Bad Reaction To A Beauty Product?

If you experience an adverse reaction to a product, call your local doctor or seek medical care right away. Then report your experience to the FDA as soon as possible.

Mail: Write to the Food and Drug Administration Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Office of Colors and Cosmetics, 200 C Street, S.W., Washington, DC, 20204.

Phone: Or call the FDA Consumer Complaint Coordinator in your state; to obtain the telephone number of the coordinator in your area, call 800-270-8869.

Online: To reach the FDA via online, log on to their website: www.fda.gov.

The FDA- and most reputable cosmetics companies- are highly responsive to consumer complaints. If the FDA receives a cluster of complaints concerning one product or a type of product, it will investigate, so taking the time to make a complaint can make a difference.

 

Animal Abuse & Beauty Products

Here's a list 6 of the most revolting animal, and human ingredients that are still in products today:

1) Human Placenta: The protein-rich lining of the womb, expelled after birth, was first used in the 1940s. Because of its hormone content, manufacturers claimed that placental material would stimulate tissue growth and eradicate wrinkles. When the FDA challenged these claims, manufacturers changed their pitch, but still claimed that placenta was an aid to aging skin.

2) Animal Amniotic Liquid: The fluid that surrounds and protects a cow or ox fetus, touted as a valuable source of protein and vitamins, is used in shampoos and moisturizers.

3) Fish Scales: Used in some glitters, and glittery eye shadows.

4)"Live" Sheep Cells: Used in anti-aging skin treatments.

5) Beetle Carapace: The shell of a beetle is the source of "carmine," a common ingredient in red lipsticks.

6) Cattle, ox, or swine brain cells: Used in moisturizers.
So until truth in advertising-and consumer safety- is better enforced, a healthy dose of skepticism is not only reasonable but required.

The Safe Cosmetics Act of 2010

For the first time in 70 years, Congress is ready to close the gaping holes in the outdated federal law that allows chemicals linked to cancer, birth defects, learning disabilities and other illnesses in the products we use on our bodies every day.

On July 21, Reps. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., Ed Markey, D-Mass., and Tammy Baldwin, D-Wisc., introduced the Safe Cosmetics Act of 2010 (H.R.5786), which gives the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authority to ensure that personal care products are free of harmful ingredients.

This legislation will affect every American—everyone who puts on moisturizer or uses shampoo or deodorant. More and more people are concerned about unsafe chemicals in our everyday lives, and getting these toxics out of the stuff we rub on our bodies every day is just common sense. It will also help the cosmetics industry by fostering the development of the safer products American consumers are demanding.

Good for Consumers, Businesses and Innovation

When there's cancer-causing chemicals in baby shampoo, hormone disruptors in fragrance and lead in lipstick, you know the regulatory system is broken. That's what you get when you have an entire industry that's practically self-regulated.

Existing law – the Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act of 1938 – cedes decisions about ingredient safety to the cosmetics industry. Under the current law, the FDA can't require cosmetics companies to conduct safety assessments, and can’t even require product recalls. In a recent example, the FDA could not recall skin whitening creams that were found to contain illegal levels of toxic mercury.

This legislation will be good for consumers, but it will also level the playing field for businesses that are making the safest products. New advancements in science have exposed the health risks of repeated exposures to low-dose hazardous chemicals – while also enabling green chemists to develop safer, non-toxic formulas. The cosmetics industry as a whole has not kept pace with safety innovations due to a weak regulatory system that encourages ignorance about chemical hazards and allows companies to hide the true toxicity of products.

What's in the Legislation?

According to our understanding of the Safe Cosmetics Act of 2010, provisions of the legislation would:

• Phase out ingredients linked to cancer, birth defects and developmental harm;
• Create a health-based safety standard that includes protections for children, the elderly, workers and other vulnerable populations;
• Close labeling loopholes by requiring full ingredient disclosure on product labels and company web sites, including the constituent ingredients of fragrance and salon products;
• Give workers access to information about unsafe chemicals in personal care products;
• Require data-sharing to avoid duplicative testing and encourage the development of alternatives to animal testing;
• Provide adequate funding to the FDA Office of Cosmetics and Colors so it has the resources it needs to provide effective oversight of the cosmetics industry; and
• Level the playing field so small businesses can compete fairly.

What You Can Do

Ask your U.S. Representative to support the Safe Cosmetics Act. Congress needs to know that this issue is important to constituents!

Learn more about this issue and get your friends and family involved: Watch the short film, The Story of Cosmetics, and share it with people in your life.

