Ruth Winter, M.S. See book keywords and concepts |
If, on the other hand, a company uses older cosmetic ingredients that have long ago been tested on animals, they can then say their "new" cosmetic versions have not been tested on animals.
"As far as we know," says Neil Wilcox, D.V.M., director of the FDA's Office of Animal Care and Use, "what these companies do is use, for the most part, old reliable ingredients that have been proven safe [based on past animal data and a history of safe use] and then test the final product on people. |
Mark Schapiro See book keywords and concepts |
The seventh amendment mandates that chemicals determined to be carcinogens, mutagens, or reproductive toxins—known collectively as CMRs—be removed from cosmetics sold in Europe6 (It also mandates a phase-out in the testing of cosmetic ingredients on animals.)
Amendment seems almost too soft a word to evoke the radical impact the Europeans are having on the multibillion-dollar global cosmetics industry. These were standards of an entirely different order than those to which Procter & Gamble and every other cosmetics producer had long been accustomed. |
| The Koreans shortly thereafter imposed more stringent oversight over cosmetic ingredients than the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which had originally given the agency, in the aftermath of the Korean War, its name and mandate. The Koreans based their reforms largely on the guidelines contained in the seventh amendment.
Four months after my initial conversation with Dr. Long, I called him again. The company had noticed the changing international climate around cosmetic regulation. |
Paul D. Blanc, M.D. See book keywords and concepts |
Although some cosmetic ingredients have been banned by specific regulations, this action is rarely taken (the FDA's action to limit vinyl chloride, independent of OSHA, is one of the few examples of such a step).
In the case of methyl methacrylate, the FDA sought a court injunction for a single manufacturer and limited sales by seizing materials from several others. Some states followed up with local bans on methyl methacrylate, but despite these restrictions, the product has continued to be widely used even in states where it is supposedly prohibited. |
Stacy Malkan See book keywords and concepts |
Launch a new consumer-friendly website with scientific information about cosmetic ingredients.
The industry's counter move to the Compact for Safe Cosmetics and the Skin Deep website would be launched in 2007. Pamela Bailey summed up the goals of the new campaign. With the new high-power lobby team "we're going to take the facts to the policy-makers in other states about the strong FDA regulatory standards and the reliable science that we all know is behind each of your products. |
| Under the new legislation, which went into effect January 1, 2007, cosmetics companies must disclose to the state if their products contain ingredients linked to cancer or birth defects; the state can also demand health-related information about cosmetic ingredients from manufacturers, and regulate products to protect salon workers if a risk is determined — all of which are good first steps toward safer cosmetics, but hardly revolutionary. "It's a lot of drama for a bill that seems rather modest, since it wouldn't ban any ingredients or require new labeling. |
| According to Jane Houlihan's analysis, just 11 % of cosmetic ingredients have been reviewed by the industry's Cosmetic Ingredient Review panel — the only publicly accountable institution that screens cosmetics ingredients for safety in the US.
The Skin Deep analysis also revealed deep deficiencies in the industry's self-policing panel. The panel is "dominated by dermatologists and almost all their decisions are driven by consideration of skin irritation or sensitization," Jane observed. |
| The attached statement from the CTFA said the European Union's new Cosmetics Directive (which banned 1,100 ingredients from cosmetics) "represents an unnecessary change in the philosophy of regulations of cosmetic ingredients in the EU. First of all, it may remove valuable ingredients from use in the EU. In addition, it ignores exposure information that would be used to assess whether there could be any harm from the use of such ingredients." The statement explained that in the US the cosmetics industry and FDA work together to ensure the safety of products. |
| And in lieu of the standardized toxicological testing proposed by the Eagleton Bill, the industry proposed the self-monitoring Cosmetic Ingredient Review panel, which in 30 years has reviewed just a fraction of cosmetic ingredients and found the vast majority to be "safe as used." Thomas Eagleton knew that was not going to be good enough. "Self-regulation of any kind is a myth," the former senator said. "FDA knew we were right, but finally concluded that they were already overwhelmed in other regulations. |
| Here is the most important thing to remember: All cosmetic ingredients are CHEMICALS (another word for "ingredient" is "chemical").
To be fair, these environmental organizations are concerned about carcinogenic, mutagenic and fetal toxicants; aggregate exposure to chemicals; chemical mixtures; and worker exposures to high levels of suspect chemicals. "Many ingredients are not tested for this." The groups want products reformulated to eliminate known or probable carcinogens, mutagens and fetal toxicants regardless of exposure levels in one product. "That's impossible but that is what they want. |
Ruth Winter, M.S. See book keywords and concepts |
Judith Foulke, "Cosmetic Ingredients: Understand the Puffery," FDA Consumer, DHHS Publication No. (FDA) 93-5013, reprinted May 1992. made in ads. Many of the ads, however, are fairy tales for grown-ups—use this product, and you will look younger and be irresistible.
