Last week a new video, “The Story of Cosmetics,” was released in an effort to raise awareness about the chemicals cosmetics companies use in products. The video was co-produced by The Story of Stuff Project, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics and Free Range Studios. The video is timed to correspond with the introduction of the Safe Cosmetics Act of 2010, H.R. 5786 introduced by Reps. Ed Markey (D-MA), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Jan Schakowsky (D-IL). The proposed legislation would require cosmetic companies to disclose information about the ingredients and chemicals they use in personal care products. According to a press release from the three U.S. Representatives, under current law the FDA cannot require cosmetic companies to conduct safety assessments or follow FDA labeling guidelines on their products. As such, the average consumer has no idea what the risks, if any, are of slathering their skin with lotion containing Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer.
As a feminist, I am very bothered by the fact the cosmetics industry has been allowed to operate unchecked for so many years. I have to wonder if men were the primary users of personal care products would Washington have allowed the industry to go unchecked for so long? After all, advocacy groups claim many household items contain carcinogens and chemicals known to harm animals.
But as a woman-of-a-certain-age, I have to admit, my agenda is slightly different. To be honest, I am more interested in knowing if my L’Oreal Root Rescue™ will really cover 100 percent of my gray coverage than if it contains paraphenylenediamine. And much more important to me at this stage of the game is knowing if my Chanel Rouge Coco Hydrating Crème Lip Colour will bleed into those tiny lines around my mouth than knowing if it contains lead. And the really pressing issue for me is can a woman over 40 pull off OPI Catch Me in Your Net without looking like a fool – not what is Titanium Dioxide?
So while I am in favor of most of what the Safe Cosmetics Act calls for: cosmetic and ingredient testing, ingredient labels on cosmetics, post-market testing, cosmetics and ingredient statements, and mandatory reporting of adverse health effects, I admit, I am a little nervous about giving the FDA recall authority for products that fail to meet a safety standard. I guess I’d first want to know what percentage of the FDA is run by women and if the women are as hooked on Shu Uemura Velvet Perfect Adjusting Powdery Foundation as I am.
