Rating: 
Summary: I use this book regularly....
Review: I use Ruth Winter's books on COSMETIC INGREDIENTS, MEDICINES, and FOOD ADDITIVES as reference books and find them quite helpful and informative. It is absolutely amazing how many ingredients can be listed on the back of a jar of cleansing cream, a tube of hand cream, or a can of soup. Simply identifying the salt and sugar isn't enough. We need to know about food substitutes, as well as other ingredients, many of them added to improve the appearance of the substance for sale, that can harm us and/or interfere with prescription drugs.
Now, you may be concerned about what is in your prescription medication, but if you are like most of us, you probably take over-the-counter drugs without a thought. After all, if they don't have to be licensed and disseminated by a pharmacy, they must be okay. Right? Wrong!! There is something called a synergistic effect. For example, consumers have been warned recently about the interaction between ibuprofen and statin drugs. Unfortunately, by the time the government steps in, many people may have been harmed. It pays to be informed and Winter's books are a good step in that direction.
I am a big fan of herbal remedies, but they need to be subjected to research and review in the same way synthetic drugs are studied. Heck, Parsley, can cause skin irritations.
If you want to acquire a little light on the subject of ingredients, consider buying all Winter's books. She has been published in Family Circle and Reader's Digest magazines as well as Homeopathic and Herbal publications.
Her books are so effective, I wonder how long it will be before the government kills the messenger, not by silencing Winter, but by withholding the identity of the contents of various products and reversing the `truth in labeling' and `organic measures enacted in the past. Of course, they can and do go to the other extreme and ban items that are only harmful if they are misused.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointed
Review: Are you having reactions from certain products and can not figure out why? Perhaps there is an ingredient that is the culprit. This book will help you identify what certain ingredients are used for in cosmetics, and in many cases, why a person could be allergic. I think that it is a great resource, although I find that it tiptoes around some things - I guess the author did not want to start panics by sounding too doom and gloom. However, enough information is in the book, and it is set up well enough to allow for you to get the information you need with the ease of a good dictionary. I would say it is a good reference to have. I found it to be very interesting, enlightening, and helpful reading. If you are at all interested in what ingredients you are putting on your body, this book is a must have. You might be surprised at what they are made of and what else they will do to you!
Rating: 
Summary: HAVING A REACTION?`
Review: Are you having reactions from certain products and can not figure out why? Perhaps there is an ingredient that is the culprit. This book will help you identify what certain ingredients are used for in cosmetics, and in many cases, why a person could be allergic. I think that it is a great resource, although I find that it tiptoes around some things - I guess the author did not want to start panics by sounding too doom and gloom. However, enough information is in the book, and it is set up well enough to allow for you to get the information you need with the ease of a good dictionary. I would say it is a good reference to have. I found it to be very interesting, enlightening, and helpful reading. If you are at all interested in what ingredients you are putting on your body, this book is a must have. You might be surprised at what they are made of and what else they will do to you!
Rating:
Summary: seen better
Review: As a Beauty Therapist I am very interested in what kind of product goes in to those little jars lined up on my bench. I thought that this book had some good information, but not enough. I would have liked to have it broken down a little more so that each subject (or the majority of them) had a section I could see at a glance on adverse reactions and contra indications. Many products shouldn't be used in conjunction with acne treatments etc and knowing as I do how people don't follow advice given out by their 'expert' it would be useful to see it written down - something longer than a paragraph. For basic reading it's good, but it just didn't do it for me. There are better books out there.
Rating:
Summary: seen better
Review: As a Beauty Therapist I am very interested in what kind of product goes in to those little jars lined up on my bench. I thought that this book had some good information, but not enough. I would have liked to have it broken down a little more so that each subject (or the majority of them) had a section I could see at a glance on adverse reactions and contra indications. Many products shouldn't be used in conjunction with acne treatments etc and knowing as I do how people don't follow advice given out by their 'expert' it would be useful to see it written down - something longer than a paragraph. For basic reading it's good, but it just didn't do it for me. There are better books out there.
Rating:
Summary: Disappointed
Review: I have to say that I was quite disappointed with the 5th edition of this book. Another reviewer made the observation that Winter tip-toed around a lot of issues and I echo that observation. I feel that it weakens the work. There are a number of ingredients whose potential dangers I have read about but I couldn't find any further information in this book. What am I supposed to conclude? That these controversial ingredients are perfectly safe because Winter says "On the basis of available data, the CIR Expert Panel concludes that this ingredient is safe for topical application in the present practices of use and concentration as a cosmetic"? Granted, there were many ingredients that did get a more fair review. Also, this last edition was printed in 1999 and I think we know a lot more now. As a matter of fact, I think that many "bad" ingredients have stopped being used, at least by some of the more conscientious companies. So, I think it's time for a new edition, one that takes into account the progress that has been made in the cosmetics industry and the desire for today's consumers to know about more current research studies. I would recommend Milady's Skin Care and Cosmetic Ingredients Dictionary by N. Michalun, et al, and the Don't Go Shopping books by Paula Begoun over this one. This book is not worth the money and I would almost like my money back.
Rating:
Summary: Cosmeceuticals
Review: I work in the cosmetic, "cosmeceutical" and pharmaceutical industry. This book is key source of information for me and many of the dermatologists that I work with. It is always on our shelf as a reference!
Rating:
Summary: I think this book is good
Review: This book are quite enought information for the publics who wants to know about the ingredients in cosmectic. The title of the book "A Consumers Dictionary of Cosmetic Ingredients" fits it. It's for consumers!!! Be a smart consumer!!!
Rating:
Summary: The only book needed to find out about ingredients.
Review: This eye opening cosmetic ingredient dictionary is the perfect tool for checking out the ingredients in any cosmetic product. There has not been anything left out of the more than 5,000 listings. Ruth Winter has a science background and puts it to good use by telling the reader if the ingredient if allergenic, carcinogenic, or has no known toxicity. In comparison to Aubrey Hampton's "What's In Your Cosmetics?", Winter's book wins without a doubt. Hampton pays too much attention to listing information on natural ingredients and not enough of toxic ones. As a cosmetic ingredient researcher, I appreciate the convenience of having this resource at my fingertips, and you will too!
Rating:
Summary: A Must Have!
Review: This is overall just a great book for any one in the beauty industry or if you are just concerned with what you are putting on yourself or someone else. It gives you other names for the ingredients, where they come from what there used for, how helpful/harmful they could be, and other helpful information. Being an Esthetician this book is a must have and is ALWAYS with me for reference.
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