Many of the chemical based cosmetics available in the stores today contain toxic ingredients that could cause cancer. With regulations in place, there is testing being done on the ingredients before the products can be sold. However, cosmetics companies need only prove that there will be no immediate harmful results. So there is no conclusive research done on the long-term effects of all the ingredients. Try and avoid products with the following ingredients.

• Formaldehyde and formaldehyde-releasing preservatives (quaternium-15, diazolidinyl urea, imidazolidinyl urea, DMDM hydantoin, and 2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3 diol)
• Phenacetin
• Coal tar
• Benzene
• Untreated or mildly treated mineral oils
• Ethylene oxide
• Chromium
• Cadmium and its compounds
• Arsenic
• Crystalline silica (or quartz)