A new survey has revealed that two thirds of UK consumers are in favour of more transparency in the beauty industry around the potential safety of ingredients.

The report by showerstoyou.co.uk found that 63% of Brits are unaware of potential health risks in common cosmetic ingredients, and over half (56%) don’t check the ingredients before buying a product.

Respondents to the survey were shown 100 ingredients, including sodium laureth sulphate (SLES) and titanium dioxide, and asked to identify their use in products, choosing from three options.

They were then asked to identify the potential risks of each ingredient using the same method and an average of correct answers was calculated for both answers.

Only 41% managed to correctly identify the purpose of these ingredients, while just 37% identified the potential risks they carry ­– meaning 63% of respondents were completely unaware of reported potential risks including carcinogenic, allergenic and reproductively toxic properties associated with some of these ingredients.

In light of the results, Showerstoyou.co.uk investigated further consumer attitudes to the cosmetic industry and found that over half of respondents stated they don’t check the ingredients of a product before buying it.

Over half (61%) believe the cosmetics industry should be more regulated to avoid potentially dangerous ingredients, while 66% agreed that brands and manufacturers should share more of their processes and list all ingredients in their products.

Finally, when asked whether they think governing bodies should have more control over the cosmetics industry, 50% of responsdents said yes. Others were less emphatic, with 27% suggesting they should have power in some areas, and 23% disagreeing.