COSMETICS & CANCER: WHAT'S THE TRUTH?

Panicked by all the scare stories about harmful chemicals lurking in your make-up bag? Here's what you really need to know (clue: it's not as bad as you think...)

The Claim: Absorbing chemicals through your skin is more dangerous than swallowing them
The Truth: Not true. If anything, the skin has an incredible capacity to keep chemicals out. In fact, the pharmaceutical industry would love to avoid prescribing medicines in tablet form and start using more medicated patches, but the skin is so good at keeping chemicals out, it's almost impossible to achieve.

The Claim: Each year, make-up wearers absorb 2.5kgs of chemicals from products
The Truth: It's possible, but even if they do, the chemicals don't stay in the body. And remember: over the course of a year, your body will also absorb up to a ton of chemicals are absorbed, broken down and then passed through.

The Claim: Parabens can cause cancer
The Truth: There is no scientific evidence. Most of the scare stories come from one study that showed evidence of parabens (chemicals used as preservatives in beauty products) within breast cancer tissue. But experts now say that the study was so poorly conducted, no real scientific conclusions could be drawn. Most parabens are unable to mimic oestrogen (which is where the breast cancer risk comes from) and at any rate, contraceptive pills contain hundreds of times the dose of oestrogens that any beauty products contain. The CTPA classes parabens are 'extremely safe'.

The Claim: 60% of the chemicals you put on your skin will be absorbed
The Truth: Not true. One of the leading expert on drug delivery through the skin, says, "In my experience, I have not found a compound where anywhere near 60% gets through. We are looking at more like one or two % at the most and, even then, only with a very few specific molecules."

The Claim: Out-of-date beauty products can cause infections
The Truth: Theoritically it is possible, particularly with eye products and mascaras. Most make-up companies say a mascara should only last around three months - you should also make sure you close the tube after use and not share your mascara with anyone else. If a product is seriously contaminated, you'll see and smell and noticeable difference.