Talk about brand loyalty. Looking inside my bathroom cabinet, I notice I’m an ad-execs dream—a brand’s best friend.

Unlike cleaners or foods, I’m more reluctant to switch personal care brands, greener product or not. The use of recycled bottles or cardboard packaging claims are generally not enough to persuade me to give up my dear ‘ole brand.

But with so many news reports and emails about personal care product ingredients being responsible for one illness or another, it’s hard to know what to trust. Until the jury returns on many questionable ingredients, is it worth being a guinea pig?

Everyone is different. My reason for not using a particular product may be different from my husband’s reasoning. So choose for yourself.  You may find better alternatives, and you may be surprised to learn that a healthier, greener choice doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be spending more loot.

See for yourself. …read more of Green Bathroom Cabinet: Baby, You’re No Good! here

Take a look inside your bathroom cabinet. Have you used the same toothpaste or deodorant your entire life? Maybe you’ve tried others, but you still come back to your tried and true? After all, we’re talking serious stuff… the source of your fresh breath and sparkling white teeth; your clear, flawless skin.

If you learned that your brand contained ingredients with potentially harmful side effects, would you make a change? Maybe you’re betting that if the product hasn’t killed you yet, it probably won’t. But if you’re not the gambling type, how do you find out what personal care products are safe? The answer depends whom you ask.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not test cosmetics before they are sold in stores. Cosmetic firms are responsible for substantiating the safety of their products and ingredients, according to the FDA site.

However, the FDA does restrict the use of several ingredients used in cosmetic products such as: bithionol; mercury compounds (except in certain eye area cosmetics); the use of vinyl chloride; certain halogenated salicylanilides; aerosol products containing zirconium; chloroform; methylene chloride; chlorofluorocarbon propellants; and some cattle materials. (Yikes!) And be aware that manufacturers are not required to register their cosmetics, ingredient information or cosmetic-related injuries to the FDA, although they do offer a voluntary program.

We, the consumer are given one heads up at the urging of the FDA - a mere warning label that manufacturers may use that reads: “Warning—the safety of this product has not been determined.”

As a parent, let me just say that a warning like that wouldn’t make me feel good about my choice, especially if I’m giving that product to my toddler. But that’s the current regulation.
So, are the personal care products you currently use safe or not? …read more of Green Bathroom Cabinet: Stand By Your Brand? here