“In the US there are no laws that require cosmetics companies to demonstrate the effectiveness of their products,” reads one slide in a Buzzfeed video entitled, 11 Terrifying Facts About Makeup which was release earlier this year. According to the Food and Drug administration, “cosmetic companies can use almost any ingredient they choose,” the video educates viewers. For example, formaldehyde, which is known to cause cancer in humans can be found in products such as hair gel, shampoo and nail polish and lotion.

Bottom line: read the labels of the beauty products you buy and be careful of the products you chose to use on your skin.

If you want an easy way to find out if the product you are using or want to buy is safe, visit the Environmental Working Group’s website, which provides safety ratings for over 69,000 products.

If you haven’t seen it already, watch the video from Buzzfeed below. Also, check out a previous article I wrote on this blog: Weird Ingredients lurking in your Beauty Products.