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Alcohol in consumer products like shampoo and face wash can dry out and otherwise irritate skin.

Alcohol can be found in mouthwashes and hand sanitizers where it is meant to kill germs, including the ones that cause bad breath.

The alcohol content in certain products is so high it can cause someone to fail a breathalyzer test if ingested.

Casein is a protein found in milk. It shows up in various products from cheese to plastic to paint.

Casein is one of two proteins found in cow’s milk that can trigger an allergy. Some people are allergic to it, others are allergic to whey. Still others are allergic to both.

Vegans looking for cosmetics read labels to avoid casein, which is decidedly not vegan.

Non-toxic would be a non-issue in a cleaner world, but the dirty truth is that over 80,000 different chemicals are in use today, with another 2,000 or so materials introduced yearly.

Many of these synthetic substances don’t pass the safety test. Research by the National Toxicology Program suggests that up 10% are carcinogens.

Out of 2,800 substances used in amounts over a million tons in the U.S., only 7% or so have been fully studied for toxicity.

Between 15% and 30% of us report reactions to the unhealthy ingredients found in common consumer products.

Parabens are synthetic preservatives. There are many natural ways to preserve products without them.

The FDA says parabens are the most widely used cosmetic and personal care preservatives. You may see them listed on labels as methylparaben, propylparaben and butylparaben.

Parabens have been found in breast tumors but the FDA says they don’t cause cancer.

Some of the preservatives used to replace parabens—including formaldehyde—are no safer for human health. Reading labels is always wise.

There are currently 7 petrochemical-derived artificial colors allowed in food today in the United States. Some of these are banned in other countries.

Artificial coloring has been linked to adverse health effects. Certain food dyes have been known to trigger allergies and they have also been said to aggravate ADD and ADHD symptoms.

Some companies make two kinds of the same food—one dyed for the U.S. market and one without banned dyes for the E.U. A widely noted example of this is Kraft’s macaroni and cheese.

Natural foods tend to contain dyes derived from edible substances and plants including blueberries, carrots, and annatto.

Petroleum is used to make lipsticks shine, cream smooth, and to create a barrier on skin, among other things.

When reading labels in an effort to avoid petroleum in your personal care products, don’t look for the word petroleum. It’s rarely listed this way. Keep an eye out for paraffin wax, mineral oil, petrolatum, and propylene glycol. Many scents and fragrances are also petroleum-derived.

Proponents of avoiding petroleum in personal care products say it disrupts the way the body naturally detoxifies by not letting the skin breathe. Some say it also slows cell renewal rate and ages skin.