More Information

Press release: Toxic Chemicals in Cosmetics: New Legislation to Prevent Exposure (July 21, 2010)

Cosmetics manufacturers: What does this bill mean for your business?

Library of Congress: Bill text for H.R.5786

Contact for legislative offices: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , Director of Program and Policy, Breast Cancer Fund, 415-346-8223 x24

The Safe Cosmetics Act of 2010: What it Means for Cosmetics Companies By shifting away from the toxic chemistry and polluting technologies of the past, American companies will lead the way in a global marketplace where consumers are demanding the next generation of safer, non-toxic products.

Changing Safety For Cosmetics And Beauty Products

Concerns over possible carcinogens and other toxic ingredients in cosmetics has prompted calls from both Congress and the industry for tighter regulation of the chemicals used in those and other personal care products.

In Congress, Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) introduced a bill on Tuesday calling for cosmetics makers to register with the federal government and for larger cosmetics firms to pay user fees to enforce the regulation.

The Safe Cosmetics Act of 2010 also would require all ingredients in a cosmetic product to be listed on the label, and would give the Secretary of Health and Human Services two years to develop a list of prohibited or restricted ingredients.

Under the bill, cosmetics manufacturers would be required to notify the federal government of consumer reports of adverse health effects from their products, and to use alternatives to animal testing.

Schakowsky said during a teleconference Wednesday that she introduced her bill -- which was co-sponsored by Reps. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) and Ed Markey (D-Mass.) -- because "Americans need to know that their cosmetics and personal care products don't contain chemicals that could harm them."

She noted that cosmetics manufacturers aren't currently required to list all their ingredients on the package, "and when investigators have gone looking, they have turned up toxic chemicals: A recent Chicago Tribune investigation sent skin lightening creams to a lab for testing and found dangerous levels of mercury -- a banned substance -- in some of the products."

Schakowsky said that current cosmetics laws are "woefully out of date, and Americans are at risk of being unknowingly exposed to harmful chemicals."

For its part, the Personal Care Products Council, a lobbying group for cosmetics manufacturers, released its own plan for regulation last week. It would require all cosmetics manufacturing facilities to register with the FDA, to disclose all product ingredients to the FDA, and to report any serious adverse events to the agency.

The industry plan also would require the FDA to "establish safe levels of trace constituents in cosmetic ingredients and products."

The agency also would be required to review the safety of any ingredients used in cosmetics and other personal care products, and establish "good manufacturing practice" requirements.

The council detailed its proposal in a letter to Congressional leaders, urging them to pass the legislation needed to enforce the proposed rules.

Council president and CEO Lezlee Westine said in a statement that although cosmetic products "remain among the safest in the marketplace ... Nonetheless, we believe it is time to develop a more contemporary approach that includes a greater federal regulatory role ... Our consumers deserve multiple layers of protection and transparency."

Schakowsky said she was glad the council saw a need for increased oversight, "particularly given the fact that, at the moment, they have virtual free rein to put dangerous chemicals into their products with very little federal intervention."

But, she said, she doesn't want the council's letter to overshadow her bill.

"This legislation requires real FDA oversight and relies on independent scientific analysis by the FDA of the manufacturers' claims about which ingredients are safe," she said. "And, most importantly, that safety standard would ban entirely the use of dangerous chemicals in cosmetics -- something the cosmetics industry opposes."

Better regulation of cosmetics also is the focus of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, which on Thursday released a video urging consumers to lobby for safer cosmetic products.

The campaign, founded by a coalition of groups including Clean Water Action, the Breast Cancer Fund, and Friends of the Earth, noted in a press release that endocrine disruptors, carcinogens, and other toxic chemicals are found in many personal care products, including lipstick and baby shampoo.

The New York Times gets it wrong in an otherwise nice article about organic labeling of health and beauty products:

"Synthetic ingredients used in cosmetics are generally considered safe. The Food and Drug Administration requires that cosmetics makers make sure that their products are safe."

Actually, it's probably true that most people consider cosmetic ingredients – synthetic or otherwise – to be safe, but that's likely because they're also assuming that FDA requires safety testing – and they don't. In fact, they can't. And the only thing FDA could do, which is set a safety standard, so at least all the self-policing companies have something similar to shoot for in their non-required, private tests, they refused to do in September.

Find out more about the "generally considered safe" ingredients, and a selection of organic beauty products within our directory, all you need to do is signup!

