Do you really get what you pay for?
The saying “you get what you pay for” is currently not true in the cosmetics industry. Words like “natural”, “chemical free”, “organic” or products labeled by the industry as “best products”, “best sellers” or “best brands” are not always true. US federal law allows companies to leave many chemicals off labels, including nanomaterials, ingredients considered trade secrets, and fragrance components that contain harmful chemicals. As consumers, we are often led to believe that we are buying a very expensive product that will do wonders for us. However, we often don’t know how to read labels and link ingredients to carcinogens. While we may be purchasing a very high-quality product, we may also be contributing to the deterioration of our health through continued exposure to chemicals on our skin that invade our bodies.
In the United States, more than 500 products are marketed that contain ingredients that are prohibited in cosmetics in Japan, Canada, or the European Union. Additionally, nearly 100 products contain ingredients deemed unsafe by the International Fragrance Association. Additionally, 22% of all personal care products may be contaminated with the cancer-causing impurity 1,4-dioxane, including many children’s products. More than 60% of sunscreens contain the potential hormone disruptor oxybenzone, which penetrates the skin and contaminates the bodies of 97% of Americans. Finally, 61% of the lipstick brands tested contain lead residues.
Unlike the United States, the European Union (EU), now made up of 25 countries, has more protective and stricter laws for cosmetics. In fact, the EU Cosmetics Directive (76/768/EEC) bans 1,328 chemicals in cosmetics; the US FDA has banned or restricted only 11 of those 1,328 chemicals.
One state that has taken the lead in banning chemicals in products is California. In 2005, California became the first US state to pass state legislation governing the safety and reporting of cosmetic ingredients. As a result, California’s Safe Cosmetics Act requires manufacturers to disclose to the state any chemicals that cause cancer or birth defects. This database is open to the public. The state took action against a company called Brazillian Blowout during November 2010 when it filed a lawsuit over high formaldehyde content in its hair-straightening products.
As consumers, we need to help the US Federal Drug Administration (FDA), the agency charged with overseeing cosmetics, by encouraging Congress to pass stricter requirements. As of today, the FDA does not have the authority to require premarket safety evaluations (which are often done with drugs, medical devices, and biologics). Therefore, cosmetics are among the least regulated products on the market. The fact is that 89 percent of all ingredients in cosmetics have NOT been evaluated for safety by any publicly accountable institution.
Take a stand and get involved in creating a safer line of cosmetic products for the good of our people and planet. Support companies like Johnson & Johnson who have committed to reducing the use of carcinogens in products by 2015. Support the Safe Cosmetics and Personal Care Products Act of 2013 (HR 1385), introduced March 21, 2013 by representatives. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill. and Ed Markey, D-Mass., which is designed to give the US Food and Drug Administration authority to ensure that personal care products are free of harmful ingredients and that ingredients are fully disclosed . Provisions of the Safe Cosmetics and Personal Care Products Act of 2013 include:
1) Phasing out ingredients linked to cancer, birth defects and developmental harm;
2) Creation of a health-based safety standard that includes protections for children, the elderly, workers, and other vulnerable populations;
4) Elimination of labeling loopholes by requiring full ingredient disclosure on product labels and company websites, including salon products and fragrance constituent ingredients;
5) Workers’ access to information about hazardous chemicals in personal care products;
6) Mandatory data sharing to avoid duplicate testing and encourage the development of alternatives to animal testing; and
7) Adequate funding for the FDA’s Office of Cosmetics and Colors so that it has the resources it needs to provide effective oversight of the cosmetics industry.
Join the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics (http://safecosmetics.org). Lastly, Support companies that promote natural, chemical-free products.