Adults have been encouraged to use natural beauty products in order to avoid over-exposure to harmful chemicals.

Mary Berkery, founder of the Heaven and Earth Day Spa in Dublin, said the average person uses nine personal care products every day.

Speaking to the Irish Times, she warned that these items could contain up to 129 "potentially dangerous" substances.

"If you eat something toxic, your digestive system and liver enzymes will break it down, neutralise it and eliminate it through your bowel and kidneys," Ms Berkery commented.

However, she said that if harmful chemicals are applied to the skin, they go directly into a person's blood stream and lymphatic system.

Ms Berkery has therefore recommended that people adopt a natural skin care regime that is relatively simple.

For instance, she advised only using moisturiser during the day, as night creams can prevent the skin from breathing during the hours of darkness.