Cleaning products are often anything but clean!  Many conventional cleaning products, from soaps and deodorants to tile cleaner and floor wash are full of nasties that are known to cause harm to your body and to the environment.   

Some examples: 

• Volatile organic compounds.  Found in many products as an enhancer and are known to impair neurological functions.
• Phosphates.  Found in many detergents and are known to cause eutrophication of rivers (where rivers become depleted of oxygen and life dies off).
• Phthalates.  Help distribute dyes and fragrances and are suspected to have harmful hormonal effects.  

Presently cleaning chemicals undergo very few labelling requirements leaving consumers with little idea of what they are exposing themselves and the planet too.  An estimated 80,000 chemicals can be found in standard household cleaners and there are many that still have unknown toxic effects.   

There is little regulation of cleaning chemicals, and there are virtually no labelling requirements to let people know what they are exposing themselves and the planet to. With some 80,000 chemicals in common use, there are still some that could have as-yet unknown toxic effects.  

Similarly, there are many health concerns regarding the use of cosmetics.  Not only are there numerous environmental issues (the production of cosmetics, which requires chemicals and petroleum products, animal testing and the use of thousands of plastic bottles), but there are also emerging health concerns.   

For example, many brands of nail varnish contain dibutyl phthalate (DBP) a chemical linked to cancer in animals.  Many deodorants contain aluminium, a known hormonal disruptor.       Other chemicals commonly found in cosmetics include acrylamide, formaldehyde, ethylene oxide, mercury, lead lcetate, ethyllacrylate, toluene, coal tar and petroleum distillates, many listed by EPA as carcinogens.  Even lipstick is cause for concern as it contains man-made oils, synthetic colours and petroleum based waxes. 

Luckily there are many effective, cheap, sustainably produced, all-natural brands of cleaners and cosmetics.