Do you know how many products you use in a day, from toothpaste and shaving cream to fragrances and hair gels? I used to own a variety of cleansers and makeup and fooled myself thinking I used quality beauty items. I assumed since I often bought cosmetics and hair products from high-end salons that I didn’t have to worry about toxic chemicals.

I was wrong.

Like many, I believed if a product was for sale at a drugstore, supermarket or boutique cosmetics counter, it must be safe. And even worse, I didn’t understand that every product I put on my body soaked into my skin and was absorbed into my bloodstream within minutes. I’ve read that women use between 10-20 cosmetic items daily. This is equal to absorbing about five pounds of makeup per year that includes carcinogens, pesticides and hormone disrupters.