“It’s time for Congress to overhaul the 1938 cosmetic regulations that are utterly failing to protect public health. Personal care products from deodorants, to lotions to baby shampoos contain chemicals linked to cancer, birth defects, learning disabilities and other health problems,” said Janet Nudelman, policy director of the Breast Cancer Fund.
“The FDA doesn’t even have the authority to recall unsafe products such as face creams linked to mercury poisoning [1] or hair products with high levels of formaldehyde [2],” Nudelman said.
In a recent example, the California Attorney General forced the makers of Brazilian Blowout hair smoothing products to warn consumers about exposure to cancer-causing formaldehyde. But just last week, a hidden camera investigation by Good Morning America revealed that 16 of 16 salons failed to notify consumers about the risk.
“There is a war on women happening every day in salons across the country, where salon workers and their clients are being exposed to harmful cancer-causing chemicals, and the US government is powerless to do anything about it. Current laws are incapable of protecting consumers and salon workers,” said Erin Switalski, of Women’s Voices for the Earth.
“We’re pleased the Energy and Commerce Committee is seriously considering regulating the cosmetics industry, which is currently allowed to use chemicals that have hardly been studied at all in personal care products,” said Jane Houlihan, senior vice president for research of the Environmental Working Group. “Getting cancer-causing chemicals and other harmful toxins out of the products we put on our bodies is an urgent public health and consumer rights issue.”
In a Feb. 17 letter to the Energy and Commerce Committee [3], 50 businesses and 50 environmental groups called for the hearing and urged the Committee to support meaningful regulations that phase out cosmetic ingredients linked to cancer, reproductive or developmental toxicity; create a safety standard for cosmetics; and require full disclosure of ingredients including fragrance and salon products.
These elements are included in the Safe Cosmetics Act [4], a bill introduced into Congress last year by Reps. Jan Schakowsky, D-IL, Ed Markey, D-MA., and Tammy Baldwin, D-WI.
"We hope this is a moment when Congress can rise above partisan politics as usual and take a step forward to better protect our health," concluded Cindy Luppi, New England Director for Clean Water Action. "Thanks to our legislative champions for leading the charge on this critical health issue."
President Obama’s proposed budget for the next fiscal year calls for an additional $19 million in funding through user fees to enable the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to more effectively regulate cosmetics, signaling the White House’s acknowledgement that the agency’s current oversight is inadequate to protect consumers.
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The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics is a coalition of more than 150 nonprofit organizations working to protect the health of consumers and workers by eliminating dangerous chemicals from cosmetics. Core members include: the Breast Cancer Fund, Clean Water Action, Commonweal, Environmental Working Group, Friends of the Earth, and Women’s Voices for the Earth. www.safecosmetics.org [5]
Live and Learn. Learn and Live Better! is my motto. I'm Mardy Ross, and I founded Lumigrate in 2008 after a career as an occupational therapist with a background in health education and environmental research program administration. Today I function as the desk clerk for short questions people have, as well as 'concierge' services offered for those who want a thorough exploration of their health history and direction to resources likely to progress their health according to their goals. Contact Us comes to me, so please do if you have questions or comments. Lumigrate is "Lighting the Path to Health and Well-Being" for increasing numbers of people. Follow us on social networking sites such as: Twitter: http://twitter.com/lumigrate [7] and Facebook. (There is my personal page and several Lumigrate pages. For those interested in "groovy" local education and networking for those uniquely talented LumiGRATE experts located in my own back yard, "LumiGRATE Groove of the Grand Valley" is a Facebook page to join. (Many who have joined are beyond our area but like to see the Groovy information! We not only have FUN, we are learning about other providers we can be referring patients to and 'wearing a groove' to each other's doors -- or websites/home offices!) By covering some of the things we do, including case examples, it reinforces the concepts at Lumigrate.com as well as making YOU feel that you're part of a community. Which you ARE at Lumigrate!
Links:
[1] http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm294849.htm
[2] http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/formaldehyde/hazard_alert.html
[3] http://www.safecosmetics.org/downloads/CSC_ECCletter_2.17.pdf
[4] http://www.safecosmetics.org/article.php?id=965
[5] http://www.safecosmetics.org/www.safecosmetics.org
[6] http://www.safecosmetics.org/article.php?id=988
[7] http://twitter.com/lumigrate