SAFETY OF MODERN COSMETICS IS UNCLEAR

The chemical composition of cosmetics has changed significantly over the last hundred years, and it's only gotten more complicated. According to a study conducted by six independent environmental and health organizations, the average adult uses nine personal care products per day, which exposes him or her to an average of 126 unique chemicals. Women typically use more products than men and come into contact with an average of 186 chemicals per day.

Numerous studies have shown that, on their own, some commonly used ingredients, like parabens and phthalates can interact with the body negatively, either through hormone disruption or bioaccumulation.

Another commonly used ingredient, fragrance, is a complete unknown. Fragrance oils, as opposed to essential oils, are chemicals manufactured to imitate natural scents, and their chemical compositions are considered by law to be trade secrets. Some fragrances are designed to replace dangerous organic ingredients, like coumarin. Others replicate safe natural oils that are simply very expensive to produce.

DIVE DEEPER

the science of synthetic fragrances

Luca Turin is a biophysicist and leader in the fragrance industry. His vibration theory of olfaction, which he discusses in this TED Talk, has vastly changed how new synthetic fragrances are created.

But the medical community doesn't necessarily agree on whether or not cosmetics themselves are dangerous. The most concerning chemicals are usually very diluted and only represent a small percentage of a cosmetic's total content. Many scientists believe this level of exposure falls within a range that is safe, and thus poses no real risk to consumers.

Even in obstetrics, where medical professionals generally lean towards more conservative recommendations, there is no clear consensus. Shawna Pochan, a nurse and midwife at Massachusetts General Hospital, says she does not recommend major changes to women's cosmetic routine while pregnant.

"There isn’t research to support that it is dangerous for the mom or baby," said Pochan in an email. "There are a few beauty products that you shouldn’t use during pregnancy (Accutane, products with salicylic acid) but otherwise your usual beauty routine is fine."

No study has been able to directly link use of cosmetic products with higher rates of cancer or health issues, despite specific ingredients having known health effects. Instead, studies, like this one published in the Alternative Medicine Review, conclude that these chemicals' lingering "tissue presence are a cause for concern."

As for the lack of research into the health effects of cosmetics, Paulina Patsios, a registered pharmacist, believes that type of research is not a priority for the science community. “In medical school, in pharmacy school, in nursing school...people aren’t really taught that there’s a lack of research," said Patsios.

John Ruelas, a medical student at Texas A&M University in El Paso, said that the subject of cosmetics and their effect on the human body hadn’t ever been discussed in his classes.

The few studies that have been conducted show that there is great deal still to be learned about how cosmetics interact with the body. A recent UC Berkeley study proved that some chemicals in cosmetics and personal care products do penetrate the skin and enter the body. 100 teen girls were asked to switch from their normal drugstore products to low-chemical alternatives for three days. Their urine samples showed a significant drop in most hormone disruption chemicals, including methylparaben and propylparaben. The study has yet to be replicated.

THE MOST COMMON MAKEUP TOXINS

According to several studies, collected by activist groups like the Environmental Working Group and the Campaign For Safe Cosmetics, cosmetic products commonly contain problematic ingredients, and they also frequently test positive for trace amounts of toxic heavy metals.

Heavy metals, named for their placement on the periodic table, have the ability to leech into commonly used cosmetic powders, like talc. Cosmetic companies cannot knowingly use tainted ingredients, but they are not required by law to test their products for contaminants before they are sold.

WHO IS RESPONSIBLE?

There have been no regulatory adjustments made to the industry since 1938, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. It defined what qualified as a cosmetic, prohibited misbranding and the use of known harmful ingredients. Today, there is no distinct regulatory body tasked with overseeing the health and safety of cosmetics. Because of this, cosmetics fall into a regulatory no man’s land.

“Some of the regulations are through the [Food and Drug Administration], some of them are through the [Environmental Protection Agency], but there are big gaps,” says Cameron Bruns, a marketing manager at the Nature Conservancy in Boston. “With the FDA, the issue is that it’s food and drugs. So… is shampoo a drug? Not usually...It’s just not in their umbrella.”

Federal law bans only 11 chemicals from being used in cosmetics. Comparatively, the E.U. bans more than 1,300 chemicals from being used in personal care products.

Under current law, the FDA has the authority to investigate complaints of hazardous cosmetics, but not to enforce a recall. The agency typically receives around 200 complaints annually. In 2014, the FDA investigated WEN by Chaz Dean, a haircare line, after it received over 100 complaints about that brand alone, claiming the products caused hair loss. During the investigation, the FDA found the company itself was hiding more than 21,000 complaints. For comparison, that amounts to half the population of Beverly, MA. In 2016, WEN settled a class action lawsuit for $26 million. The product is still available for purchase today.

The only new cosmetic regulation happened in 2005 in the state of California. Under the new law, cosmetic manufacturers must report cosmetic ingredient lists to the state’s Department of Health Services. If any ingredients are known to be a carcinogen or to cause birth defects, as identified under California Proposition 65, they are registered in California Safe Cosmetics Program Product Database. According to the California DHS, personal care products are registered on the list regardless of the amount of ingredient in the product.

In 2015, Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Susan Collins (R-ME) co-sponsored the Personal Care Products Safety Act. The bill would expand the powers of the FDA. and give it the power to regulate the cosmetic industry. Under the proposed bill, the FDA would review five chemical ingredients per year and have the power to recall cosmetic products based on the results of those reviews. It had broad support from personal care businesses and activist groups.

The bill represents nearly 20 years of work for Feinstein, who has long held an interest in chemical issues as a public health issue.

In September 2016, the bipartisan bill got a hearing. At the time, Committee Chairman Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) remarked that it was the first time a congressional hearing had been held on cosmetics since 1974. No further action was taken at that time.

The bill was reintroduced this year, as per Senate rules. According to Feinstein’s office, the senator hopes the committee will take up the bill again in the fall session for new a hearing and allow other senators to offer amendments.

BUSINESSES TAKE THE LEAD

In the interim, independent groups, like the Environmental Working Group, have gathered research and analyzed products themselves. The EWG publishes their findings online in their Skin Deep Cosmetics Database. In it, cosmetics are given a rating based on their listed ingredients. The group also evaluates how thoroughly an ingredient has been studied. To date, EWG has reviewed over 70 thousand products. Think Dirty, a company based in Canada, created an app that follows similar guidelines and allows users to get an overall rating based on what’s on their bathroom shelf. The goal of both groups is to help consumers make more health conscious purchases.

In a way, the situation has provided another avenue for change, in the form of business. Health-minded entrepreneurs, including many here in Massachusetts, are using the absence of regulation to create a new sector within the beauty industry - clean beauty.