Not Just a Pretty Face: The Ugly Side of the Beauty Industry

First let me put my biases up front. I do not like the cosmetics industry. I do not like the petroleum industry and I certainly do not like the advertising industry.Having said that, let me try and and provide a constructive review.This is a book that proposes to expose the seedy underside of the cosmetics industry. It is very readable and "user friendly". I read it from cover to cover in just a few days and in every chapter learned/was repulsed by something new. Given my biases I do encourage readers to check out the provided sources to determine for themselves the veracity of the information (I did so and was convinced). However, be aware that this is not an unbiased perspective. The author has a definite point of view (which I happen to agree with) but still raise some interesting and important issues that are worthy of further consideration beyond the "preaching to the choir" crowd. It is a well written, entertaining read and encourages you to pause and think a moment without being overly preachy. My wife is now regularly visiting the database the author and the affiliated organization has set up and made self informed choices about makeup, sunscreens and other cosmetics. Not as a reactionary "go all natural" consumer but being able to make reasonable choices about products that work for her and possible alternatives that are less risky/carcinogenic.I highly recommend this book.

"Not Just a Pretty Face" is an informative and readable expose of the dangerous ingredients used by the commercial cosmetics industry in the US, and how the industry has resisted calls to make their products safer. It was preaching to the choir for me, but it still helped to broaden my understanding of what to avoid and why, and to deepen my caution towards commercial beauty products.Still, the book has its issue. The attempt to be chatty and casual falls flat, and kept me from taking the reportage very seriously. I am on the author's side, and appreciate the place that muckracking and biased issue journalism can have, but coupled with the cutesy tone I found it unconvincing in its un-objectivity. If I was a skeptic of the charges against the cosmetics industry, I would remain so after reading this book. It reads more like a screed than an expose, and can be rather rambling on the first person anecdotes while amateur in its presentation of broader issues.This book attempts to be a Food, Inc of the beauty industry, and while it isn't quite, it nonetheless is a good start at calling attention to the dangers of commercial cosmetics. I will loan it out to friends who are on the fence about going all-natural, but would not recommend it for skeptics.

This is an extremely eye-opening expose of well-researched material from many sources concerning the cosmetic industry. It is a must read for both men and women, but of course, is geared towards women since this is considered a woman's issue; however, this topic also concerns men as well. For men, this issue is much more under the radar because men don't tend to want to know what is in their care products. i hope you take the time to read this book even if you would prefer to keep your head in the sand concerning chemicals that are inputted in our products. What you don't know can truly harm you when it comes to trusting the companies that do business in our Country, unfortunately!!!

I thought it was a really great and informative book. Though for people who are first getting into the topic of toxic PCPs, it is a bit of a harder read. So, I would recommend keeping a dictionary close and maybe doing a bit of research on the topic before hand.

Great book! a lot of info on chemicals and the beauty industry that I wasn't aware of, like what is allowed and what isn't and how cosmetic companies have different ingredients for the same product but in other countries, based on what they allow. So other countries have a higher greener clean quality then in the USA, kinda sad. But very informative I changed my beauty product purchases to be cleaner and better for my skin and health!

This book has an agenda to push.. it begins with the title and continues on through out the book. I am as cynical as the next person and believe that given a choice between doing what is right and what is cheap, companies will choose the cheaper option most of the time. But after some 6 chapters into the book, the bias was too much for me to continue on objectively any longer. I think the people described in the book are doing a good thing and the skindeep website is a very helpful one. Kudos to them but beyond a point the exaggerated "David vs Goliath" narrative put me off the book. I will definitely check out the website for the new products I plan to buy.

This book is incredible. I keep it by my side at all times!! It has so much important information that I read a little at a time to be able to absorb it all, but the work and research that has gone into the book, my hat's off to Stacy Malkan and all involved. The information in this book is very very important and far reaching. I would like to see every woman to read it! Men too, if they would. Thank you Stacy for putting this book together!

I learned a lot about the reasons and ways that the clean cosmetics alliance is fighting to make the cosmetics industry improve their labels. We really need an independent organization to monitor cosmetics. The FDA does not.

READ THIS BOOK! Never before has there been more background for someone to avoid the glittering, bright shiny products in any "big name chemists" and buy either organic or chirally correct products! Get away from the glitz, dont rely on the packaging and start reading the ingredient list! Just dear help the Americans who's FDA doesn't seem quite as strict on additives as the EU....and no- the beautician selling it too isn't taught to read the label either...

I like this book. It's an eye opener and I like it's style too, so easy to read although the problems it speaks of might be complex. It's a great read because it goes behind the facade to reveal the naked truth and when you get there you' ll know how little you knew before.

this is a very interesting book with information that everyone should be aware of, mostly based on the usa.

I haven't read the entire book yet but have learned a lot already,I'm shocked at what I've been putting on my face for years.Im determined to learn more read labels and replace my skin care with safer products for me and the environment .

after reading this, i threw out all of my bathroom products and started over!