"Consumers can now see whether their personal care products contain toxic chemicals, using an online database made available Friday by the California Department of Public Health."

"The Safe Cosmetics Program Product Database allows website visitors to check whether their shampoos, lipsticks, lotions, nail polishes and other personal care products contain ingredients known to cause cancer or reproductive harm.

Searches can be done on a type of product, a specific product name, or a brand, chemical or company name. About 475 companies have submitted information about 30,000 products so far, and the chemicals in the database include phthalates, mercury and mercury compounds, toluene and formaldehyde, among other known toxicants."

Stephanie M. Lee reports for the San Francisco Chronicle January 13, 2014. [2]