Product safety

When you are reading the ingredients in the products you are buying for your family do you really know which ingredients are bad for your health. Most of the time you cant even pronounce the ingredients. I discovered this website SkinDeep. It rates all beauty and health products; which products are the safest for your health and which products are affecting your health. Here is cheat sheet for when you are shopping:

Your body

Getting clean
No { triclocarban (bar soap) or triclosan (liquid soap) }
Yes { hand sanitizers with ethanol/ethyl alcohol }

Moisturizing

No { retinyl palmitate or retinol in daytime skin products }

Your Teeth

No { triclosan in toothpaste }

Your Lips

No { retinyl palmitate or retinol }

Your skin + the sun

Very few sunscreens provide adequate sun protection and are free of harmful ingredients.

No
SPF above 50
Retinyl palmitate
Aerosol spray and powder sunscreen
Oxybenzone
Insect repellent

Yes
Hats and shade in mid-day sun.
Zinc or Titanium are the best active ingredients, otherwise Avobenzone at 3%
SPF 30 for intense sun
Use a lot and reapply frequently

Safer Sunscreens:

Aveeno
Baby Natural Protection Mineral Block Face Stick, SPF

Coppertone
Water Babies Pure & Simple Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 50

Coppertone Sensitive Skin Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 50

Coppertone Oil-Free Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 15

Your hair

No
Fragrance
PEGs, ceteareths and polyethylene
Parabens: propyl, isopropyl, butyl, isobutyl
DMDM hydantoin

Your nails

No
Formaldehyde or formalin in polish, hardeners or other nail products.
Toluene
Dibutyl phthalate (DBP).
Pregnant? Skip polish

Your kids

Kids are sensitive. Use few products and pick them carefully.

Diaper Cream
No Boric Acid

Baby Wipes
No 2-Bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol (bronopol)

Toothpaste
LIMIT fluoride toothpaste for kids who might swallow it (none for kids under 2)

5 problem products:

Some categories of products have major safety concerns. Avoid them, particularly for children.

Hair straighteners : cancer, allergy, skin and scalp irritation, hair damage and hair loss

Loose powders: inhalation risk

Perfumes/fragrances: allergy concerns

Dark permanent hair dyes: linked to cancer

Skin lighteners: skin irritation and damage