Annie Leonard’s The Story of Cosmetics: Essential News About Your Beauty Products

by Katherine Butler on August 2, 2010 in Sex

Did you know that the cosmetics industry is largely self-regulated? Did you know that lead is found in two-thirds of all top-selling lipsticks? Did you know the FDA has only banned eight of the 12,000 chemicals used in cosmetics and that they don’t require all ingredients be listed on the labels? Did you know that you could learn enough infuriating facts about the cosmetics industry to the point of wanting to don a haz-mat suit every time you step into the shower?

Okay, so the last question may be my own. But a new short from documentarian Annie Leonard has the beauty world talking – and this time, it’s not about who got what lip or breast implants. Leonard is the author The Story of Stuff, where she takes a good hard look at what we’re putting into our bodies every time we use beauty products. Check out her short here.

The good news? Congress has come up with legislation that may change all this. The Campaign of Safe Cosmetic just announced that Congress has introduced the Safe Cosmetics Act of 2010. Reps. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., Ed Markey, D-Mass., and Tammy Baldwin, D-Wisc. sponsored the bill which ”gives the Food and Drug Administration authority to ensure that personal care products are free of harmful ingredients. Existing law, passed in 1938, granted decision-making about ingredient safety to the cosmetics industry.” This law, among other acts, will phase out ingredients linked to cancer, birth defects and more. It will adequately fund the FDA and require full transparency of ingredients of products for users and beauty workers.

So what can you do in the meantime? As always, be vigilant about reading labels. A good rule of thumb is to look for Sodium Lauryl Sulfates (SLS), parabens, and phthalates. Check out our resources for some of the most toxic products. We have covered a ton of products here at EcoSalon, so scroll down to learn about various natural and/or organic beauty products.

Baby Shampoo
Eye shadow
Deodorant
Shampoo
Conditioner
Makeup Labels
Blush
Kids Nail Polish
Facial Scrubs
Mascara
Moisturizer

