But despite its claims of “fair and balanced” results, the CIR is funded by the Personal Care Products Council (PCPC), an industry group of more than six hundred cosmetic companies. In fact, the PCPC reportedly spent over $600,000 on lobbyists in Sacramento to prevent the California Safe Cosmetics Act of 2005, a law that would have required manufacturers to post any unsafe ingredients on product labels, from passing.
Reports from environmental and public-health groups, like the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, have often directly contradicted the “safe” findings of the CIR. In a 2007 study, the Environmental Working Group found that:
- One in thirty products sold in the U.S. fails to meet industry or government safety standards.
- Nearly four hundred products sold in the U.S., such as Crest Whitestrips and Neutrogena daily face cream, contain chemicals banned in Japan, Canada, and the EU.
- Ninety-eight percent of all products assessed contained one or more ingredients never tested for safety.
Many companies acknowledge the danger of the chemicals in their products but insist that using the product as directed minimizes health risks. But before you lather, rinse, and repeat, remember that trace chemical amounts accumulate over time in the human body, and the CIR’s tests don’t account for lifelong use. Your daily body wash might contain a small, permissible amount of phthalates, but over the course of several years, the amount of phthalates in your body can reach extremely unhealthy levels.
A Safer Lipstick, a Healthier You
These days, if you’re not eating free-range, organic, all-natural food, expect to drop dead any minute—at least, that’s what your vegan-fanatic neighbor would have you believe. But Americans are so concerned with what they put in their mouths, they forget to watch what they put on their skin. I’m no different: a trip to Whole Foods’ produce section gives me a sense of superiority, but I still wash my hair with Pantene Pro-V.
Before you pull a Henry David Thoreau and become a hermit in the woods, remember that you can get involved. Tell your congressional representative your concerns about effecting stricter legislation, and try to buy products whose ingredients you can recognize easily. CosmeticsDatabase.com is a wonderful resource for toxicity levels of brand-name products. It’s inevitable that my body will encounter a fair share of toxic chemicals over a lifetime—thank goodness for my liver!—but if I can make small changes to my daily routine, my body will thank me in the long run.
