How safe do you believe the contents of your bathroom cabinet are, or the beauty products in your makeup drawer, to your health and risks of cancer? According to the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, the products we use every day may contain chemicals linked to cancer, birth defects and other serious health issues. Why? Because the government cannot mandate safety levels of chemicals in products like shampoo, deodorant or make-up, leaving the cosmetic industry to regulate itself. If you are concerned or curious, go to Skin Deep's Searchable Product Guide, a database featuring brand-by-brand safety rankings and in-depth information on over 14,227 shampoos, lotions, deodorants, sunscreens and other products from almost 1,000 brands, and see what it has to tell you about the products you use. 

As a consumer, if you would like to know what companies have signed a pledge not use chemicals that are known or strongly suspected of causing cancer, mutation or birth defects in their products, The Compact for Global Productions of Safe Health & Beauty Products, provides a list of signers to the pledge. According to The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, several major cosmetics companies, including Avon, Estee Lauder, L'Oreal, Revlon, Proctor & Gamble and Unilever have, at this time, refused to sign the Compact for Safe Cosmetics.