Shocked and angry, Susan Jeske gave up her job promoting beauty products to find out just what was going into the products men and women use every single day.

What she found was not pretty.

It turns out that there are 12 chemicals in makeup, shampoo and even toothpaste that could be toxic to our health! Yes, the products we turn to to keep us fresh, clean and looking beautiful could be the very things causing all of our problems.

And the government and beauty industry know about the negative effects of these chemicals. According to Jeske, “More than 1,100 harmful chemicals used in personal care items have been banned in most European countries. In the U.S. only 10 have been banned.” 

Scary, right? It looks like the people behind all of our go-to products are working hard to keep the truth under wraps. So, what products should we be looking out for? Jeske’s Toxic 12 are:

1.   Benzoyl peroxide

2.   DEA (diethanolamine) and MEA (monoethanolamine) and TEA (triethanolamine)

3.   Dioxin

4.   DMDM hydantoin and imidazolidinyl urea

5.   Synthetic Colors and Pigments

6.   Parabens (methyl, butyl, ethyl, propyl)

7.   FEG (polyethylene glycol)

8.   Phthalates 9xenoestrogens)

9.   Propylene glycol and butylene glycol

10. Sodium lauryl sulfate and sodium laureth sulfate

11. Sunscreen chemicals like avobensone, benzphenone and PABA

12. Triclosan

Now, don’t stop bathing, brushing and applying makeup just because you don’t want your skin to fall off. It is not easy, but it is possible to avoid any of these chemicals. All products must have a list of their ingredients, so it is as simple as reading the label to find out which of the Toxic 12 are in your favorite beauty products.

Unfortunately, though, a good majority of the products on store shelves have some combination of these chemicals, so you may have a difficult time finding stuff without them. Your best bet is by going natural or organic with your makeup. But don’t trust any product with “All Natural” on the label; not all Organic beauty products are created equal, so read those ingredients!