Why the Beauty Industry Needs a Makeover: The Story of Cosmetics

True or False: The government prohibits dangerous chemicals in personal care products, and companies wouldn’t risk using them. False.

Author:
Janelle Sorensen
Updated:
Nov 16, 2018
Original:
Jul 26, 2010

True or False: The government prohibits dangerous chemicals in personal care products, and companies wouldn’t risk using them.

False.

The Story of Cosmetics, storyofcosmetics.org, reveals the truth of the pervasive use of toxic chemicals in our everyday personal care products, from lead in lipstick to carcinogens in baby shampoo and the implications for human health and the environment. It also outlines ways we (yes, you and I) can move the industry away from hazardous chemicals and towards safer alternatives.

Major loopholes in U.S. federal law allow the $50 billion beauty industry to put nearly any chemical into personal care products, even chemicals linked to cancer and birth defects, with no required safety assessment and inadequate labeling requirements—making cosmetics among the least-regulated consumer products on the market.

• More than 500 products sold in the U.S. contain ingredients banned in cosmetics in Japan, Canada or the European Union.

SoCosmetics_Still

• Nearly 100 products contain ingredients considered unsafe by the International Fragrance Association.

Scroll to Continue

Recommended for You

Huberman Labs Overcoming Guilt and Building Tenacity in Kids and Adults

Christmas at Disneyland is as magical as you can imagine, and now, with the Disneyland Festival of Holidays, there are even more shows, parades, foods, and holiday treats to enjoy!

Just when you think they can’t possibly pack any more joy, entertainment, and heartwarming storytelling into Disneyland…they do! Disneyland’s new ride, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, is a delightful and thrilling extension of the fairytale The Princess and The Frog.

• 22% of all personal care products may be contaminated with the cancer-causing impurity 1,4-dioxane, including many children’s products.

• 61% of tested lipstick brands contain residues of lead.

Only 8 out of over 12,000 ingredients have been banned by the FDA in personal care products since 1938!

Please Share the Film and Take Action to Protect Health and the Environment

Share The Story of Cosmetics on Facebook or...

...tweet all about it

...send an e-card

...grab the embed code for your web site

Here are ten toxic products, in no particular order, that you don’t need. And, once you read about them, you probably won’t want them either.

Tub

What you put on your skin can end up in your body, so you should choose personal care products with the same attention you give to choosing healthy foods. Better yet – make your own products by using ingredients that are safe enough to eat!

WINDOW

No matter how busy you are, now there are no excuses for not making a healthier home. Here’s how you can make a significant difference in only 10 minutes!

Mother and son cooking

Everyone's heard the cliché "you are what you eat." And, it's true - your health is intimately connected to the foods and drinks you put in your body. But, have you ever stopped to consider what other impacts your food choices may have?

Poison Prevention

Did you know March 14th through the 20th is National Poison Prevention Week? I am personally thankful for the many Poison Control Centers across the country.

iStock_000010171194XSmall

You've made the switch to safer cleaners at home, but what about when your child is off at daycare or school?

iStock_000002157757XSmall

Hormones are responsible for much more than just acne in teenagers and mood swings in pregnant women.

2790753499_475cb28dfd

I can’t count how many times I’ve heard people say, “I’d love to buy organic food, but I just can’t afford it.” I get it. We can’t afford an all organic diet at my house either. But, eating organic doesn’t have to mean buying organic. You can grow your own.

CLOSE

CLOSE

CLOSE

CLOSE