Safe Cosmetics - Part 2

It is our natural state to aspire to look and feel the best we are capable of. It helps in our business and personal lives. But, do we need to give up our health? Find safe alternatives for your beauty products.

3. The government should be protecting us, but it's not.
Major loopholes in federal law prevent the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or any other government agency from approving the safety of cosmetics and body care products before they can be sold. The European Union now bans more than 1,100 chemicals from personal care products because they may cause cancer, birth defects or reproductive problems. In stark contrast, just 10 ingredients are banned from cosmetics in the United States.

One-third of personal care products contain at least one chemical linked to cancer, according to the Skin Deep report by the Environmental Working Group, a partner in the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics.

Note: I recently read that many thousands of women develop lung cancer, even if they have never smoked. Could it be from the ocean of carcinogenic ingredients that we are using daily, morning and evening on our hair, skin and face? Think about this the next time you enter the cosmetics counter in the department or pharmacy store.

4. You can't believe the industries safety claims.
Manufacturers say their products are safe. But what do those claims really mean? It may mean that the company has tested the ingredients it uses—but only to determine if the chemicals cause rashes, swelling or other acute reactions. Companies are not required to test the ingredients in their products to determine if they cause longterm, negative health effects, such as cancer or the inability to have a healthy child. Since there is no government standard for safety, companies can say whatever they want about the safety of their products.

Ingredients in personal care products in the U.S.: 10,500. Portion of chemical ingredients in cosmetics that have been assessed for health and safety by the industry’s self-policing safety panel: 11%

Note: Your self-education and daily purchases toward healthier, safer cosmetic and body care products are the only way this type of deception will change. With the many billions of dollars at stake, what is the incentive to care about our health.

Tana Dean is an ecopreneur, her internet eco business TanaDean.com also includes a monthly enewsletter and blogs. Her book Your Money, Your Power: 10 Ideas for Mindful Spending to Create a Healthy, Green Planet, empowers people to use their daily purchasing decisions and actions to positively change our environment, corporate responsibility and health. Purchase Certified Organic Skin Care.