Most cosmetics and personal care products on store shelves today contain five major categories of toxic ingredients. These are: frank carcinogens (cancer causing); precursors of or “hidden” carcinogens; endocrine or hormonally disruptive; penetration enhancers; and allergens.

Dr. Epstein is urging the National Cancer Institute to “insist that Avon reformulate its products to phase out all toxic ingredients” Benzophenone-1 (hormonal and penetration enhancer) in Nail Experts Nail Brightener. Methylparaben (hormonal), ethylparaben (hormonal), and imidazolidinyl urea (cancer precursor) in Wash-Off Waterproof Mascara. Ceteareth-20 (cancer precursor), and disodium EDTA (penetration enhancer) in Advance Techniques Body Building Conditioner. PEG-80 sorbitan laurate, and PEG-10 rapeseed sterol (cancer precursors) in Anew Beauty Youth-Awakening Lipstick.

Green is no longer just for organic or natural products. It is our belief that a true paradigm shift in consumer attitudes is evolving and that every business that does not comply will eventually lose its support for more eco friendly options.

Johnson & Johnson is being asked by a coalition of organizations to
remove two chemicals, considered probable human carcinogens, from its
baby shampoo and other personal care products.

The groups want to see Johnson & Johnson remove 1,4-dioxane and
Quaternium-15, a preservative that releases formaldehyde, by the end of
the year.
The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics reported in March that it found Johnson
& Johnson's Baby Shampoo and other children's products contained
formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane, both of which have been found to cause
cancer in animals and listed by the Environmental Protection Agency as
probable human carcinogens.

More on Parabens: Greenwashing With Honeysuckle Extract

Paraben Free Organic Skincare
By Eliza Moriarty
Organic Consumers Association, 4/27/2009

Here is an appealing article written for laypeople (find it at
http://ezinearticles.com/?Paraben-Free-Organic-Skin-Care&id=2024753.)

Parabens are in widespread use by the cosmetic and pharmaceutical
industries as an effective preservative. Parabens work to prevent
fungal and bacterial growth in water based products, such as creams (a
mixture of oil and water). Parabens are found in a variety of cosmetic
products including moisturizers, shaving gels, personal lubricants,
tanning solutions and even toothpaste.

Until recently it was thought that Parabens where safe due to their low
toxic …

Fragrance

What's that smell? Unfortunately, there's no way to know. Fragrance is considered a trade secret, so companies don't have to tell us what's in it – often dozens or even hundreds of synthetic chemical compounds. Almost half the products in Skin Deep contain the generic term "fragrance," from shampoos and deodorants to lotions and shaving creams. Even "unscented" products may contain masking fragrances, which are chemicals used to cover up the odor of other chemicals. 
Some hidden hazards that may be lurking in products that contain synthetic fragrance include: 
• Allergens: Fragrances …

Getting Contaminants Out of Children's Bath & Personal Care Productsby the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics

Despite marketing claims like “gentle” and “pure,” dozens of top-selling children’s bath products are contaminated with the cancer-causing chemicals formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane, according to the March 2009 Campaign for Safe Cosmetics report, "No More Toxic Tub."
This study is the first to document the widespread presence of both formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane  in bath products for children, including baby shampoos, bubble baths and baby lotions. Many products tested contained both chemicals.
What We Found
The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics commissioned an independent laboratory to …

Parabens are used to prevent the growth of microbes in cosmetic products and can be absorbed through the skin, blood and digestive system (i). They have been found in biopsies from breast tumors (ii) at concentrations similar to those found in consumer products (iii). Parabens are found in nearly all urine samples from U.S. adults of a variety of ethnic, socioeconomic and geographic backgrounds (iv). 
Products That May Contain Parabens 
Parabens are several distinct chemicals with similar a molecular structure. Four of these occur frequently in cosmetics: ethylparaben, butylparaben, methylparaben and propylparaben. …

The UK Department of Trade and Industry (now the Department of Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform) characterizes nitrosamines as more toxic in more animal species than any other category of chemical carcinogen (i). Nitrosamines are common in cosmetics, but because they are impurities, they are not listed on product labels. 
Products That May Contain Nitrosamines 
Nitrosamines are a potential impurity in 53 ingredients and more than 10,000 of the products listed in the Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep database as of July 2008. Due to the common nature of this impurity, nearly every kind …

Learn about a few of the top ingredients and contaminants to avoid, based on the science linking each to adverse health impacts, and they types of products they're found in. To learn more about how chemicals impact your health and where they come from, check out the Your Body, Your Healthsection.
For each of the chemicals included in this section, a growing body of hazard-based evidence suggests connections to long-term health concerns like cancer and reproductive problems.
These are just a very few examples of the 10,500 ingredients used in personal care products. …