Body lotions, shampoos, cleaners and other everyday household products are safe to use, right? That’s what many of us assume, but a new study from the University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley), and the Silent Spring Institute reveals that these products actually contain toxic chemicals that could be harmful to our health.

Many of these common products contain what are known as toxic volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These chemicals enter the surrounding environment as gases and can cause a host of health issues, including cancer.

“We found that many household products like shampoos, body lotions, cleaners and mothballs release toxic volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, into indoor air,” the authors of the study wrote in The Conversation. “In addition, we identified toxic VOCs that are prevalent in products heavily used by workers on the job, such as cleaning fluids, adhesives, paint removers and nail polish. However, gaps in laws that govern ingredient disclosure mean that neither consumers nor […]