Action Alert: Clean up cosmetics!

Get the nasty chemicals out of our soaps, skin care products and baby shampoos.

The issue: Every day we slather ourselves with shampoos, cleansers, creams, oils, powders and more. But if you've ever looked at the ingredients on any one of those products, you'll see a list of unpronounceable and certainly unrecognizable chemicals. Some of those chemicals are known carcinogens and some are neurotoxins. Some are linked to birth defects, infertility and more.

Even products meant for babies contain toxic ingredients. And watch out for words such as "natural" and "organic" on the bottle. Unless you see the USDA certified organic seal, there is no guarentee you're really getting something natural or organic.

Take action: Tell your elected officials the Safe Cosmetics Act of 2010 is important to you. The Act aims to eliminate toxic chemicals from our cosmetics and to institute better oversight of what does go into those products.

Then visit the Environmental Working Group's Cosmetics Safety Review Database to check on the products you know and love. Or to find truly certified organic products.