 

Annie Leonard does it again. This time she tells us about all those products in the cosmetics aisle that we use so many of every day (12 for women, 6 for men, on average). If you're familiar with her wildly successful Story of Stuff, you know what you'll get in this 8-minute video: the startling facts, delivered in a way that makes sense to all of us. So if you've ever read a label in the cosmetics aisle and, brow furrowed, wondered whether anyone out there (like the government, perhaps) is making sure all those ingredients are good for you, this short video is for you. Cause, by the way, they're not. Check it out:

 

 

ThermaSkin, ThermaScalp, and ThermaFeet

All three are each designed to increase blood flow and circulation by creating a thermal action, triggering nerve receptors to release chemicals that promote topical healing. The caffeine and capsaicin in each formula also promote topical absorption of the other ingredients including herbal extracts, antioxidants and Alpha Lipoic Acid.

“Skin pores and hair follicles get clogged and irritated because of environmental factors such as allergens and pollution. Daily use of soaps and shampoos can also cause harm over time due to added chemicals and preservatives. This leads to itching, dryness, inflammation, scaling and other adverse skin conditions. Increasing surface blood flow and absorption is the key to triggering new skin cell growth while promoting healthy skin pores and hair follicles. Increased circulation promotes healing and that’s what our new caffeinated capsaicin body sprays were designed to do,” says Niles Porter, Director of Sales for GSC Products, LLC.

Aside from caffeine and capsaicin, Greensations body sprays also contain other proven herbal extracts along with Vitamin C and Alpha Lipoic Acid. Although the capsaicin is derived from hot peppers, these formulas don’t burn, but they do provide a soothing tingling feeling that is guaranteed to stop any itch fast. According to the manufacturer, these all natural body sprays trigger noticeable healing upon the very first application.

 

ThermaSkin features Yuzu Oil, Green Tea, Witch Hazel and Kola Nut to provide fast and long lasting relief for a variety of symptoms related to Dermatitis, dry skin, rashes, acne and even bug bites. This caffeinated capsaicin skin spray works for all skin types, and it balances topical PH to promote healthy skin.

ThermaScalp features Saw Palmetto, Pygeum and Nettle extracts to invigorate hair follicles for thicker growth and a healthy scalp. Dryness and itching are eliminated almost instantly with just a few sprays, and the relief lasts for up to 8 hours. This formula is designed for all hair types including bald heads.

ThermaFeet uses a higher concentration of capsaicin than its sister brands, along with Black Walnut and Goldenseal, to reduce foot pain and increase circulation to the feet and toes. This formula also relieves numbness, dryness and itching. It’s especially good for diabetics who are concerned about the circulatory health of their feet.

 

“All three body sprays use the power of hot peppers and caffeine to increase topical blood flow, circulation and absorption, but each product also has added herbals that specifically target the skin, scalp and feet. These are three very diverse and very effective natural products,” adds Porter.

 

 

These products will surely have you embracing your natural side. With genuinely good for you ingredients, Revolution has taken the world of organic beauty by storm with their exceptional line of products designed to make you look and feel beautiful, naturally. I have not had the luxury to try them yet my self, but I have noticed alot of great reviews on these products and theres lots of buzz going around about the founders Melissa Shabinsky and Alexandra Zanella. Here's what the two lady's had to say about their mission:

"As beauty industry veterans and consumers ourselves, we were concerned and confused by product labels making natural & organic claims. After much research it became obvious that the certified organic USDA seal best represented the authenticity of organics and our Brand. Our vision translated into a collection of healthy, pure, certified organic products that filled our beauty void … we hope it fills yours."  -- You can read that and much more by visiting their brand site.

Well said ladies, I can't wait to try these out!

Revolution Organics are free of dyes, fillers, and other harmful ingredients, the Revolution skincare line is a small collection of items that are multitasking, multipurpose, and altogether something special.

Revolution Organics Lip Balm is a vitamin packed, all natural, super hydrating lip balm. It is the truly the cure for dry, battered lips.

Revolution Organics Body Balm is a multipurpose, moisturizing stick. It smells of lemony goodness, and holds the cure to most of your skincare woes.

Revolution Organics All Over Skin Creme is a thick, super rich body creme designed to quench dry skin with an infusion of moisture. With over 15 organic ingredients which include aloe vera, shea butter, olive oil, and organic green tea, the all over creme instantly smooths and repairs dry damaged skin with all natural ingredients. The creme is relatively thick, and extremely hydrating without being greasy.

