Is Your Makeup Safe?
According to the European Union and the state of California, maybe not. Today’s New York Times reports,
The California Safe Cosmetics Act, which took effect on Jan. 1, requires cosmetics companies to tell state health authorities if a product contains any chemical on several government lists covering possible cancer-causing agents or substances that may harm the reproductive system.
State Senator Carole Migden, Democrat of San Francisco, said that such chemicals, even in trace amounts, should be removed from beauty products because they have been found to cause cancer or hormonal changes in lab animals.
“The bill mandates that manufacturers reveal potentially poisonous ingredients,” said Senator Migden, the bill’s author. “I hope that the bill will lead manufacturers to voluntarily eliminate suspect ingredients from cosmetics.”
Now, don’t panic, you’re not going to die tomorrow from overuse of personal grooming products, but it’s always smart to learn as much as you can about anything you put on or into your body. Says the article,
Part of the push for greater oversight stems from concerns about health trends, like increased reports of early puberty, asthma and allergies. Some scientists and health groups want to know if there is any connection to the aggregate exposure to chemicals.
A handful of small case studies and anecdotal reports, published in medical journals, suggest that a few ingredients used in some cosmetics could potentially have a hormonal or allergenic affect on humans.
I don’t wear a lot of makeup because, frankly, I’m lazy, but I do use shampoo, conditioner, body wash, facial cleanser, face and body moisturizer, and antiperspirant. That’s a lot of chemicals! And add in toothpaste, mouthwash, nail polish (like twice a year), and anything else you can think of… Wow.
How do you decide where to draw the line on cosmetics and chemicals?
Contents © Copyright 2007 Kristen King
Tags: antiperspirant, body-wash, chemicals, conditioner, cosmetics, Health, makeup, moisturizer, personal-grooming, Safety, shampoo, woman, women, Womens-Health.gif)
1 opinion for Is Your Makeup Safe?
Cory
Jun 14, 2007 at 9:04 am
I heard about the new California law last week from the gal at the local Wild Oats (a health-food-store chain), who explained that parabens (which are in just about everything) are now banned from products made in California. It took me about 20 minutes to find body cream on the shelf that didn’t contain parabens in it. It’s a good idea to check the ingredients of everything you put on your body, in addition to everything you put in it. You’d be surprised. It’s not just petroleum and aluminum you’ve got to watch out for anymore. Scary!
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