What’s in your Cosmetics?

/

Two U.S. senators, Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein (California) and Republican Senator Susan Collins (Maine), have proposed a bill seeking an assessment by the FDA of the ingredients that are being used in beauty and personal-care products including cosmetics, lotions, and shampoo. This comes after the senators claimed the federal regulations of the ingredients in personal-care products and cosmetics have not been updated for 75 years.

"From shampoo to lotion, the use of personal care products is widespread, however, there are very few protections in place to ensure their safety," said Senator Feinstein.

Legislation Proposed for Regulating Safety of Cosmetics

The bill proposed by the U.S. senators requires that the FDA investigate at least five ingredients in these types of products on an annual basis. After a review of the ingredients in the various products, the FDA would be able to advise whether these ingredients are safe enough to be used and whether they should continue to be used. If they are safe enough for use, the FDA would also evaluate and advise the maximum concentration levels that are safe enough to be included in the products.

Currently, the federal regulatory system of the cosmetic and personal-care product industry allows these companies to create their products using potentially harmful ingredients and chemicals. In addition, they do not have to ensure the ingredients they are using are completely safe for use in humans. It’s about time someone looked into this issue as it is a huge concern regarding the safety of the millions of consumers purchasing and using them on a daily basis.

Will the bill proposed by these two senators make its way into law? Only time will tell. It’s often difficult for many bills to make their way into law. The senators have a large following and support system from various companies within the cosmetic and personal-care product industry, such as Proctor & Gamble, Johnson & Johnson, and Revlon. They also have the support of a trade association which represents over 600 companies.

Beauty Industry and Your Health

As it turns out, the beauty industry in the U.S. is not as pretty on the inside as people think. Many of the cosmetic and personal-care products may contain toxic and dangerous chemicals that have the potential to cause harm in us human consumers who spend millions of dollar each year buying. One in eight of the 82,000 ingredients used in these products are actually chemicals that happen to be reproductive toxins, carcinogens, pesticides, and hormone disruptors.

Should you be worried about cosmetics causing health problems?

Cosmetic and personal-care products often have labels which say to beware of getting them in your eyes or they can cause skin irritation or allergic reactions. These are short-term risks associated with the products and even if they do occur, will go away. However, what you don’t often see is the long-term risk associated with using these products.

It is unclear as to what may happen with long-term use of many beauty products. This is because the long-term effects of the ingredients in these products is not heavily regulated and they have not been tested thoroughly.

Even when they have been tested, the effects are not always clear. Ingredients may be found to be toxic in large quantities, but only a small amount is used in the actual product. Although the way the ingredients are used in the product may differ from how they were tested in the lab.

There is also not much information about what chemicals our bodies may be absorbing. Therefore, the safety of these products is simply unclear and we cannot say that they do not cause health problems.

Are Cosmetics Regulated?

In the U.S., cosmetics are regulated by the FDA. However, the FDA does not require new products to be shown as safe and effective before being sold on the market. They are required to be safe, but the FDA does not have the authority to require the cosmetic companies to test their products before being sold. It is the responsibility of the cosmetic companies to test their products and ensure the safety of the ingredients.

So when you’re out shopping for beauty or personal-care products, make sure to look out for products that having warning labels that say "Warning -- The safety of this product has not been determined."

Until the ingredients in our cosmetic and personal-care products are better regulated, it’s important to look out for some of the harmful chemicals that may be in them. Some of these ingredients may cause cancer, reproductive problems, and a number of health conditions.

Harmful Ingredients to Watch for:

  • BHA and BHT. Found in some makeup and moisturizers.
  • DEA-regulated ingredients. Found in some moisturizers and shampoos.
  • Parabens. Found in a number of cosmetic products.
  • Dibutyl phthalate. Found in some nail care products.
  • Petrolatum. Found in some hair care products, moisturizers, and lip care products.
  • Triclosan. Found in some antibacterial products such as toothpaste and deodorant.
  • PEG compounds. Found in some cream products.
  • Parfum. Found in perfume or any product with a fragrance.
  • Formaldehyde. Found in some hair straightening products (i.e. keratin treatments), and other cosmetics. Formaldehyde is a known carcinogen.
  • Sodium sulfate. Found in some shampoos and cleansers.
  • Coal tar dyes. Found in some hair dyes.