Skin Deep: The essential guide to what's in the toiletries and cosmetics you use

We all like to believe that the latest 'miracle' cream will make us look ten years younger, and we fill our shopping baskets with hair products designed to 'smooth and shine' or make-up that promises to stay on all night long. In a world that is increasingly obsessed with appearance, we are becoming more and more vulnerable to the idea of a 'quick-fix' in a bottle.Yet many of the products we use on a daily basis contain an abundance of synthetic chemicals that pollute our bodies and, as our toxic load increases, many of us hoping for a quick-fix miracle today will be paying with our health tomorrow.

In this fascinating, topical and sometimes shocking book, Pat Thomas explains how the contents of the beauty products we use enter the bloodstream in a matter of seconds, and contain a cocktail of carcinogens, irritants and disease-causing ingredients. She discusses the health risks of exposure to these chemicals and tells you which ones to avoid. But it's not all doom and gloom – with her practical, easy suggestions, tips and recipes for alternatives, she tells us how we can all make a few simple changes to our lifestyle and reduce our toxic load.