Many people are not aware that many big name brands of cosmetics contain ingredients that are extremely suspect. Now a new study has warned about dangerous cosmetics and the effects that these products can have on teenage girls.

Unfortunately the cosmetics that so many of us use are loaded with ingredients that we really ought not be putting on our faces. For example a recent study of big brand name lipsticks showed that over 50% of the lipsticks tested contained lead.

Lead? Is it possible that we the public are unknowingly using cosmetics like lipstick that contain lead? Yes it is. It's a sad fact that the FDA doesn't regulate cosmetics, or for that matter skin care or anti aging products like it regulates drugs.

And yet for those of us using cosmetics we are putting them into our systems just as if they were drugs. When you apply a cosmetic product like a lipstick or a blush our a rouge some of that products ends up inside of us.

That's because our skin is porous and what we put onto it soaks in and ends up in our bodies rather than just on our skin. Moisturizers, for example, are rubbed in a disappear. Where do they go but into our system? Ok if they are harmless, but what if they're not?

And now a recent study has cast doubt on whether it's safe for our teenage girls to use some cosmetics. I'll  quote from the website of the Campaign For Safe Cosmetics which summarizes the results clearly.

"Laboratory tests reveal adolescent girls across America are contaminated with chemicals commonly used in cosmetics and body care products."

That's scary. It gets worse and makes worrying reading for any parent of a teen who uses cosmetics regularly, and who doesn't? Most in fact use more than the average woman.

The Environmental Working Group found chemicals from 4 different families of chemicals (phthalates, parabens, triclosan and musks) in the urine of girls between the ages of 14 and 20 who were tested in the study.

Some of these chemicals were found in the urine of every single girl tested.

Adolescence, of course, is a time when the maturing female body is growing fast and dealing with hormonal changes, and girls of this age do not want to be loading their bodies with potentially toxic chemicals.

The chemicals tested for are considered to be hormone altering chemicals, and so it raises some questions about the implications of teenage girls using cosmetics and skin care products and also possibly acne treatments where there is a good chance they could be loading their systems with these chemicals.

No one really knows, we're entering an unknown area and the implications for the future health and in particular hormonal and reproductive health is completely unknown.

Either way, so we want our children taking these unknown risks with common cosmetics and skincare and other personal and body care products?

It's a matter of serious concern for anyone. But there are solutions. There are very good companies that have dedicated themselves to making natural cosmetics and natural skin care products that don't contain dangerous chemicals. They work extremely well and don't expose our daughters to the risks inherent in mainstream cosmetics.

Unfortunately these companies are small niche companies unable to compete with the big brand names, and they don't even try to compete. You'll never find them advertising on TV for example. And you're unlikely to find their products in the department stores either.

However if you take the time to find them their natural cosmetics and natural skin care products are excellent, and price competitive.

So don't play Russian Roulette with your daughters health. Find some top shelp natural cosmetics and natural skin care products that don't contain dangerous chemicals.