For those looking for information on toxic ingredients in cosmetics and making safer consumer choices, the following web sites may be of interest:

www.nottoopretty.org/images/NotTooPretty_final.pdf
This document is a summary of a 2002 study carried out by a coalition of health and environment groups which tested dozens of beauty products — off the shelf — for the presence of pthalates. It outlines the health impacts of this family of chemicals, lists products by brand name that were found to contain (or not contain) phthalates. A concise and useful exposé.

www.ewg.org/reports/skindeep
The Environmental Working Group's study, titled Skin Deep, looks at the safety data of ingredients found in cosmetics and the regulatory controls in place (in the U.S.) to ensure product safety. Read the study and use EWG's excellent searchable product guide to look up products by category (mascara, shampoo, hair spray, toothpaste, etc.). It provides a list of the "top five ingredients of concern" as well as the 10 best and 10 worst choices for that category.

www.preventcancer.com/consumers/cosmetics/cosmetics_personal_care.htm
This site provides basic information about U.S. regulatory controls on cosmetics and names specific ingredients known or suspected of being carcinogenic.

www.cbc.ca/consumers/market/files/health/cosmetics/#top
CBC's investigative show Marketplace featured "Cosmetics and the Cancer Connection" in January 2003. The transcript outlines the debate about the potential toxicity of ingredients in common cosmetics and how they are regulated. It leads to a second article titled "Carcinogens in toiletries and cosmetics."

action.safecosmetics.org/action
This site encourages the public to take action towards safer cosmetics with an online petition aimed at encouraging U.S. cosmetics companies to adopt the 2004 European standard that prohibits certain ingredients from cosmetics.

www.mbcc.org
The Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition also promotes the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics and offers information about which ingredients to avoid and how to choose safer products.

www.thinkbeforeyoupink.org/Pages/CosmeticEmail.html
Breast Cancer Action (San Francisco) offers visitors to the site the opportunity to send an e-mail to four major cosmetics companies calling for safer products. These companies were singled out for having associated themselves with breast cancer research to help market their products, some of which contain potentially harmful ingredients.

www.hurricanevoices.org/about/articles/mamm_0804.pdf
This address will link directly to More than skin deep, an article by Caitlin E. Cox about chemicals used in cosmetics that were detected in the tissue of cancerous breast tumours. The Hurricane Voices web site also provides statistics and facts about the incidence and risk of breast cancer.

www.safer-products.org/
This site presents a room-by-room tour of the house to check for potential toxins in everyday products, including computers and furniture. It also provides its rankings of companies that have — or have not — taken action on producing safer products, or indicated that they have begun to work on eliminating toxins.

users.lmi.net/~wilworks/FDApetition/eterbkpg.htm
For those curious enough to peruse a chemical analysis of a well-known perfume, this one is an eye-opener. Begin with a close-up photo of the packaging, then follow the link to the analysis chart, which gives the breakdown. (By the Environmental Health Network, U.S.)