Cosmetics industry

Email this page to a friend

Want news about Cosmetics industry and more e-mailed to you? Click here for free email alerts

Don't Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me, 7th Edition Paula Begoun and Bryan Barron See book keywords and concepts

BUZZWORDS The following are a few of the more popular terms you may have seen or heard in marketing jargon for cosmetic products that get hyped and overhyped by the cosmetics industry. Although you might have heard them, you may not be aware that they have little to no meaning when it comes to what you will actually be putting on your skin or what is effective or a waste of your money. Here's what's behind the buzz.

Not Just a Pretty Face: The Ugly Side of the Beauty Industry Stacy Malkan See book keywords and concepts

As you'll read in the pages ahead, companies are making decisions all over the board. The cosmetics industry contributes more than just a little bit to the chemical problem. Hundreds of tons of chemical-containing beauty products are sold every day — and applied to people's bodies.

Exposed: The Toxic Chemistry of Everyday Products and What's at Stake for American Power Mark Schapiro See book keywords and concepts

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. Until then, the health implications of the 10,500 ingredients that the Food and Drug Admiinistration says are contained in cosmetic and personal-care products were given little attention on either side of the Atlantic.

Not Just a Pretty Face: The Ugly Side of the Beauty Industry Stacy Malkan See book keywords and concepts

The new Cosmetics Directive was a major regulatory shift, one that could have huge implications for the cosmetics industry. Fox Guards the Henhouse Most people in the US believe the government makes sure personal care products are safe. However, this is not the case. The US Food and Drug Administration does not have the authority to require companies to safety test personal care products before they go on the market and cannot even recall defective or possibly harmful cosmetics. Instead, the industry gets to "police itself through a group called the Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) panel.

The CIR panel is funded and run by the cosmetics industry through its trade association, the Cosmetic, Toiletry, and Fragrance Association. The panel has seven voting members, with nonvoting memberships for the trade association, the FDA and a consumer group. Charlotte and Jane were about to get a good look at how this system works.

Besides all that, Jane noticed early on in the deliberations that the panel was being heavily influenced by cosmetics industry representatives. At one point when a question arose from the panel about exposure levels, Gerald McEwan, the vice president of science at the trade association, "was literally calculating exposure numbers on, basically, his lunch napkin and then feeding those numbers to the panel," Jane said. Charlotte Brody was the one to explain the European Union plan to ban chemicals suspected of causing cancer and birth defects from cosmetics.

Health is a result of action, not luck: Principles for achieving optimum health Mike Adams, the Health Ranger See article keywords and concepts

The cosmetics industry offers the illusion of results without effort The cosmetics industry, of course, survives almost entirely on this dissociation. It wants you to believe that you can look beautiful by applying skin creams, lotions and facials on the outside while completely ignoring what's happening on the inside. In fact, the cosmetic industry doesn't even talk about internal nutrition. It warns people to stay out of sunlight when sunlight is exactly what you need in order to be healthy. It only talks about covering up and masking your skin.

Don't Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me, 7th Edition Paula Begoun and Bryan Barron See book keywords and concepts

If there is any consistent lie that won't go away in the cosmetics industry (aside from undoing wrinkles), it is this one. It is well established in scientific and dermatological journals that fragrance, whether natural or synthetic, is problematic for skin (Sources: Acta Dermato-Vene-reology, 2007; volume 87, issue 4, pages 312-316); Dermatology, 2002, volume 205, number 1, pages 98-102; Contact Dermatitis, December 2001, pages 333-340; and Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology, May 2001, pages 172-178).

On the one hand, it is a fascinating experience to create a book that page after page uncovers and reveals the web of secrets, missteps, and duplicity the cosmetics industry spins out of thin air and puts on exhibit for unsuspecting but captivated consumers. On the other hand, I know that speaking up for reality and honesty in this business is an endless battle that even after thousands of pages, I know I can never win.

Not Just a Pretty Face: The Ugly Side of the Beauty Industry Stacy Malkan See book keywords and concepts

Major loopholes in federal law allow the $20-billion-a-year cosmetics industry to put unlimited amounts of phthalates into many personal care products with no required testing, no required monitoring of health effects, and no required labeling," said the Not Too Pretty report.8 "To our knowledge, the 72 products detailed in this study represent the most comprehensive information available on the occurrence of phthalates in individual beauty care products." Yet the study represented just a tiny fraction of products on the market.

Don't Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me, 7th Edition Paula Begoun and Bryan Barron See book keywords and concepts

However, while it seemed certain to me that much of the cosmetics industry was grossly misrepresenting its products, at the time I had no way to confirm my suspicions. But back to 1977 when I started at the department-store cosmetics counter. On my first day, I was assigned to work behind the Calvin Klein counter (Klein had a makeup line then that lasted only a brief period; it was resurrected in 1999 and then again in 2007; perhaps the third time will be the charm) and the Elizabeth Arden counter. With no previous training or information about these lines, I was told to sell the products.