• organic aloe vera leaf juice skin conditioning agent. natural barrier & shields skin from toxins, destroys bacteria, aids in the healing of skin trauma and dryness. relieves inflammation, irritation & redness. sooths itching nourishes tissue with nutrients e & c. humectant & emollient, promotes skin healing for radiant skin.
• organic shea butter superb moisturizer. extremely high in vitamin a which may improve many skin conditions: wrinkles, eczema, dermatitis, insect bites, sunburns etc. high in vitamin e benefiting anti-aging, increasing micro-circulation.
• organic rice bran extract outstanding source of b-vitamins, antioxidants and anti-aging botanicals
• organic olive oil softens, stimulates & moisturizes skin. scars are reduced, inflammation is calmed. has regenerating power on skin tissue and is able to regulate natural moisturizing system of skin. anti aging properties, vitamin a & e, powerful antioxidant.
• organic sweet almond oil high nutritional value for all skin types. protects and conditions skin. rich in vitamins and proteins. absorbs deeply into skin for radiance and health.
• organic apricot oil high in vitamin e c & a. skin softening, penetrates without an oily finish. rich in fatty acids to retain moisture and elasticity in skin.
• organic thyme essential oil bactericide, powerful antiseptic properties, enhances immune system, calms the nervous system while stimulating the mind.
• organic green, white & coolong tea Protects against free radicals, may absorb UV rays and act as partial natural sunscreen. Reduces redness & inflammation. Protects collagen & elastin from being broken down, reduces signs of aging, stimulates cell rejuvenation.

Wow, I can't believe all these good moisturizers are crammed into one bottle, for that, I have listed this one in our directory, I want to hear about your experience with this one lady loves! Give us some feed back. Click here to submit/read reviews on the Revolution Organics All Over Skin Creme!

Whether you are looking to go the organic route, or just looking to experience purer beauty, Revolution Organics is an excellent way to go.

The Green Beauty Bible

Jo Fairley and Sarah Stacey explain how they've made it their mission to wade through 'ethical' cosmetics, sorting the good from the bad.

Review by Laura Sevier, the Ecologist's Green Living Editor

 

There was a time when it took effort and know-how to track down an organic moisturiser or shampoo. Now there’s a Neals Yard Remedies on almost every high street; supermarkets and chemists have got their own natural brands and mainstream glossies run features on how to be ‘naturally gorgeous.’

Over the last five years there’s been an extraordinary explosion in the number of natural and organic beauty products. When I started working for The Ecologist four years ago the scene was easy to keep tabs on. There were the old-school brands like Weleda (founded in 1921), and Dr Hauschka (launched in 1967) along with a string of small-scale pioneers making handmade balms and body lotions from a workshop in their garden.

Growing Green Beauty

Now barely a week goes by without another press release about a new skincare line. Natural beauty which goes by many names – ‘eco’, ‘ethical,’ ‘green,’ or ‘organic’ – is big business. According to Organic Monitor, the UK market is worth £110m and global sales of natural and organic cosmetics are increasing by over US $1 billion a year. Nowhere is this more evident than in the Whole Foods flagship store in London where you can browse 25 different brands.

These days there is so much choice that there is even a book, The Green Beauty Bible (now available in paperback) that has tested 1850 products in a bid to help you find the best. I spoke to the book’s authors, Josephine Fairley and Sarah Stacey, to find out why we now need a ‘Bible’ to show us how to shop.

Label Anxiety
Does the overuse and abuse of the world ‘natural’ and ‘organic’ on labels have anything to do with it? ‘There are now an extraordinary number of products,’ says Sarah. ‘But just because a product has a tomato on the label it doesn’t mean it’s natural.’

Looking at the label is fine if you have a ‘list of ingredients to avoid’ list or a search engine on hand. But for most people it’s a complicated and confusing experience.

To make things simpler they developed a ‘daisy rating.’ With the help of an industry expert they assessed each product based on their ingredients. One daisy indicates ‘mostly botanical’ (with a small percentage of petrochemically-derived ingredients.) Two daisies means ‘botanically-derived with no synthetics’ and three daisies is a mark that it is certified organic.

The Best Of The Tests

For their book, all 1,850 products were sent to ten 'real women' to be tried and tested. There is, however, no such thing as a free lunch. Or mascara. 'We give very complicated forms to our testers,' says Jo. Only the top scoring products made it into the Bible.

