What could be better than starting the day with a refreshing shower to wake up your mind and body, or coming home after a hard days work to a relaxing bubble bath to ease your aching muscles, and then preparing for a night out with your favourite beauty products?

In 2002 the Women's Environmental Network (WEN) held a workshop entitled "Ending the cosmetics cover up" and discovered that on average up to 20 different products are used as part of a daily routine.

How many do you use?

Nowadays it is not enough just to be clean you must also smell nice. Fragrance has become an important selling point of the cosmetics industry. Almost all perfumes are manufactured entirely from petrochemicals, and the most disturbing of all is that they are considered to be hazardous waste. Fragrances are known by doctors and scientists to be respiratory irritants.

How many of us take time to read the contents label of the product we are buying?

Do you know exactly what you are putting on your skin and hair?

No? If you did read the label it would make disturbing reading. Would you be happy if you discovered that:

• You were taking a bath in engine degreaser?
• You were putting antifreeze ingredients and poisonous solvents on your face?
• You were putting formaldehyde in your hair?

Well, the chances are that you already do. The majority of modern beauty products contain a cocktail of chemical ingredients that have been passed as being "safe" for use. Although these chemicals are used in small amounts, there has been and there still is concern as to what the long term use of these "safe" chemicals are doing to our health. The real reason these chemicals are used is because they are cheap and that natural products don't have as long a shelf life.

The beauty companies are now recognising that consumers are becoming more aware of what they are buying and have now adopted the "Natural" label.

But how natural is "Natural"?

According to WEN, natural skin care products only need 1% of a natural ingredient to be called "Natural" despite the fact that it may contain up to 200 chemicals. It may be misleading but it's not illegal!

We believe that there is a more natural and kinder alternative than the chemicals that are used in modern beauty care products and have proved this by creating our own range.

Nature has provided our ingredients and our inspiration to bring you a kinder alternative.

We have put together a "Toxic Top 10" of chemicals that are found in today's modern beauty care products. Read it if you dare!

The Toxic Top 10*

• Sodium lauryl sulphate and sodium laureth sulphate

Uses:
This is a strong detergent and foaming agent, commonly used as an engine degreaser. You will find this in shower gel, bubble bath, toothpaste and shampoos.

Concerns:
When combined with other ingredients SLS can form nitrosamines which are carcinogenic. It easily penetrates the skin and can lodge itself in the heart, lungs, liver and brain.

• Propylene glycol

Uses:
This is used to maintain the moisture in shampoos, body lotions, sun lotion, make-up and colour cosmetics.

Concerns:
According to the Women's Environmental Network (WEN) it can cause contact dermatitis and is linked to depression of the central nervous system. This is also the main ingredient in brake fluid and antifreeze.

• Alcohol or isopropyl

Uses:
Found in hair dyes, body lotions, after shaves and mouth rinses.

Concerns:
A poisonous solvent which can cause depression. It can dry the skin and cause cracks and fissures.

• Parabens:

Uses:
These are used as a preservative in deodorants, moisturisers, shampoos and make-up. There are different types of parabens that you will find on ingredients lists. An example of these is propylparaben and methylparaben.

Concerns:
These mimic the female hormone oestrogen and can penetrate the skin. According to WEN propylparaben has been shown to adversely affect men's reproductive systems.

• Phthalates:

Uses:
These are used in hair sprays, deodorants, perfumes, nail polishes and skin lotions to give flexibility and an oily moisturising film.

Concerns:
From March 2005, the EU has banned two phthalates, DEHP and DBP, from cosmetics and from children's toys intended to be put in the mouth. The phthalate used in some nail polishes is to be removed because of a ban on substances that have carcinogenic, mutagenic or reprotoxic properties.

• Polythylene glycol:

Uses:
This is used in most skin cleansers.

Concerns:
This is a caustic used to dissolve grease and is often found in oven cleaners.

• Talc:

Uses:
This is found in baby powders, face powders and body powders.

Concerns:
This is a known carcinogen. A major cause of ovarian cancer when used in the genital area. It can also lodge in the lungs, causing respiratory problems.

• Imidazolidinyl urea and DMDM hydanatoin:

Uses:
These are used as a preservative in body and hair care products, antiperspirants and nail polish.

Concerns:
These formaldehyde- forming preservatives can cause joint pain, allergies, depression headaches, chest pain, dizziness and insomnia.

• Fragrance:

Uses:
This is used to fragrance skin, hair and cosmetic products.

Concerns:
This is usually petroleum based. Can cause headaches, dizziness, rashes, skin irritation and multiple chemical sensitivity.

• Padimate - O (octyl dimethyl, PABA)

Uses:
This is found mostly in sun screens.

Concerns:
There is concern that the energy absorbed by this sunscreen is then turned into free radicals, which may actually increase the risk of skin cancer.

*(Source Data from the Daily Express 14th December 2004 from an article entitled " How safe are your toiletries?" and from Kindred Spirit issue 71 November 2004 from an article entitled " Drop Dead gorgeous". Kindred Spirit are the leading guide for Mind, Body and Spirit and can be reached at www.kindredspirit.co.uk 01803 866686 or their e-mail address mail@kindredspirit.co.uk.)