Are Personal Care Products Toxic?

Chemicals in cosmetics and personal care products are endangering our health. The current laws governing the personal care industry were established in 1938. At that time only two provisions were made for the cosmetics industry, adulteration and labeling. (Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act 1938) Only one amendment has been added since then. In 1960, a provision was made in the use of coal-tar based colors. (Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act 1938, 3) Why do we need new regulations for the personal care industry? Because personal care products are made with toxic chemicals, that have an adverse effect on humans and the environment. There is no legal definition for the term personal care product. The common definition is any product you spray, lather, rub on, apply, or use, on your face, hair, or body, to enhance or clean it. The material put forward in this paper will address a few of the concerns for new laws in the personal care industry. First, they are created with chemicals that are known to be toxic. Second, they pose a severe threat to human health. And finally, the ecological impact of toxic chemicals in personal care products is harmful to the environment. For those reasons, this research suggests regulations for personal care products need to be redefined because they are made with hazardous chemicals, they lead to health issues, and they are damaging to the environment.

In 1894, the Manufacturing Perfumers Association was founded. For the first 10 years its main focus was limited to the taxes imposed on the importing of goods and raw materials. For the next 100 years its focus continued to be on taxation but also included preventing the government from interfering with the cosmetic industry. To date they have met with great success in keeping the government out of it. In 1938, the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act was established, allowing new chemicals being brought into use, to be proven safe. However, chemicals that were already in use were exempt from any testing. Provisions were made in the FD&C Act for the adulteration and mislabeling of products. To be considered adulterous the cosmetic would have to be made from any ingredient considered to be poisonous or harmful to health. For it to be considered mislabeled it would have to be considered false or misleading in its claims. (Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act 1938, 1) Because of a provision in the law the cosmetics industry was not and is not required to provide a list of all ingredients used in the makeup of their products, nor do they have to label all ingredients. Any chemical that is categorized as a trade secret does not have to be disclosed.

In July of 1960, a color additives amendment was added to the Food, Drug, and Cosmetics Act, disallowing the use of certain colors due to their harmful effects on humans. (Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act 1938, 2) However, this was later appealed to exempt cosmetics. (Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act 1938, 3) In 1976, the Cosmetics, Toiletries and Fragrance Association established the Cosmetics Ingredients Review. It was created to review and determine the safety of ingredients, insuring ingredient list were only voluntarily given to the Food and Drug Administration, making it possible for the cosmetic industry to continue to be self-regulating. (CTFA 2011) With the laws as they are, the Food and Drug Administration has no way of knowing what chemicals are being put in the products before they go on the market. Only after multiple complaints, can the FDA run test for product safety. They have to follow the assumption that all products are safe until proven otherwise.

Regulations for the personal care industry are the same today as they were in 1938. Only twice has the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act been updated, and each time nothing was done to ensure public safety. No government agency regulates the safety standards for the chemicals used in personal care products. (Sattler 2006)

A manufacturer can use any label on their product even if it isn't true There are no set standards for using the labels natural or organic. These labels can be used even if there is little to no natural ingredient in the finished product. (Lewis 1998) The use of labels such as wrinkle reducer, anti-aging, formaldehyde free, are often used even though the product cannot produce the results. Mislabeling is one of the provisions in the FD&C Act of 1938 it isn't enforced. An example of this would be a hair product called Brazilian Blow out. Promising to get rid of fizzy hair, it is labeled as formaldehyde free, but it has 12% formaldehyde. The same level used for embalming the dead. (Robbins 2011) According to the FDA, almost any raw material can be used by the cosmetic industry and marketed without approval from any government agency. (FDA 2000) Finally, not all of the ingredients are listed on the label (Robbins 2011)

Many of the chemicals used in personal care products are known toxins. Penetration enhancers are chemicals that allow other chemicals to be absorbed more easily into our skin. They are absorbed directly into the blood stream and by-pass our body's natural detoxification process.

Known carcinogens can be found in most personal care products. Carcinogens are chemical substances that cause changes in cell's DNA, which may eventually lead to tumor growth and cancer. A few examples of this are Acrylamide found in conditioners, moisturizers, denture creams, and makeup, nail polish and skin masks. (cosmeticsinfo.org) Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA) and Butylated Hydroxytoluene (BHT) are used as a preservative and found in conditioners, blush, eyeliner, eye shadow, eyebrow pencils, face powders, foundations, lipsticks, and moisturizers. Talc is also a known carcinogen if it is inhaled or used on the genital area. It is used in baby powders, bath powders, deodorant and some solid make-ups such as blush and eye shadows. (EWG) Formaldehyde is a preservative found in nail polish and some hair products like Brazilian Blowout.

Endocrine disruptors are chemical substances that may either mimic or block hormones and disrupt the body's normal functions. A few examples are Dibutyl Phthalate found in most products and listed as fragrance also found in nail polish. Parabens are found in many products and are listed as preservatives. Also BHT, BHA, and DBP are known endocrine disruptors and possible human carcinogens. (EWG) They are found in lipstick, moisturizers and fragrances.

Reproductive toxins are chemical substances that damage the reproductive systems of both men and women. Reproductive toxins include dibutyl, phthalate, and lead acetate are found in facial cleansers, hair color and hair bleach, and lipstick. Mercury (Thimerosol), usually found as by-product, is found in artificial tears, eye drops, and mascara. Toluene, a neurotoxin, is found in nail care products. (EWG) Neurotoxins are poisons that affect the nervous