The result is perhaps the most practical book on natural beauty available, covering everything from suncream and toothpaste to facial oils and fragrance. It’s more than just a ‘best buys’ product catalogue. As well as rating the top cleansers/eye pencils/conditioners it also flags up  environmental issues such as the importance of buying organic cotton flannels. There are plenty of tips from experts too, that don't involve splashing out - the art of facial massage for instance.

Natural Pioneers

Both Jo and Sarah’s interest in natural beauty goes back a long way. For Jo, the starting point was reading a series of books on natural living under the Vogue imprint when she was ‘about twelve’.

'There were lots of natural recipes for cosmetics, so I had a go. They had a very early influence on me. It was really weird that they were Vogue imprints!'

In the late eighties she wrote a green column for The Times called ‘Ecosphere’, and became a beauty editor in 1991. Since then she's been at the forefront of the organic food and natural beauty movement.

Sarah has written about the environment since the eighties, first in a column for The Telegraph, then at the Daily Express in the nineties when she began to look at what goes into skincare. ‘I was looking at campaigning on GM and I became aware a lot contained GM ingredients.’
Now she is the health editor of the The Mail on Sunday’s 'You' magazine, and prefers to use natural cosmetics and skincare ‘wherever possible.’

‘One of the readers of my column wrote in to say they had rung up the head office of L’Oreal and berated them about SLS [sodium laureth sulphate, a potential skin irritant] in their brands. It was marvellous,’ she says.

Despite their serious credentials there is a lightness of touch in the book. It isn’t heavy on the preaching or scaremongering. 'I don’t like killer cosmetics headlines or cosmetics paranoia,' says Jo.

Both now run the beautybible.com website, 'the No.1 source for independent beauty advice worldwide' which, I was surprised to find, rates a whole range of products – not just natural ones.

Rubbish Claims

Jo says they always test everything, no matter if it’s high-tech or natural. ‘What we don’t want is women spending money on rubbish that doesn’t live up to its claims or promises. We like to think we can help people to be green by minimising the chance of buying stuff that doesn’t deliver so they throw it away.’

Ultimately no amount of cream (high-tech or natural) can help you if your diet is junkfood, you don’t get enough sleep and you smoke like a chimney. Lifestyle plays a big part in how you look and the final chapter in the book on ‘natural living’ does address this.

Jo describes herself as ‘ridiculously healthy’, does yoga four times a week, swims in the sea every day up until November (she lives in Hastings), eats organic food, goes to meditation classes and takes vitamins. Sarah lives in west Dorset with five horses and an office in the garden overlooking the hills. ‘I have better skin at 60 than I did in my 20s, 30s, and 40s largely due to the unpolluted atmosphere,’ she says.

There are obviously some things money can’t buy (like fresh air.) But this book may at least make sure yours is well spent. The revised paperback edition of The Green Beauty Bible by Sarah Stacey & Josephine Fairley is out now!

Toxic Tooth Paste - Shir Fresh

Consumers were advised yesterday to discard all toothpaste made in China after federal health officials said they found Chinese-made toothpaste containing a poison used in some antifreeze in three locations: Miami, the Port of Los Angeles and Puerto Rico.

Although there are no reports of anyone being harmed by the toothpaste, the Food and Drug Administration warned that the Chinese products had a “low but meaningful risk of toxicity and injury” to children and people with kidney or liver disease. The United States is the seventh country to find tainted Chinese toothpaste within its borders in recent weeks.

Agency officials said they found toothpaste containing a small amount of diethylene glycol, a sweet, syrupy poison, at a Dollar Plus retail store in Miami, sold under the brand name ShiR Fresh Mint Fluoride Paste. The F.D.A. also identified nine other brands of Chinese toothpaste that contain diethylene glycol, some with concentrations of 3 percent to 4 percent. Previously, only a few brands had been identified by health officials around the world as containing diethylene glycol and all of them listed the chemical on the label.

But diethylene glycol was not listed on the label of the toothpaste found in the Miami store. Its presence was detected only because the F.D.A. began testing imported Chinese toothpaste last month. That precaution was prompted by the discovery in Latin America of tens of thousands of tubes of tainted toothpaste made in China.

Chinese regulators said Thursday that their investigation of toothpaste manufacturers there had found they had done nothing wrong. Chinese officials also said that while small amounts of diethylene glycol could be safely used in toothpaste, new controls would be imposed on its use in toothpaste. The F.D.A. said diethylene glycol in any amount was not suitable for use in toothpaste.

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