Cosmetics - Tips and Revelations

The typical female spends a huge amount of their desposable income on cosmetics. In fact the US cosmetics market alone amounts to around $45 billion a year. But when you buy those lavishly and exoticly publicised cosmetics, do you know just exactly what you are getting? Do you know what you are putting in contact with your body? Well if not, you definitely should!

Ever wondered what the ingredients propylparaben, butylparaben and methylparaben are doing in your mascara? And what exactly is diazolidinyl urea? In fact these ingredients frequently used in cosmetics are all potential irritants, and the last item in the list is a preservative that is capable of releasing formaldehyde, a class A carcinogen.

Are you an animal lover? Would you prefer to buy from companies which manufacture their cosmetics from a cruelty-free perspective and which don't engage in testing on animals? There are thousands of cosmetics on the market today - including cleansers, moisturizers, foundations, lip liners, eye shadows, concealers... everything imaginable, and a whole lot more you might not even have thought of.

And what about all those perfumes and scents? What's the difference between those high-priced Parisian perfumes and the cheap market knock-offs? What should you look out for? The results of our research might surprise you!

But you need to get past the sales hype, the glossy advertising, and yes, even the peer pressure - and cut to the chase. You want to be beautiful, sure you do, but you certainly don't want to be taking risks with your long-term health. We'll be taking a look at most of the well-known cosmetics products and informing you how they work, recommended application methods, and most importantly, what's in them, so you can make your own choice.

Start by taking a look at our article on mineral makeup by our resident consultant and health care speacialist Dr Bianca Tavares.