A Consumer’s Dictionary of Cosmetic Ingredients: Complete Information About the Harmful and Desirable Ingredients Found in Cosmetics and Cosmeceuticals
Review
You wouldn't eat something without knowing what it was--don't you want to take the same care with what you put on your face, hair, and body? Find out what's in that shampoo, makeup, toothpaste, lotion, or perfume here, with more than 6,000 entries, organized alphabetically. Cosmetics are barely regulated these days, leaving it up to you to learn what those strange-sounding names mean and how they might affect you. For example, did you know these intriguing tidbits? ...
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yes this book does tell you what purposes many of the ingredients have. for example, “as an emolient”, “as a thickening agent”, “a preservative”, etc. this book is a consumer’s guide, not a text book teaching you about chemistry and cosmetic formulation, so there’s no need to be too technical. i have very sensitive skin that’s prone to allergies. i used to waste a lot of money on cosmetics because almost everything will give me rashes. when i was tested by an allergist i was reacting to every single sensitizer i received. now i use this guide to learn about ingredients and sort through the vast inventory of beauty products to find the right one. i just bought a newly updated version as the older version did not cover all the newest ingredients.
The 6th edition of Ruth Winter’s A CONSUMER’S DICTIONARY OF COSMETIC INGREDIENTS, first published in 1978, contains an excellent 40 page introduction covering everything from the state of cosmetics regulations, safety concerns, basic ingredients, and what to do if you have an adverse reaction, to an annotated list of organizations concerned with cosmetics safety. This detailed book is over 500 pages with thousands of entries of varying lengths–from a line or two to a paragraph. There are some longer entries of 2 or more pages on a key topic like sunscreen. The information covers more generic cosmetics, like cold cream or lipstick, as well as more technical ingredients and chemicals that you may find a specific products. In addition to a 3-page bibliography, there are two useful Appendices: “Common Label Warnings–Pay Attention!” and “Nail Safety.”
This eye opening cosmetic ingredient dictionary is the perfect tool for checking out the ingredients in any cosmetic product. There has not been anything left out of the more than 5,000 listings. Ruth Winter has a science background and puts it to good use by telling the reader if the ingredient if allergenic, carcinogenic, or has no known toxicity. In comparison to Aubrey Hampton’s “What’s In Your Cosmetics?”, Winter’s book wins without a doubt. Hampton pays too much attention to listing information on natural ingredients and not enough of toxic ones. As a cosmetic ingredient researcher, I appreciate the convenience of having this resource at my fingertips, and you will too!