Health is a result of action, not luck: Principles for achieving optimum health Mike Adams, the Health Ranger See article keywords and concepts

The cosmetics industry offers the illusion of results without effort The cosmetics industry, of course, survives almost entirely on this dissociation. It wants you to believe that you can look beautiful by applying skin creams, lotions and facials on the outside while completely ignoring what's happening on the inside. In fact, the cosmetic industry doesn't even talk about internal nutrition. It warns people to stay out of sunlight when sunlight is exactly what you need in order to be healthy. It only talks about covering up and masking your skin.

PDR for Herbal Medicines, Fourth Edition Thomson Healthcare, Inc. See book keywords and concepts

The pharmaceutical and medical industries use peanut oil as a vehicle for medication in external, enteral, or parenteral preparations; the cosmetics industry uses it in skin, sun, and massage oil. Domestically, it is used as a salad or cooking oil that is said to lower blood cholesterol levels. Indian Medicine: Peanut oil is used for constipation, neuralgia, and dislocated joints. precautions and adverse reactions No health hazards or side effects are known in conjunction with the proper administration of designated therapeutic dosages. contraindicated In the presence of peanut allergy.

Timeless Secrets of Health & Rejuvenation: Unleash The Natural Healing Power That Lies Dormant Within You Andreas Moritz See book keywords and concepts

Many people now have large numbers of phthalates (plasticizers used to make plastic flexible; also used in the cosmetics industry) accumulated in their body. Plastic products are water and fat-soluble. The body's natural way of protecting itself against toxic chemicals, such as those seeped from plastic bottles, is to store them in fat cells and connective tissues. This survival response can lead to weight gain and unsightly cellulite in women.

PDR for Herbal Medicines Joerg Gruenwald, Ph.D. See book keywords and concepts

The pharmaceutical and medical industries use peanut oil as a vehicle for medication in external, enteral or parenteral preparations and the cosmetics industry uses it in skin, sun, and massage oil. Domestically, it is used as a salad or cooking oil that is said to lower blood cholesterol levels. PRECAUTIONS AND ADVERSE REACTIONS No health hazards or side effects are known in conjunction with the proper administration of designated therapeutic dosages. DOSAGE Mode of Administration: As an enema, oil, bath additive, medical and cosmetic vehicle.

Not Just a Pretty Face: The Ugly Side of the Beauty Industry Stacy Malkan See book keywords and concepts

But in the US, it was obvious the cosmetics industry held more sway. After about an hour of debate, the CIR panel issued its ruling that phthalates were "safe as currently used" in cosmetics. "We laid out all of the science on phthalates for them and they essentially said that, yes, phthalates can be dangerous, but not at the low levels present in cosmetics," Charlotte explained. "I didn't expect them to ban phthalates.

Exposed: The Toxic Chemistry of Everyday Products and What's at Stake for American Power Mark Schapiro See book keywords and concepts

The one significant player notably absent from this still-ongoing reform of the global cosmetics industry is the FDA, which continues to operate with limited policing powers while many of America's economic peers and competitors increase oversight. In the process, the FDA is becoming less relevant to the production decisions of a major business that literally touches almost every American daily. After lunch, Joris Pollet and I strolled along those pleasant pathways on Procter & Gamble's Brussels "campus.

For the cosmetics industry overall, much of their product line is not subject to U.S. regulations at all. Francine Lamoriello, a vice president for global strategies at CTFA, told me that a good number of the association's membership comes from Europe and elsewhere, including L'Oreal from France, Unilever from the Netherlands, and Shiseido from Japan; Brazilian, Korean, Dominican, Peruvian, and other international companies are also among its membership.

Don't Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me, 7th Edition Paula Begoun and Bryan Barron See book keywords and concepts

THE BASIC FACTS The questions I have been asked repeatedly over the years are these: If the cosmetics industry's promises and claims are often disingenuous, if many companies operate under shared ownership, and if you can't rely on what the ads or products describe, then what is real? What is and isn't possible when it comes to treating your skin and skin-care needs?

This lipstick is a great example. Rather than just positioning it as a creamy, "all-day moisturizing" lipstick with rich color, Cover Girl's angle is to address the needs of women concerned with lips that become thinner with age. IncrediFULL is said to plump lips and add volume, and they even go so far as to proclaim it enhances the natural lip line! The ingredients allegedly responsible for such effects are vitamin E and various B vitamins, including niacinamide.

Lluvia skin care line from Amazon Herb Company offers healthy skin solutions without toxic chemicals Mike Adams, the Health Ranger See article keywords and concepts

The secret to healthy skin Over the years, my criticism of the entire cosmetics industry has been quite consistent. The industry teaches people that they don't have to be healthy from the inside. All they have to do is buy the right products and they can cover up everything from the outside. I strongly disagree with that line of thinking. Even now, with this wonderful product line from the Amazon Herb Company, I would never recommend that anyone use this product as his or her sole health regimen.

Health is a result of action, not luck: Principles for achieving optimum health Mike Adams, the Health Ranger See article keywords and concepts

This is how the cosmetics industry traps people in a cycle of dependence on their products. I know many people with really great skin, and these people don't use any cosmetics whatsoever -- no lotions, no creams, no perfumes, no makeup, and so on. Instead, they follow very healthy diets and lifestyles. They engage in regular physical exercise, eat organic foods or raw foods, and avoid all processed foods, dairy products and meats. In fact, they don't buy anything in a box. They basically buy fresh produce. A lot of these people are juicers.