Image: idhren

Max
August 2nd, 2010 at 2:54 PM
I think it’s important to remember that not only did this all begin based on the 1950s mindset, as is stated at the 4 min 47 second mark, but so too are the test methods we use to evaluate these chemicals.
The larger problem we are facing is that we have “tested” and deemed “safe” tens of thousands of chemicals on animals only to find that the some results are not accurate. It’s time to use human-relevant non-animal testing practices as outlined by the National Academy of Sciences report, “Toxicity Testing in the 21st Century: A Vision and a Strategy in 2007.”
The potential for chemical reform is quite exciting, but it should be done in a way that doesn’t sacrifice millions of animals (for toxicity testing) in the name of better protection for human health and the environment. We need Congress to mandate and create market incentives to use nonanimal methods and tests
Selena
August 3rd, 2010 at 8:04 AM
I am all for safe cosmetics, it is one of the reasons why I started my own soap company. The goal I have for my company is to use safe, simple ingredients and to know the details of every ingredient I use. I take the time to research everything I put into my products and am able to feel good about the products I make.
Unfortunately this well meaning bill is poorly written and researched and will end up putting thousands of small companies like mine out of business. The amount of paperwork required alone would make it impossible to stay in business and make any kind of profit.
I’ve included several links that go into the details of why this bill will kill the small soap/cosmetic businesses:
http://personalcaretruth.com/2010/07/safe-cosmetics-act-not-so-safe-for-small-biz/
http://www.soapguild.org/blog/2010/07/from-the-president-safe-cosmetics-act-of-2010/
http://personalcaretruth.com/2010/07/why-i-oppose-h-r-5786-safe-cosmetics-act-of-2010/
Here’s an example of just one of the requirements of this proposed bill.
This is what a label would look like for a nice simple lotion bar with nothing but Cocoa Butter, Olive Oil and Lavender Essential Oil in it:
Ingredients: Olive Oil (Tri-Glycerides of Palmitic, Di-Glycerides of Palmitic, Palmitoleic, Stearic, Oleic, Linoleic, Arachidic Acid, Linolenic Acid, Squalene, Beta Carotene, Campesterol, Methylenecholesterol, Stigmasterol, Sitosterol, Fucosterol, 28-Isofucosterol, Stigmadienol, Brassicasterol, 7-Cholestenol,Ergostadienol, Avenasterol, Triterpene Alcohols, Tirucallol, Taraxerol, Dammaradienol Beta-Amyrin Germanicol, Butyrospermol, Parkeol, Cycloartenol, Tirucalladienol, 24-Methlene 24-Dihydroparkeol, 24-Methlenecycloartanol, Cyclobranol, 4-Methyl Sterols, Esters of Tyrosol, Esters of Hydroxytyrosol, Vitamin E (Tocopherols), Carotenoids, Oleuropein) Cocoa Butter (Tri and Diglycerides of Stearic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Lead, Oleic Acid, Linoleic Acid, Isoleic Acid, Beta Carotene, p-Hydroxybenzoic Acid, Vanillic Acid, Ferulic Acid, Syringic Acid, Phenylehtylamine, Theophylline, Aliphatic Esters, Aromatic Carbonyls, Caffeine, Theobromine, Diketopiperazines and Alkylpryazines), Lavender Essential Oil ( Cineole Octanol, Octanone, Alpha Bisabolol, Alpha Cadinol, Alpha Humelene, Alpha Phellandrene, Apha Pinene, Alpha Terpinene, Alpha Terpineol, Alpha Terpinyl Acetate, Alpha Thujene, Alpha Thujone, Beta Bisabolol, Beta Pinene, Beta Thujone, Borneol, Bornyl Acetate, Camphene Camphor, Cineolealpha Terpineol, Carvone, Caryophyllene, Carophyllene Oxide, CIS Alpha Terpineol, CIS Alpha Bisabolene, CIS Carveol, CIA Linalol Epoxide, CIS Ocimene, Citronellal, Citronellol, Coumarine, Cuminaldehyde, Eugenol, Furfural, Geraniol, Geranyl Acetate, Geranyl Butyrate, Hexanol, Hexyl Tiglate, Isoborneol, Lavandulol, Lavandulyl Acetate, Limonene, Linanlol, Linalyl Acetate, Methyl Heptenone, Myrcene, Nerol, Neryl Acetate, Oleanolic Acid, P Cymene, Rosemarinic Acid, Sabinen, Terpinenol, Terpinolene, Trans Carveol, Trans Epoxy Linalyl Acetate, Trans Linanol Epoxide, Trans Ocimene, Ursolic Acid)
Lisa Kennally
August 3rd, 2010 at 12:36 PM
Selena, I agree with you and well said. Katherine, I appreciate your concern for pure as possible cosmetics. I too want that as well and that is why I started my own handcrafted skin care business. I sell to day spas and online and while the proposed act sounds ok it actually does nothing to rid the industry of chemicals and would in fact put thousands of natural and organic manufacturers such as my business and our suppliers out of commision. Wouldn’t that be a shame for all of us if all we are left with is huge companies who can afford the fees (although it’s you and I that will be paying for it when we purchase the products) and use chemicals? I urge you and all your readers to read the links that Selena gave..it’s the real TRUTH. Thank you. Lisa Kennally, owner of lisa ann skincare
Katherine Butler
August 3rd, 2010 at 7:45 PM
All great information everyone, thanks so much for bringing this to our attention! I will be sure to check out the links.
Danika Carter
August 4th, 2010 at 9:40 AM
If you really believe all this is important, why do you knowingly and promote products that are loaded with synthetic chemicals? You can’t have it both ways. Either you believe what you wrote here, and should hold up those standards in all your articles, or you don’t. And, it appears you don’t because you repeatedly promote products that are harmful.
As for the effect upon small businesses, there’s a lot of miss-information out there, particularly on Personal Care truth.
Lisa M. Rodgers
September 16th, 2010 at 6:30 AM
Hey y’all -
Thank you for the mention of Personal Care Truth, both positive and negative.
Discussion of this bill is greatly needed because if it passes, it will drastically change the cosmetic industry as we know it. And, while many disagree with the information on Personal Care Truth http://www.personalcaretruth.com there are many that believe education on personal care products based on truth in the scientific facts is far more important than scaring consumers into believing manufacturers are harming them.
The fact of the matter is that all the information found on the site, for which I am a co-founder, is based on truthful information backed by scientific facts.
As I’ve stated on other blogs, in addition to PCT, if you find any of the information we post to be incorrect, please bring it to our attention. We have an open dialogue and encourage comments.
Thank you,
Lisa M. Rodgers
Personal Care Truth