London: Bad chemicals in toiletries and cosmetics are putting the users health at risk, according to a body representing the manufacturers of natural products.

Women who may use as many as 12 such products daily containing up to 175 different chemicals were putting themselves most at risk to cancers and other health problems, according to www.chemicalssafeskincare.co.uk

The culprit chemicals they say are parabens, used to preserve and linked to cancer; foaming agents such as sodium lauryl sulphate and sodium laureth sulphate used in shampoos which act as an irritant and formaldehyde which may cause asthma and headaches.

The organisation’s spokesperson, Julia Mitchell, said more detailed information and details of side effects should be displayed.

Chemicalsafeskincare said labels could mislead by, for example, using the word organic when only 1 per cent of the product actually is organic.