furphies.org.au
  • Home
  • Cosmetics & Personal Care
    • Antibacterial products
    • Baby Products
    • Deodorant - and breast cancer?
    • Hair colorants
    • Lead in lipstick?
    • Mouthwash - and oral cancer?
    • Perfumes
    • Sunscreens - more harm than good?
  • Household Cleaning
    • Cleaning products - and asthma?
    • Household cleaning - natural and chemical free?
    • Laundry detergents and phosphorus
    • The 'Hygiene Hypothesis'
  • Ingredients
    • Aluminium
    • 1,4-Dioxane
    • Formaldehyde
    • Fragrance ingredients
    • Nanomaterials
    • Parabens
    • Phthalates
    • Plant, animal & petroleum-derived ingredients
    • Preservatives
    • QUATS
    • Sodium lauryl sulfate
    • Sunscreen ingredients
    • Talc
    • Triclosan
  • General issues
    • What are chemicals?
    • Is natural - is good?
    • Extra! Extra! Toxic chemicals found in...
    • How to read media
    • Product safety
    • The skin barrier
    • Health concerns - defined
  • Contact

Is there lead in lipstick? Do sunscreens pose a health risk? And what does 'chemical free' or 'natural' really mean?

In this era of information overload, there are a lot of messages out there about chemicals, your health, and the safety of everyday products. Are these issues worth worrying about? Or are they 'beat-ups', alarmist scare stories or simply misinformed views with no basis in scientific fact?

It's important to know, because, "if we fear everything, we’re not going to take the genuine risks to our health seriously". (1)
Find out about some of the more common furphies at the links below.


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Cosmetics & Personal Care Products

Antibacterial products
​Baby products
Deodorant
– and breast cancer?
Hair colorants
Lead in lipstick?
Mouthwash
– and oral cancer?
​
Perfumes
Sunscreens
– more harm than good?

Household Cleaning Products

Cleaning products – and asthma?
Household cleaning – natural and chemical free?
Laundry detergents and phosphorus
The 'hygiene hypothesis'


Ingredients

Aluminium
1,4-Dioxane
Formaldehyde
Fragrance ingredients
Nanomaterials
Parabens
Phthalates
Plant, animal & petroleum-derived ingredients
Preservatives
​QUATS
Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS)
Sunscreen ingredients

Talc
Triclosan

General chemical issues

What are chemicals?
Is natural
– is good?
Extra! Extra! Toxic chemicals found in...
Tips on reading the media
Product safety

The skin barrier
Some health concerns – defined
 [1] Butterworth T, A Health Scare That Stinks?, STATS.org, June 27, 2005.