Spring Break
Are your cosmetics worth the risk?
Lara Oliver
Issue date: 9/23/08 Section: Opinion
We preen. We polish. We conceal. We endanger our health.
At least, that's what various independent scientific studies have been finding across the country.
Every day American women put on lipstick, foundation and other cosmetics, without any idea that what they use to look beautiful could potentially be endangering them, and even their unborn children.
The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, and various independent tests done by doctors and researchers have found that not only have various leading cosmetic companies been skirting regulatory safety testing, they have also been including dangerous ingredients like lead and phthalates in their products. The CSC found that over one-third of major lipstick brands contained at least enough lead in the lipsticks to be considered too dangerous for products such as candy, and that 70 percent of products such as shampoos, lotion and personal fragrances contain the dangerous ingredient phthalate.
When used by pregnant women, phthalate has been linked with the "feminization" of male babies. Side effects included incomplete testicular descent and smaller genital size.
This information, and the fact that makeup products legally only need one percent organic ingredients to carry the label "organic," makes me a very worried consumer.
Apparently, cosmetics makers are worried too.
While information regarding the dangerous chemicals in women's cosmetics is coming to light, lobbying groups have been descending upon Capitol Hill for "Fragrance Days" in order to give free samples of their products to law makers. Similarly, the URL for the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics (safecosmetics.org) has been repeatedly copied and re-worded in order to detract Internet traffic away from this non-profit organization.
While the issue of organic ingredients may not be as important for one consumer as it is for another, I feel the issues of lead in our products and possible dangers to unborn children are.
With the recent uproar over lead in our children's toys, why is there not a similar outrage over what we put on our mouths?
The Food and Drug Administration takes careful steps to control harmful toxins we might ingest, so why isn't there a similar government group for cosmetics?
Right now, cosmetic companies have free reign over their products, with only a loose grip of health procedures. Laboratory testing done by these companies makes sure we don't end up with blue skin, but seem to avoid phthalates and their potential dangers?
It's time female consumers stopped letting the cosmetic companies play Russian roulette with our bodies and demand safety in our products.
To learn more about the danger in many of our everyday products visit safecosmetics.org. Find out if your brand of makeup is doing the proper job of keeping you both pretty AND safe.
This writer can be contacted at opinion@theeastcarolinian.com.
At least, that's what various independent scientific studies have been finding across the country.
Every day American women put on lipstick, foundation and other cosmetics, without any idea that what they use to look beautiful could potentially be endangering them, and even their unborn children.
The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, and various independent tests done by doctors and researchers have found that not only have various leading cosmetic companies been skirting regulatory safety testing, they have also been including dangerous ingredients like lead and phthalates in their products. The CSC found that over one-third of major lipstick brands contained at least enough lead in the lipsticks to be considered too dangerous for products such as candy, and that 70 percent of products such as shampoos, lotion and personal fragrances contain the dangerous ingredient phthalate.
When used by pregnant women, phthalate has been linked with the "feminization" of male babies. Side effects included incomplete testicular descent and smaller genital size.
This information, and the fact that makeup products legally only need one percent organic ingredients to carry the label "organic," makes me a very worried consumer.
Apparently, cosmetics makers are worried too.
While information regarding the dangerous chemicals in women's cosmetics is coming to light, lobbying groups have been descending upon Capitol Hill for "Fragrance Days" in order to give free samples of their products to law makers. Similarly, the URL for the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics (safecosmetics.org) has been repeatedly copied and re-worded in order to detract Internet traffic away from this non-profit organization.
While the issue of organic ingredients may not be as important for one consumer as it is for another, I feel the issues of lead in our products and possible dangers to unborn children are.
With the recent uproar over lead in our children's toys, why is there not a similar outrage over what we put on our mouths?
The Food and Drug Administration takes careful steps to control harmful toxins we might ingest, so why isn't there a similar government group for cosmetics?
Right now, cosmetic companies have free reign over their products, with only a loose grip of health procedures. Laboratory testing done by these companies makes sure we don't end up with blue skin, but seem to avoid phthalates and their potential dangers?
It's time female consumers stopped letting the cosmetic companies play Russian roulette with our bodies and demand safety in our products.
To learn more about the danger in many of our everyday products visit safecosmetics.org. Find out if your brand of makeup is doing the proper job of keeping you both pretty AND safe.
This writer can be contacted at opinion@theeastcarolinian.com.
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