Last summer the Environmental Working Group that found only 28 common cosmetics and toiletries out of 7,500 had all of its ingredients fully tested for safety.

Folks, this is an issue that shouldn"t be ignored. It"s important to recognize that whatever you spread on your skin has a very real chance of being absorbed into your blood stream and causing some serious damage to your body. If you want to learn about the potential toxicity of your cosmetics, I urge you to review the EWG"s extensive "Skin Deep Report".

There you will be able to search the product(s) that you use on a daily basis and find out how safe they really are.

So what kind of products do you use?

• Only use natural cleaning products in your home. Most health food stores will have these available or you can search for them online.

• Switch over to natural brands of toiletries, including shampoo, toothpaste, antiperspirants and cosmetics. Same sources here, either your local health food store or you can search online.

Another common household product that poses many health risks is antibacterial soap. Antibacterial soaps contain triclosan, an antibacterial agent that kills bacteria, but that has also been shown to kill human cells. Antibacterial ingredients can be found in many commonly used household products such as:

• Laundry detergents
• Shampoos
• Toothpastes
• Body washes
• Dish soaps

The reason so many consumers use products like these is because they have been marketed as an effective and necessary way to lower the risk of infection. However, many scientists fear that widespread use could lead to a strain of resistant bacteria, or "superbugs," causing the ingredients to lose effectiveness for the times when they really are needed.

Scientists have also found that using antibacterial products apparently offers little protection against the most COMMON germs!

If you are concerned about the numerous toxic chemicals we are exposed to on a daily basis, I strongly urge you to read Our Toxic World: A Wake Up Call. The author, Dr. Doris Rapp, does a thorough job of uncovering the many ways we are exposed to toxic chemicals and how they take a toll on our health and contribute to many chronic diseases.

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