Ominous synthetics roaming the skin care landscape…mysterious chemicals with disputed toxicity or even carcinogenicity remaining unregulated on store shelves. How this could be? Maybe the risks are overblown. Maybe in such small amounts they’re not really harmful. Surely if it were that bad, the FDA or someone would step in.
Unfortunately, that’s not how it works. The US system puts most of the burden on consumers to inform themselves about risks. Of course, accessing relevant information is next to impossible, let alone practical. The system of regulation is lax, under-enforced, painfully slow, and ultimately insufficient. Is the Government forcing manufacturers to adhere to strict labeling guidelines so consumers can make informed decisions? Is it monitoring the packaging coming from China or analyzing products before they hit the shelves? Is it banning ingredients that have some evidence of toxicity or carcinogenicity, even where banned the world over? No, no, and in many cases, no.
There are independent sources out there that are helping. Visit the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep database of cosmetics or go to the NRDC’s site for environmental and health issues. Sana has condensed relevant information about the most commonly found risk items: Phthalates, Parabens, Bisphenol A (BPA), Endocrine Disrupting Sunscreen agents, as well as related issues like bio-accumulation, infant susceptibility, and nanotechnology. Hope it helps.
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