Product Description

“Judi Vance has written one of the most important and informative consumer books on cosmetics today. It is a book I will use often as a reference and shopping guide.”
– David Steinman –
Author of Diet For A Poisoned Planet and co-author of The Safe Shoppers Bible

“Concise and powerful!”
– Rowan Hamilton –
Cosmetic Scientist and Herbalist

If you use any cosmetics you may be more at risk than you could imagine. Beauty to Die For is shocking, thought-provoking and rock solid in its research. This landmark book reveals the deathtraps in the cosmetics that we unwittingly use in our daily lives. It details the devastating toll that modern industry and government knowingly exact on the health of men, women, and children – and may sound the death knell for certain cosmetic industry practices.

This book is a practical guide – an interactive tool – that teaches consumers how to shop safely and wisely. It translates the technical jargon into language that everyone can understand. It was written to help you identify the dangers in products you take for granted. Products you use everyday; products in which you put your faith and trust – yet these products threaten your very existence. This book not only illuminates the hazards, it provides sensible suggestions for creating a less toxic life.

“Health isn’t a given, but it’s yours for the taking.”
– Judi Vance –

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #335851 in Books
• Published on: 1999-09-02
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 324 pages

About the Author
Judi Vance is a speaker, author and publisher of the Cosmetic Health Report. She is an in-demand television and radio talk show guest. Her own hard-fought, emotionally harrowing journey back to health makes this book important reading for everyone interested in long-term good health. Her philosophy and story comes from experience. She is the country's leading crusader, demanding that cosmetics be brought out of their self-sanctioned immunity and reevaluated by way of long-term human studies. "Science doesn't have all the answers," says Vance. "There's no scientific agreement on what tests can correctly determine whether someone's immune or nervous system, or genes have been damaged. Nor is there a consensus on what constitutes a safe level of exposure. Reproductive, developmental and genetic damage is a non-threshold event and the only safe dose is zero. Until, we know the answers to these baffling questions, avoidance is probably our antidote."

Customer Reviews

A Must Read For Anyone With Skin
This book is something we all must read. It is the most comphrensive book that I have ever seen about the ingredients that are used consistantly by the cosmentic industry. Why is proyplene glycol(which is indusrtial anti-freeze, same stuff as you use in your car)and sodium laurel sulfate in practically EVERY Prodcut we use? Toothpaste, mouthwash, shampoo, conditioner, shaving gel, body cleanser, baby shampoo practically any personal care product! WE ASSUME that the ingredients are SAFE, that they have been TESTED, and the honest truth is THEY ARE NOT! Learn about the ingredients that Estee, Lancome and all the rest of the gang are using! It is shocking....it doesn't have to be this way...but until people become aware of the dangers of these chemicals they will continue to make products that do. Educate yourself! If skin cancer is not on your list of things to do....this book is a must! An EXCELLENT READ! Educate yourself so that you can tell them to change their ways.....just like we did to the tobacco industry! And how long did they LIE and get away with it?

ATTENTION - All Users of Cosmetics and Health Care Products
"Beauty To Die For" is a MUST for everyone to read. It is an informative book about the dangers of chemicals in cosmetics and health care products such as shampoo, toothpaste, mouthwash, deodorant, face creme, shaving crème and hair spray, just to list a few. The only way to fight the battle against toxicity due to the chemicals is EDUCATION. The information required to purchase `clean' products rather than products drenched with chemicals is in "Beauty To Die For". The glossary of product ingredients is a MUST for everyone using cosmetics and health care products...use it as your shopping guide AND read the labels before buying the products. I was shocked to read the ingredients in Baby products, some of which are carcinogenic, not to mention that many contain propylene glycol (used as an anti-freeze in cars). Have you asked yourself why it's in cosmetics, health care products AND especially in Baby products? Judi Vance has done a marvelous job of researching chemicals, their side effects, listing less toxic alternatives and putting it all together in a very concise and easy to read form. The only way to put a STOP to this insanity is to EDUCATE yourself and your friends AND demand changes in legislation. Why should we the consumer be subjected to dangerous chemicals in health care products which we all use on a daily basis? We in Canada buy our products BLINDLY on false trust as manufactures are NOT required to list ingredients on cosmetics and health care products!! Now how archaic is that? We spend millions of $$$$ on Cancer Research and next to nothing on prevention by informing consumers of a healthier way of life without chemicals.

If you want to take control of your health, I strongly recommend you get a copy of Beauty To Die For by Judi Vance

I thought I'd come away with useful information...
I bought this book thinking that I would learn something new about the cosmetic industry. Not only did I not learn anything, I came away from the book wondering just how someone could've accumulated all of that information without being able to present it in a better way.

This book is packed with non-scientific fluff (using ill-defined terms such as "toxin" and making blanket statements with no evidence such as "Scientists involved [sic] mechanical science--as I like to call it--do not understand plant science, but scientists, who know plant science, understand both [grammar and punctuation left exactly as in the book].") About 60% of the book is packed with charts and glossaries. And I have to say that this is the worst-edited book I have ever read, with constant typographical errors, misspellings, and apostrophe problems. There just doesn't seem to have been a lot of thought put into the actual execution of this book.

Look, I am certainly this book's target audience--I shop at Whole Foods, use organic skin-care products and potions, and work out six times a week. I care about my body and what I put into it. But this book is not a good use of anyone's time or money, as all of its information can be found quite easily (and in most cases with better grammar) on the internet. You're better off buying _Fast Food Nation_ if you'd like clear, concise information about what you're putting into your body.