It used to be that cigarettes were bad for me: they’re highly addictive; they cause multiple types of cancer, heart disease, respiratory disease, circulatory disease, and even birth defects. Add in wrinkles and it’s a no-brainer: I don’t smoke. Then it was farm salmon, trans-fats, pet-food (I went cold turkey on that one), coffee,—though the next day it was declared good for me again—and toothpaste. I cried onto my toast crumbs last week when a houseguest declared that burnt toast—the only way I know how to make it—causes cancer. Well of course it does. Lately, it seems that everything is bad for me, or bad for the environment, or even worse—bad for both.
When I first heard that toothpastes made in China contained the antifreeze chemical diethylene glycol, I was sure Erin Brockovich was reaching for a new cause, and movie. Toothpaste? C’mon! I rolled my eyes and called my dentist to see if perhaps antifreeze prevents cavities. It doesn’t.
I flip-flop between “ignorance is bliss” (a Haagen Daaz Dazzler dessert has two days worth of saturated fats) and “knowledge is power” (Guinness is good for you!) on any given day, but in a recent “knowledge is power” moment, I decided to look past the scary headline and find out if my toothpaste is a product of China. The good news is that my toothpaste is not made in China. The bad news? Chinese antifreeze is the least of my worries.
Opening Pandora’s Cosmetic Bag.
According to The Environmental Working Group (EWG), more than a quarter of all personal-care products sold in the United States may contain cancer-causing agents. Apparently, I’d be better off buying my shampoo and moisturizer in Europe, where companies are restricted from using any of 450 chemicals—that are known or strongly suspected of being carcinogens, mutagens, or reproductive toxins—in their cosmetics. Here in the United States, the FDA has restricted nine chemicals.
Yes, nine.
I’m disgusted.
The cosmetics industry is constantly bombarding me with products that will make my pores smaller, my lips bigger, and my hair shinier, but apparently they could care less about my health and safety.
