Contaminated personal care products are harming consumers.
It’s been far too long since the federal laws that govern cosmetics safety have been revisited and revised by lawmakers. Thousands of new chemicals, many of which are harming people, have been added to the ingredients lineup since the last time the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) performed chemical safety evaluations, which means that nobody really knows how these compounds are affecting people.
Fortunately, there’s significant bipartisan support for a fresh undertaking into cosmetics safety laws. California Senator Dianne Feinstein, a Democrat, and Maine Senator Susan Collins, a Republican, are jointly pushing a new bill that would give the FDA the power it needs to review the most dangerous chemicals currently being used in cosmetics. This bill is supported by not only public health groups, but also a number of cosmetics companies across the country.
While the list of safety concerns with cosmetics is already very long, and continuing to grow, there are a handful of urgent safety concerns that the two senators are making a priority with their proposed legislation. These represent some of the most pressing safety concerns with cosmetics – and especially those that are marketed and sold to children:
• Asbestos in children’s products. A number of cosmetics products sold by Justice and Claire’s with children in mind have been found to contain asbestos,
• Mercury poisoning. Certain skin-whitening creams were the subject of a recent import alert after the FDA detected mercury, a known neurotoxin.
• Bacterial contamination. All sorts of body washes, face powders, eye shadows, and lotions have been tested and found to be contaminated with pathogens known to harm humans. (MORE)
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