Will brushing your teeth give you cancer?

We have all been raised to give those pearly whites a good brushing. But as it turns out, toothpaste often has carcinogens in the ingredients. The chemical triclosan is a chemical commonly found in soaps, makeup, antibacterial gels, and yes, toothpaste. It is a dioxin, a group of chemicals known to bioaccumulate and can increase risk for thyroid problems, diabetes, and certain cancers. Triclosan is among 80,000 chemicals that are commonly found in household products but go relatively unstudied, according to a new report by the President's Cancer Panel. Other common offenders the report highlights include formaldehyde,  bisphenol a, and the pesticides that are used to produce nearly all conventionally produced foods (most pesticides are also very long-lived in the environment and in our bodies).

What seems the most messed up about this to me is how little these chemicals are labeled. Since I work in a lab every day, each chemical is labeled with its own hazards and we keep a material safety data sheet for them. How often do you seen a carcinogen label on your products? Instead, there's tiny warning labels at the bottom after everything else you've read. And with a lot of cleaners, even if they say to wear gloves and a mask, who does that? That's why I've switched to cleaning primarily with natural cleaners: namely, baking soda, vinegar, lemon juice, etc. Works decently, plus they're cheap!

So how do your products rate? See these links for cosmetics, produce, and cleaners. My advice is brush responsibly!