Canadian environmental group Environmental Defence disclosed the following information as it pertained to the composition and distribution of toxins in concealer, powder, mascara, shampoo and lipstick: 96 percent of the products analyzed in the study contained lead, 90 percent contained beryllium, 61 percent had thallium, 51 percent contained cadmium, and 20 percent contained arsenic. There was no warning or even mentioning of the presence of these illegal chemicals on any of the labels.Many people, especially those who work in cosmetics, may trivialize the argument against dangerous chemicals in cosmetic products because people supposedly aren’t poisoned to a life-threatening level. Cancer and respiratory failure, however, are both serious problems caused by these toxins that kill thousands of people every year.

The Food and Drug Administration is a major player in creating the false sense of security that most people fall victim to when buying products. This is because they do not regularly enforce regulations in the cosmetic industry. Essentially, there is a figurehead meant to keep everyone complacent in the absence of any real safeguards. So what can the average consumer to do avoid this literally toxic mess? Purchasing truly all-natural or homeopathic cosmetics, reading labels, and thinking critically will get the job done.