From “The Crap In Products You Didn't Know About” File

The fact that unregulated bioaccumulators like lead and mercury are added to cosmetics is hardly a new story to Bitch Readers.  Here's another one.  Unilever was using an oil called "squalene" in many of its Ponds and Dove products. Squalene can either be made from rice and wheat or from dead sea shark livers.  Guess what?  Unilever apparently preferred the shark squeezins.  This week, the company, under pressure from activists, announced it would cease this practice.  Not that it was illegal or anything.

From Environmental Working Group's Enviroblog: "But what remains disturbing is the fact that, either way, Unilever's choices are in full compliance with federal cosmetic standards, which allow companies to use ingredients synthesized from, well, anything really -- including animal species collapsing globally in numbers, or petroleum products, or mining industry products --with no requirement that health or the environment be considered."   Read the full story here.  And read the labels on all your beauty products. EWG has a fantastic Cosmetics Database here where you can check out the ingredients in a ton of lotions, makeup products, shampoo and more.