In 1975, the FDA tried to publish regulations defining hypoallergenic to mean a lower potential for causing an allergic reaction but was defeated by two cosmetic companies, Almay and Clinique, which claimed consumers already understood that hypoallergenic products were no panacea against allergic reactions. |
| Loprieno, "Guidelines for Safety Evaluation of cosmetic ingredients," Food Chemistry Toxicology, 30 (9): 809-15, 1992.
28Dori Stehlin, "Cosmetic Safety: More Complex Than at First Blush," FDA Consumer, May 1995, Publication No. (FDA) 93-5012. that of an animal cornea upon exposure to irritants. The other is vertebrate cell cultures from humans and mice.
Draize may be impossible to replace with a single alternative test, says Sidney Green, Ph.D., a toxicologist with the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. |
Brenda Watson and Leonard Smith See book keywords and concepts |
The following are the top ten synthetic cosmetic ingredients to avoid. Aubrey Hampton calls them the "10 most wanted"; I recommend visiting the site at www.aubrey-organics.com for more information.
TOXINS: THE 10 MOST WANTED LIST
Methyl, propyl, butyl, and ethyl paraben:
These villains help extend the shelf life of products and prevent microbial growth. But not only can they trigger allergic reactions and skin rashes, studies have shown that they are weakly estrogenic and can be absorbed by the body through the skin. |
Ruth Winter, M.S. See book keywords and concepts |
This has been one of the major themes of all editions of A Consumer's Dictionary of cosmetic ingredients, but now it is echoing through the colorful, scented halls of the cosmetic, toiletries, and fragrance industry itself. A fierce battle is raging to sell products to a changing population in hard economic times.
When the last edition of this book was published in 1994, there were basically two distinct tiers of cosmetic marketers:
1. Prestige marketers, which offered products in fancy containers dabbed on us by trained cosmeticians who provided advice; and
2. |
Paula Begoun and Bryan Barron See book keywords and concepts |
After all, one good sales pitch about an "exclusive formula" or a revolutionary new ingredient, and your pocketbook could easily be lighter—by $100 to $500—for a 1-ounce jar of standard cosmetic ingredients, or for ingredients that can't possibly live up to the claims made for them.
I know that I can't stop the cosmetics industry from force-feeding consumers an endless stream of expensive products and misleading or erroneous claims and information, but I also know there are enough women who are interested in seeing the other side of the picture to motivate me to continue to do what I do. |
David Steinman See book keywords and concepts |
J ^
The tragedy is that the problem could have been averted with a few cents' worth of vacuum stripping, and not enough companies took the measures to eliminate these questionable safe cosmetic ingredients. The laboratory that was used is widely regarded as one of the best. |
Ruth Winter, M.S. See book keywords and concepts |
The basic purpose of the review is to gather information from the scientific literature and from company files on the safety of cosmetic ingredients and make that information publicly available.
If a safety problem with a cosmetic product arises after it's been marketed, the FDA can take action to obtain the manufacturer's safety data on the product. Because there is not yet enough information on alternatives to animal testing to validate their use in ensuring human safety, the FDA, at this point, would only accept animal safety data. |
Ruth Winter See book keywords and concepts |
Also used to prevent irritation from other cosmetic ingredients.
SORBITAN ISOSTEARATE • See Sorbitan Fatty Acid Esters. SORBITAN LAURATE • Span 20. Oily liquid, insoluble in water, soluble in alcohol and oils. An emulsifier in cosmetic creams and lotions; a stabilizer of essential oils in water. No known toxicity.
SORBITAN MONOOLEATE • Polysorbate 80. An emulsifying agent for special dietary products and pharmaceuticals, a defoamer in yeast production, and a chewing gum plasticizer. An unintentionally administered daily dose of 19. |
Ruth Winter, M.S. See book keywords and concepts |
Still, as you can determine in this new edition of A Consumer's Dictionary of cosmetic ingredients, more and more "botanicals" are being added to cosmetics including antiaging products as well as other "treatment" and beautifying ingredients. The European market is particularly focused on finding legendary and newly discovered active botanicals.10
The FDA's Dr. Bailey says the agency is concerned about some botanicals being added to cosmetics since little is known about certain plant ingredients. |
Paula Begoun and Bryan Barron See book keywords and concepts |
Unfortunately, the vast majority of consumers don't know how to read a cosmetic's ingredient list because it is phenomenally technical and vast (there are thousands and thousands of cosmetic ingredients). That complexity means that most of us can only rely on the unregulated claims and assertions the marketing copy boasts about. Yet taking the time to decipher the ingredient lists is the only way to make a rational decision when it comes time to purchase skin-care products. But then again, that's my job security! |
| But given that almost all cosmetic ingredients can trigger breakouts for some people, and that the problem is not so much with a single ingredient as with combinations of ingredients, and given there are millions of permutations of ingredients, there is no way to determine exactly which combination is a problem. We've all bought products labeled "noncomedogenic" that have made us break out. The fact is, these terms are not only bogus, they can never really be true (Source: www.fda.gov). |
| Over the past several years, the amount of documented and peer-reviewed research on skin-care and cosmetic ingredients has grown tremendously. Serious investigation has increased exponentially on all fronts—from antioxidants, anti-irritants, skin-identical ingredients, and cell-communicating ingredients, to how skin ages, why skin wrinkles, how skin heals, what the effects of hormones are on skin function, and how to treat blackheads and acne, not to mention giving us a better understanding of how sun and oxygen destroy skin and why irritation is harmful for skin. |
| Another problem with this kind of product is that it adds another layer on the skin, and the buildup of cosmetic ingredients on the face can be pore-clogging. A well-chosen foundation color and blush can easily provide the color balance you are looking for without adding another layer of strange makeup colors to your skin.
