A not so happy anniversary: last week marked 82 years since the United States passed a major law regulating the safety of ingredients in personal care products. The last one, the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, was passed in 1938. Since then, the EU has banned close to 1400 chemicals and restricted levels of over 250 more. The US has only partially banned 30. Let that sink in.
This means that the ingredients in the products you use every day could be harmful to you and those you love.
We’ve learned a lot since 1938, mainly that the ingredients and chemicals we’ve been using definitely aren’t as safe as we thought they were, science shows us that exposure to them matters and yet there is little to no regulation about what we put on our bodies.
There’s a lot of information – and misinformation – out there, and as consumers it’s so important for us to know the facts so we can make well informed decisions to keep ourselves and our families safe. As advocates, understanding the current situation helps us advocate for change. Ready to get up to speed?
FAST FACTS
DID YOU KNOW that our skin is our body’s largest organ? When we think about health we often focus on what’s going on inside our bodies and forget about what’s on the outside – the skin plays an important role in regulating our health!
DID YOU KNOW that every product that comes into contact with our skin has the potential to be absorbed and eventually make its way into the bloodstream? Yes, I said potential – not every ingredient will make it’s way there – but toxic burden is very real. A 2008 study found 16 hormone-altering cosmetics chemicals in teen girls tested and a whopping 287 chemicals in the umbilical cord blood of 10 newborn babies.
DID YOU KNOW that toxic burden and build up isn’t always immediate? Typically it happens little by little – the hormones in our animal products, trace contaminants in our water, the heavy metals in our makeup, the mold in our homes, the pollution in the air – it builds and it builds and it builds. Sadly, we often don’t realize it until there’s a bigger problem later in life.
DID YOU KNOW that when it comes to beauty and personal care products, women are disproportionately exposed to toxic chemicals? On average, women use 12 products containing 168 unique ingredients every single day. By contrast, men use 6 products, with 85 unique ingredients.
DID YOU KNOW that each of those 168 unique ingredients is potentially harmful? Toxic ingredients and contaminants found in cosmetics and personal care products act as endocrine disruptors which can have a profound effect on our hormones, reproductive system, metabolism and natural detox pathways. These ingredients have also been linked to ovarian cancer, breast cancer, the early onset of puberty, fibroids and endometriosis, miscarriage, poor maternal and infant health outcomes, diabetes and obesity, and other health problems.
DID YOU KNOW that on top of that, in the US, women of color are exposed to even higher levels of toxic chemicals from beauty products? Consider this: less than 25% of beauty products marketed to women of color are rated as safe by the Environmental Working Group. As a result, Black, Indigenous and women of Color disproportionately suffer from more chronic diseases related to harmful chemical exposure than their white counterparts. More on this to come.
DID YOU KNOW that there are thousands of chemicals on the market today – most without safety data? After a 40 year hiatus the most recent updates from EPA indicate that official number is close to 40,000 and yet there still aren’t great protocols in place to track or monitor their usage and safety concerns, especially when it comes to personal care products and cosmetics. Per the FDA, “the law does not require cosmetic products and ingredients, other than color additives, to have FDA approval before they go on the market.” Consider the below statement from the FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, M.D., made just last year:
To be clear, there are currently no legal requirements for any cosmetic manufacturer marketing products to American consumers to test their products for safety.
On top of that, once ingredients and products are on the market the FDA has no authority to recall them. If you want to learn more about this, watch the hearing on “Building Consumer Confidence By Empowering the FDA to Improve Cosmetic Safety” from this past December.
SO WHAT NOW?
Friends, products and ingredients should not be innocent until proven guilty. As Gregg Renfrew so aptly stated:
We should not have to compromise health in the name of beauty. This is a women’s health issue. This is a family health issue. It is our issue. And it is one we can do something about.
For over 7 years, Beautycounter has tirelessly advocated for more regulations, better beauty laws and a cleaner, safer future for all. When it comes to ingredients, we ban over 1,800 questionable ones and test all of our products for heavy metals, allergens and trace contaminants including, but not limited to formaldehyde, parabens, phthalates, lead, cadmium, arsenic, mercury, antimony and many others. Click here for our Social Mission Report, which details all of our efforts from the past year.
Beautycounter exists to get safer products in the hands of EVERYONE. But we can’t do it alone – there is power in numbers and we need your help to implement meaningful change!
WHAT YOU CAN DO
- Fill out a postcard or send an email and ask your Senator for Better Beauty laws. Not sure who to contact? Click here and select your state!
- Text “BETTERBEAUTY” to 52886 to urge your lawmakers to pass more health-protective laws in the personal care industry. Your voice matters!
- Become a Better Beauty consultant and join the clean beauty revolution. If you think we’re just selling lipstick, you’re not paying attention. This is bigger than beauty – this is about changing an industry and the more voices we have, the better!
- Vote with your dollar by always supporting brands that put people and planet first. When you purchase, use and share Beautycounter products you’re supporting our mission, too!
I urge you to commit to doing one of these things today! It may seem small, but every small change leads to a big impact. Let’s use our collective voices and GIVE ‘EM LIP!
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