Advertising trains people to behave like lab rats Mike Adams, the Health Ranger See article keywords and concepts

This is especially the way it works in the cosmetics industry, which promises to make you young, sexy or beautiful. In fact, cosmetics, more often than not, just poison your skin with toxic ingredients that don't belong in the human body in the first place. I've written an entire book that goes into more detail about these tactics that advertisers use to seduce people into purchasing their products. This book, "Health Seduction," explores the seductive tactics used by food companies, beverage companies, cosmetic manufacturers and pharmaceutical companies.

Don't Go Shopping for Hair-Care Products Without Me Paula Begoun See book keywords and concepts

Having analyzed and reported on the cosmetics industry for years, I am acutely aware that there are many products that perform as well as mine. I believe my products offer excellent value for their quality and performance. I leave them unrated because of my obvious bias, but as I have stated before, these products are just one set of great options among many—the final decision is yours. For more information about Paula's Choice, call (800) 831-4088 or visit www.paulaschoice.com. All Over Hair & Body Shampoo ($12.

Mineral oil gets a bad rap in the cosmetics industry for being harsh or unnatural, when in fact it is neither. 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.

In the cosmetics industry, there are indeed wonderful "natural" ingredients that have remarkable benefits for skin—but that's not the case for hair. Natural ingredients, particularly vitamins, minerals, and plant extracts, in and of themselves, cannot clean hair, cling to hair, or perform any function of conditioning or styling. Plus, because hair is not alive these ingredients can't function the same as they can on skin. The very notion is ludicrous.

REPPED: Don't Go Shopping for Hair-Care Products Without Me Getting beyond the Hype Over the years, my books, newspaper columns, and newsletters have been based strictly on my earnest desire to get beyond the hype and chicanery of the cosmetics industry and to provide straightforward information that a consumer can really use to look and feel more beautiful. Though I have studied many aspects of the cosmetics and hair-care industry over the past 20 years, I am not a cosmetics chemist, a doctor, or a scientist.

Organic is a big buzzword that has permeated the cosmetics industry, even though there aren't any regulated standards regarding the use of organic ingredients in hair-care products. Until standards are set, there is no advantage to choosing hair-care products made with tiny amounts of organic ingredients. Moreover, the ingredient lists for the Bio products do not indicate the plant and fruit extracts are organic, nor is there any third-party certification on the product labels (which is the standard established for foods that are labeled organic).

All the news that's fit to print—as long as it's what the cosmetics industry wants the consumer to know. Inasmuch as I find the technical or editorial information in fashion magazines to be swayed and prejudiced by the power of the magazines' advertisers (and therefore completely unreliable), the pictorial essays regarding the latest hairstyles or hair-color trends are nothing less than brilliant. Fashion magazines are the quintessential source for fashion news and lore and should be consulted whenever the need arises for a fashion update.

Staying Healthy in a Risky Environment: The New York University Medical Center Family Guide Arthur C. Upton, M.D. See book keywords and concepts

There are very few federal standards that govern the cosmetics industry. The FDA relies upon the federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetics Act of 1938 to monitor this industry. Under this statute, adulterating or misbranding any cosmetic is prohibited. If the FDA determines that a cosmetic is not safe or that it contains false or misleading labeling, it can (continued) onm numems 69 Box 4.4 COSMETICS SAFETY (continued) take action, mainly to ask the manufacturer to voluntarily recall the product before the FDA bans its sale.

page 1 of 2 | Next ->

FAIR USE NOTICE: The research quoted here is provided under the protection of Fair Use provisions and published by the 501(c)3 non-profit Consumer Wellness Center for the purposes of public comment and education. Authors / publishers may submit books for consideration of inclusion here.

TERMS OF USE: Read full terms of use. Citations of text from NaturalPedia must include: 1) Full credit to the original author and book title. 2) Secondary credit to the Natural News Naturalpedia as a research resource and a link to www.NaturalNews.com/np/index.html

This unique compilation of research is copyright (c) 2008 by the non-profit Consumer Wellness Center.

ABOUT THE CREATOR OF NATURALPEDIA: Mike Adams, the creator of this NaturalNews Naturalpedia, is the editor of NaturalNews.com, the internet's top natural health news site, creator of the Honest Food Guide (www.HonestFoodGuide.org), a free downloadable consumer food guide based on natural health principles, author of Grocery Warning, The 7 Laws of Nutrition, Natural Health Solutions, and many other books available at www.TruthPublishing.com, creator of the earth-friendly EcoLEDs company (www.EcoLEDs.com) that manufactures energy-efficient LED lighting products, founder of Arial Software (www.ArialSoftware.com), a permission e-mail technology company, creator of the CounterThink Cartoon series (www.NaturalNews.com/index-cartoons.html) and author of over 1,500 articles, interviews, special reports and reference guides available at www.NaturalNews.com. Adams' personal philosophy and health statistics are available at www.HealthRanger.org.