FACE POWDERS: Face powders come in two basic forms: pressed and loose. I evaluate them on the basis of whether they go on sheer, shiny, chalky, or heavy, and whether they are too pink, peach, ash, or rose. |
| Weaknesses: Consistent and pervasive use of volatile fragrant oils that are irritating, allergenic, and/or photosensitizing for skin; no effective AHA or BHA products; no skin-lightening or effective anti-acne products; only one sun-care product that does not contain problematic ingredients; average foundations and eye pencils; bad concealer and mascara; this direct sales line perpetuates false information about several cosmetic ingredients; overzealous sales representatives; returning a product is not easy or convenient. |
Paula Begoun See book keywords and concepts |
What the FDA cares about is the content of a cosmetic, meaning that it should contain only cosmetic ingredients, and ruling that when a product does contain over-the-counter drug ingredients it must meet the (much more stringent) regulatory demands fot that ingredient.
It is within the purview of the FTC to be concerned about deceptive or erroneous advertising claims. "When the substantiation claim is express (e.g. |
Mark Schapiro See book keywords and concepts |
What it does do, however, is clarify what ingredients are not permitted in cosmetics—namely, those that may contribute to cancer, may have mutagenic effects, or may damage the reproductive system. Procter & Gamble hired a staff of compliance officers and lawyers responsible for ensuring its ingredients passed the Europeans' new toxicity screen. "We comply with the laws wherever we operate," Pollet said. Indeed, his company has rarely been brought to court for violating either EU or U.S. laws pertaining to the safety of its products. |
Paula Begoun See book keywords and concepts |
Mineral oil is one of the most benign of all cosmetic ingredients, rivaling even water in terms of lack of irritation potential. Regardless of the myths, for the hait it is a good conditioning agent, providing slip and conditioning effects on all degrees of dry hair.
When I use the term thickener, I'm referring to those ingredients that add texture, thickness, viscosity, spreadability, and stability to a product. Thickeners (when used as emulsifiers) are vital for their ability to help keep other ingredients mixed together. |
Mark Blumenthal See book keywords and concepts |
The composition of the cream was not analyzed to determine the identity of the purported ginseng contents and what level of ginseng may have been present; it is probable that other cosmetic ingredients in the preparation, intended and approved for safety in facial dermal application, but not for mucous epithelia, were responsible. The WHO discusses reports suggesting potential estrogen-like effects in premenopausal and postmenopausal women after use of ginseng. |
Grace Ross Lewis See book keywords and concepts |
LAURYL ALCOHOL
DODECYL BENZENE SODIUM SULFONATE__
Products and Uses: Various uses in cosmetic ingredients and detergents.
Precautions: Moderately toxic by swallowing. A skin and severe eye irritant.
Synonyms: CAS: 25155-30-0 ? DETERGENT ALKYLATE ? BIO-SOFT ? DDBSA ? DODECYLBENZENESULFONIC ACID SODIUM SALT ? DODECYLBENZENESULPHONATE, SODIUM SALT ? SODIUM DODECYLBENZENESULFONATE ? SODIUM LAURYLBENZENESULFONATE ? SULFRAMIN ? ULTRAWET
DODECYLBENZYL MERCAPTAN__
Products and Uses: A metal compound and an odorant chemical for cleaning and polishing metals. |
Arthur C. Upton, M.D. See book keywords and concepts |
| The CIR panel of experts evaluates the safety of cosmetic ingredients before they are placed on the market and also scrutinizes test results for signs of adverse effects.
The number of complaints related to cosmetic injuries is most likely vastly un-derreported. Rather than see their physician, a person who experiences an adverse reaction to a product on the market simply switches to another product, or treats him- or herself. Only when serious reactions occur in a number of people is it likely that a product will be recalled or banned for cosmetic purposes.
Atopic Dermatitis. |