Lead in my lipsticks? No Way!!! As a great advocate of natural beauty products, that was my first reaction as the words in the article caught my attention but the facts were there and just stared right back at me. I had to read the whole article (Toxic Cosmetics, Time magazine, July 7, 2010) and here’s what I found out.
Two lady journalists, Siobhan O’Connor and Alexandra Spunt had decided to get Brazilian blowouts only to find out that the secret straightening ingredient was formaldehyde, a known carcinogen. That revelation prompted them to begin researching into the cosmetic industry and they found out that it was more toxic and less regulated than they had ever suspected. Here are the facts they found out.
Hair: that many hair shampoos and conditioners contain sulfates and preservatives like parabens both of which are potential hormone disruptors.
Eyes: Eye mascara contents may include mercury, a neurotoxin, and coal tar, a carcinogen; eye shadow can be contaminated with 1,4-dioxane linked to cancer.
Skin: Lots of big name moisturizers have parabens and other preservatives while many sunscreens contain oxybenzone, a hormone disruptor.
Lips: Your favorite lipstick may be contaminated with lead, a neurotoxin as well as BHA, a potential carcinogen.
As the two ladies shared in their interview with Time’s wellness blog, the research finding facts that surprised them most was about the laws that govern the cosmetic industry, and that their assumption that the products they “buy and trust and assume have been vetted and approved by some kind of publicly accountable health agency” was not the case.
I must admit myself that I am as shocked to know this as you all probably are. How possible is it that no one regulates this GIANT cosmetic industry? THEY DO NOT REPORT TO ANYONE! What about the Food And Drug Admin you ask? NO! NOT EVEN THE FDA! Apparently, the FDA classifies cosmetics and personal care products but does not regulate them. In 1938, the FDA granted self-regulation to the Cosmetics, Toiletries and Fragrance Association (CTFA), the self-appointed industry organization. The FDA can’t require cosmetic companies to conduct safety assessments, control the labeling of products or force product recalls.
According to Wayne Stevenson of the FDA Cosmetic Registration section, “The cosmetic manufacturers aren’t required to submit safety data to the FDA, so we don’t really know what sorts of tests they run. When they run tests, they keep the results in their own files” (Smelling Good But Feeling Bad”, Franz et al, E Magazine Vol.11, no 1, Jan. 2000). With the exception of color additives and a few prohibited ingredients, a cosmetic manufacturer may use any raw materials as ingredient and market the product without an approval from FDA (“Prohibited Ingredients”, FDA Office of Cosmetics fact sheet, Dec. 19, 1994).
The direct result of this is that many products on the market today that we use constantly are toxic. It’s not surprising then that an investigation by the Chicago Tribune in May 2010 found that some skin-whitening creams had dangerous levels of mercury, enough to cause kidney damage!
The FDA admitted in its “Consumer Complaints for Cosmetics Products 1999 Annual Report” that it receives complaints of adverse reactions to brand-name cosmetics and personal care products in dermatitis/pain/tissue damage categories and also in the nervous system reaction category. Just a fifth of the chemicals in cosmetics have actually been assessed by the FDA’s safety panel.a list of a few of the worst offenders of the thousands of toxic chemicals used in personal and skin care products.
While we are on the long wait for the the Government to wake up and begin to regulate these giant cosmetic companies and put some laws in place that would ensure that less toxic stuff are used in our cosmetics, again let us take decisions that would ensure our own personal safety and those of our loved ones. Wouldn’t it be great if you never had to worry again about what’s in the toothpaste your kids are using? Or what’s in your shampoo, lipstick, lotion, shaving cream, or anti-perspirant and so on? Or what your fish oil supplement is really made of? Forever Living products Company offers a wide range of all-natural health and beauty products and if you made that switch to our products today, you and your family can begin to live a toxin-free and healthy life. Make your choice from our wide and complete range of natural beauty, skincare, personal care, mineral makeup and anti-aging products.
By the way, Siobhan O’Connor’s and Alexandra Spunt’s research findings are now in a new book titled “No More Dirty Looks” where they also highlighted ways to look good and be green at the same time. In case you run into them, tell them there’s also the ‘FLP way’ of looking good and being green at the same time!
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