Consumers push more than cosmetic changes to chemical makeup of toiletries
OTTAWA – An environmental group has ranked Canada’s five largest cosmetics companies based on potentially harmful ingredients in their products.
The report from Toronto-based Environmental Defence says the big five all have issues with chemicals that could be harmful to human health, but some are doing better than others.
And it says public pressure is beginning to exert influence on the ingredients companies use in everything from shampoo and moisturizers to toothpaste and deodorant.
READ MORE: Canadian app rates ‘dirty’ ingredients in cosmetics and personal care products
Citing publicly available information and using a basket of five common products, Environmental Defence looked for what it called the “toxic 10″ – 10 chemicals that have faced international scrutiny for their proven or potential health hazards.
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The study ranked Proctor and Gamble best among Canada’s big five cosmetics companies, followed by Johnson and Johnson, and Unilever.
Estee Lauder and L’Oreal rounded out fourth and fifth place, respectively, principally because they did not publicly post policies on eliminating toxins such as triclosan and phthalates from their products.
