The Environmental Working Group presents nine more reasons to go organic and invest in socially conscious companies. The organization compiled a list of nine toxic ingredients to avoid on its Skin Deep website. Among the ingredients are cow placenta and lead, which can be found in common cosmetics and skin care products. Culprits include L'Oreal, Paula Dorf, Sally Hansen, Aveeno, and Avon.
Skin Deep is a database of cosmetic and personal care product ingredients. It provides nearly comprehensive data and a search engine for consumers to review and analyze skin care products the government fails to regulate.
In a statement in 2005, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) admitted its inability to protect consumers from the dangers of using personal care products with toxic ingredients. The FDA does not require review nor approval of cosmetics and beauty care products sold to the public.
http://cosmeticsdatabase.com/special/whatnottobuy/index.php?nothanks=1