Eye Opener: Environmental Working Group

For this week's eye opener exercise we were instructed to visit the Environmental Working Group web site. This site contains a database where anyone can look up any cosmetic item you use and find out the real safety of that product. I chose to look up the information on Aveeno clear complexion daily moisturizer that I use.  I was kind of nervous of the results before I even saw them, but they weren't as bad as I had thought.  This moisturizer is labeled as a moderate hazard, scoring a 6 on a 1-10 scale.  The results showed that this product has been linked to violation, restrictions, and warnings, allergies/immunotoxicity, and several ingrediants showed concerns.  It also had an option on the sidebar to buy a different product online, saying that 77% of acne treatments have lower concerns.  That figure was kind of startling. I looked through the list of dangerous ingrediants and will be aware of their danger in the future.

Once again this activity was very eye-opening. I don't feel like I am in danger from the results on the moisturizer though, but it does make me wonder if I use any other products that could score a higher hazard. It is crazy to me that companies can sell products that are a hazard to the customers, even a moderate hazard!