, parabens in moisturiser and some other dangerous stuff in anti-perspirants. All of these ingredients can apparently cause cancer and/or infertility.

What do you girls make of this? Do you think we should be concerned about what's in our make-up and toiletries? Will you stop using make-up and your favourite moisturiser after hearing about this?

I am personally scared now! I don't want to stop using make-up or my anti-frizz shampoo, but I am going to feel a lot less safe putting them on my body now.

Am I worrying over nothing? More importantly, are you worried?

No....and she wouldn't let me go and see the teacher either.
:(
Probably for the best that I didn't, I'm not known for staying calm.

Snopes is a good site to check the veracity of scary email stories ;)

It's the first place I go when told tall tales

I keep sending my dad links to Snopes, but he will still keep sending me those generic 'A policeman told me this so it is REAL!' emails.

I give up now?

Terra

That's very odd that she wouldn't speak to the teacher herself and stop you from speaking to her as well. If someone scared my DD like that I'd be quite upset and I'd definitely say something!

Trucks

Good to know! I was unaware that Snopes existed but I'll definitely be checking the website a lot more now.

I guess I'm not surprised that most posters don't seem bothered. But since I went to a Neals Yard party I've tried to avoid parabens and SLS in products. I also go for organic where possible, and increasingly am weeding out products that aren't animal friendly. This became more important to me when I was pregnant. I also buy organic meat and veg more often than not. So in short, yes- all the health scares do make me change my purchasing habits, definitely.

are you researching an article, OP?

Oh, someone was rather more subtle than me, upthread, I didn't notice.

The hostility and bitchiness on mumsnet really amazes me sometimes.

No, I am not a journalist. I am not researching an article.

I am a mother of two who works full time as a consultant.

I'm more bothered about what is effective. I think the lack of scientific research and proof for these products and proper critical review is very sad. Considering the great sums spent cumulatively on these beauty products across the world they definitely shouldn't harm us and really should do the job they were sold to do.
The beauty companies have seen us all coming and are making a fortune out of selling us the dream of eternal youth. Sorry, rant over!

I had no idea what SLS was or what it was used in. Just looked it up.

Any idea which brands contain SLS?

peace I'm the other one here who also chooses natural skin care.

I do worry about parabens and SLS -

I also use Neals yard or anything else that is free of rubbish.

The funny thing is that a lot of the natural products and cosmetics tend to give me allergies . I've tried it (not because I was trying to avoid parabens or SLS, just out of curiosity) and some of the products gave me rashes and pimples. :(

Maybe it is because they are not allergy tested or dermatologically tested first? With cosmetics especially, I find that the natural ones just don't seem to work for me.

Most natural make-up is useless, I've found that too.

Its not much better then that stuff found in health-food shops in the 80's!

What natural products have you tried? you know that its easy to say something is natural when its just as full of crap as the next product!

Feminine

I tried Bare Minerals (that isn't really so natural, though) and it gave me a rash.

I've also tried some products from Liz Earle, some moisturisers from Whole Foods market, INIKA cosmetics and a couple other that I can't remember now. The products either made me itchy or just didn't do the job as well as the more chemical brands.

I like Body Shop, but their makeup is shite.

Some Body Shop products contain parabens, which I was really surprised by (had to throw body butter away) :(

I do avoid SLS, parabens and other nasties when there is an as good alternative. I have found fab moisturisers, deodorant and shampoos. As for make up bobbi brown still resides here as does mainstream tooth paste as I can't get that clean feeling with natural products.

I like to avoid as much as possible but then I can be known to have a cigarette on a night out so there's very little sense to it!

Lily Lolo much much nicer than Bare Minerals ime.

Can someone explain please what are parabens? How do I know if they are in my toiletries? SLS are at least easily identified!

Oh and I've just started using a paraben/SLS/baddie-free deodorant from H&B which is lovely but it's fucking five pounds! Please someone tell me there is something cheaper.

I make my own deodorant after reading about it online. My husband ( a 0 on the crunchy scale) forgot to bring deodorant on holidays so used it after much huffing and eye rolling. It worked, we returned home, he used his old stuff, stank and has reverted to the homemade stuff now. It's cheap too.
http://www.passionatehomemaking.com/2013/01/homemade-all-natural-deodorant.html recipe

I used corn flour over arrow root and add some essential oil for a nice smell.

Gah, messed up link!

recipe

It's not bitchiness or hostility to ask if you're researching an article. Your indignance at being asked it much more hostile.
Something about the tone and style of your OP smacks of it.
more importantly, are you worried?
what do you girls make of it
do you think we should be concerned?
Actually, never mind. Quoting you has convinced me.

it sounds mostly bolleaux to me.

Well, as I said I am not a journalist. You can make what you want out of my writing style.

The hostility is simply because some people want to turn a fun and interesting debate into a slanging match.