Did you know that many of the major
brands of personal beauty products that we use everyday have a plethora of
harmful chemicals in them? They’re full of toxic, carcinogenic chemicals that
have been proven to cause cancer. Currently, it is the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), that oversees the cosmetics industry, but it has no real
authority to regulate much of anything that goes into the products. They don’t
require any pre-market safety assessments of personal care products before they
are shipped off to the public, and cosmetics are among the least-regulated products
on the market today. The FDA does not review – nor does it have the authority to
regulate – what goes into cosmetics before they are marketed for salon and
consumer use. In fact, 89 percent of all ingredients found in cosmetics have
not been evaluated for safety by any publicly accountable institution. Ironically,
most consumers believe that the U.S. government regulates the cosmetics
industry in the same way that it regulates the food and drug industries, and
many people just assume that they are holding the beauty product industry to
the same high standards as they do the drug and food industries. We expect that
they are making sure that the products that we are using are safe for our
families. The terrifying truth is that nobody's paying any mind when it comes
to most shampoos, toothpastes, deodorants, skin moisturizers, lotions, baby
products, cosmetics, and many other personal care products. Some of the major
chemicals used to preserve the freshness of many products, like those used in
many deodorants, are actually hormone disruptors that mess with the natural
hormone levels of our bodies. The industry also uses many of the same high
strength chemical cleaners that are used in engine degreasers and antifreeze in
many major brand name toothpastes, mouthwashes, and shampoos. Not to mention
that after conducting multiple tests, they found that there was lead used in
lipsticks, and it took two years of the public pressing in on the issue before
the government would even reveal their findings to the public. So, how do
we go about fixing this issue? Well, we would have to get Congress together and
change some laws. According to the FDA, "[a]
change in FDA's statutory authority over cosmetics would require Congress to
change the law." So that’s what needs to happen now, because the current
restrictions put on the regulation of the cosmetics industry in the United States
is not working. I think that consumers deserve a government that protects them
from unsafe chemical exposures in the cosmetics they use every day. What do you
think?
Want to read more? Here's a great link to a list of some
toxic chemicals to avoid the next time your shopping for shampoo, toothpaste,
deodorant, or whatever it is you shop for.
Did you know that many of the major
brands of personal beauty products that we use everyday have a plethora of
harmful chemicals in them? They’re full of toxic, carcinogenic chemicals that
have been proven to cause cancer. Currently, it is the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), that oversees the cosmetics industry, but it has no real
authority to regulate much of anything that goes into the products. They don’t
require any pre-market safety assessments of personal care products before they
are shipped off to the public, and cosmetics are among the least-regulated products
on the market today. The FDA does not review – nor does it have the authority to
regulate – what goes into cosmetics before they are marketed for salon and
consumer use. In fact, 89 percent of all ingredients found in cosmetics have
not been evaluated for safety by any publicly accountable institution. Ironically,
most consumers believe that the U.S. government regulates the cosmetics
industry in the same way that it regulates the food and drug industries, and
many people just assume that they are holding the beauty product industry to
the same high standards as they do the drug and food industries. We expect that
they are making sure that the products that we are using are safe for our
families. The terrifying truth is that nobody's paying any mind when it comes
to most shampoos, toothpastes, deodorants, skin moisturizers, lotions, baby
products, cosmetics, and many other personal care products. Some of the major
chemicals used to preserve the freshness of many products, like those used in
many deodorants, are actually hormone disruptors that mess with the natural
hormone levels of our bodies. The industry also uses many of the same high
strength chemical cleaners that are used in engine degreasers and antifreeze in
many major brand name toothpastes, mouthwashes, and shampoos. Not to mention
that after conducting multiple tests, they found that there was lead used in
lipsticks, and it took two years of the public pressing in on the issue before
the government would even reveal their findings to the public. So, how do
we go about fixing this issue? Well, we would have to get Congress together and
change some laws. According to the FDA, "[a]
change in FDA's statutory authority over cosmetics would require Congress to
change the law." So that’s what needs to happen now, because the current
restrictions put on the regulation of the cosmetics industry in the United States
is not working. I think that consumers deserve a government that protects them
from unsafe chemical exposures in the cosmetics they use every day. What do you
think?
Want to read more? Here's a great link to a list of some
toxic chemicals to avoid the next time your shopping for shampoo, toothpaste,
deodorant, or whatever it is you shop for.
http://jmunay.blogspot.com/
ReplyDeleteGood read!