How Safe Are Your Cosmetics?

I don't watch Dr. Oz, mostly because I really, really, really dislike Oprah and all things Orpah (including Dr. Oz). Anyway, apparently on a recent Dr. Oz show, he was talking about how unsafe cosmetics are.

Here are my thoughts on the subject:

1. This whole thing gives me a headache. I intellectually know that I should care deeply about this. I understand that I should be very concerned with the amount of chemicals and toxins in beauty products, but for some reason, I just don't think about it. I should care, yet I don't lose any sleep over it. What's up with that?
2. Daytime TV always seems to hype up the dangers in common, everyday things to get ratings. Does Dr. Oz really care about chemicals and toxins in our cosmetic products? Maybe, but I bet he cares more about having women tune in to watch what deadly products are lying around our homes. TV is the land of shock-journalism, so you have to calm down a bit after watching segments about deadly products.
3. If you are concerned about what's in your cosmetics, you should go to the Environmental Working Group's Cosmetic Database to check out what you're putting on your skin. They analyze ingredients and provide a great deal of information about your favorite products.

The bottom line: you need to be an informed consumer. Yes, there are probably some ingredients you should avoid. And yes, some products may be harmful. But you also need to balance out common sense. Only take risks you're comfortable with, but don't go through life being afraid.

So tell me: do you worry about this topic? Let me know what you do to educate yourself.