Fact: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has no authority to require companies to assess ingredients or products for safety. FDA does not review or approve the vast majority of salon products or ingredients before they go on the market. The agency conducts pre-market reviews only for certain color additives and active ingredients in cosmetics classified as over-the-counter drugs.
An example of a product that is for professional use only and not safe is “Brazilian Blowout” thermal hair straightener. Although the ingredient is not listed on the product, it contains toxic Formaldehyde.
Myth: The salon and cosmetics industry effectively polices itself, making sure all ingredients meet a strict standard of safety.
Fact: There is no industry recognized national safety panel for Salon products in the
Myth: The government prohibits dangerous chemicals in professional salon products, and companies wouldn’t risk using them.
Fact: Cosmetics companies may use any ingredient or raw material, except for color additives and a few prohibited substances (such as vinyl chloride and cow parts), without government review or approval.
- More than 500 products sold in the
- Nearly 100 products contain ingredients considered unsafe by the International Fragrance Association.
- A wide range of nanomaterials whose safety is in question may be common in personal care products.
- 22% of all personal care products may be contaminated with the cancer-causing impurity 1,4-dioxane, including many children’s products.
- 60% of sunscreens contain the potential hormone disruptor oxybenzone that readily penetrates the skin and contaminates the bodies of 97% of Americans.
- 61% of tested lipstick brands contain residues of lead.
Myth: Salon ingredients are applied to the scalp and rarely get into the body. When they do, levels are too low to matter.
Fact: People are exposed by breathing in fumes and absorbing chemicals into pores. Biomonitoring studies have found cosmetics ingredients – like formaldehydes, phthalate plasticizers, paraben preservatives, the pesticide triclosan, synthetic musk’s, and sunscreens – inside the bodily fluids of men, women, children and even the cord blood of newborn babies. Many of these chemicals are potential hormone disruptors that may increase cancer risk. Products commonly contain penetration enhancers to drive ingredients deeper into the hair. Studies find health problems in people exposed to common fragrance and sunscreen ingredients, including elevated risk for sperm damage, feminization of the male reproductive system, and low birth weight in girls.
Myth: The FDA would promptly recall any product that injures people.
Fact: The FDA has no authority to require recalls of harmful salon or commercial products or cosmetics. Furthermore, manufacturers are not required to report cosmetics-related injuries to the agency. The FDA relies on companies to report injuries voluntarily.
Myth: Consumers can read ingredient labels and avoid products with hazardous chemicals.
Fact: Federal law allows companies to leave many chemicals off labels, including nanomaterials, contaminants, and components of fragrance. Professional salon products and Fragrance Companies are not required to list ingredients by any Federal law in the
Myth: Products that state that they are made in particular country must be made in that country.
Fact: There is no Government entity that regulates these statements. Any manufacturer can (and often do) state that their product is “Made in (for example) Paris ” when in fact, the products are made in the USA , China France ” or “Made in Paris ”) are all made in France , but in reality, many of their products are manufactured in the USA and China USA China
Myth: The FDA makes sure cosmetic company’s stand by their product claims.
Fact: The FDA (or any Government entity for that matter) has no authority to require companies to prove that their product will do what they say it will do. Many companies make claims that their product will reduce wrinkles or take wrinkles away when in fact they can’t and don’t. Companies can (and often do) say what ever they want about their product without repercussion. Commercial (Department and Drug Store) cosmetic companies develop products based on marketing ploys and not on the products efficacy.
Myth: A $250.00 cream or serum is better than a $10.00 cream or serum.
Fact: Expensive creams cost as much as they do because cosmetic companies play on the consumer’s ignorance (Other factors are advertising, celebrity face models, packaging, gift with purchases and returns). They are banking on the prospect that there are people out there that believe this myth. Many cosmetic companies have built their empires because consumers continue to buy these overpriced products. A prime example is the “La Mer” company (owned by Estee Lauder). Their original cream sold for up to $500.00 per jar. Consumers thought that if these companies were going to charge that kind of money for the cream, it had to be great. Actually, this product has absolutely no active ingredients and is no more effective than most cheap drug store face creams. La Mer developed an entire line of skin care, body care and makeup products due to the creams popularity. All of the items in the line are far more expensive than most cosmetic company product lines yet no more effective. In fact products such as Avon skin care, which sells for 200% less, is more effective than any La Mer skin care product.
Myth: The FDA tests cosmetics for lead and other hazardous ingredients.
Fact: The FDA does not test cosmetics for any ingredient, be it safe or hazardous. The FDA relies on companies to list all cosmetic ingredients voluntarily. Many companies do not list lead in their ingredients.
In 2007, a report was released by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics (CSC) that presented an analysis of lead in lipstick products. The CSC report stated that more than half of 33 brand-name lipsticks tested contained detectable levels of lead, with levels ranging from 0.03 to 0.65 parts per million (ppm). The CSC report noted none of these lipsticks listed lead as an ingredient.
Recently there have been a number of cases of inflammation on lips due to excessive use of lipsticks. The symptoms of lipstick poisoning varies from person to person. The lipstick poisoning can be classified into two different categories, allergic reactions and chronic lip eruptions. Chronic lip eruptions some times lead to skin cancer. The allergic reactions are due to the presence of certain ingredients used in the manufacture of lipsticks. It can be the color, preservative, lead or any other material present in the lipstick. Usually, these reactions will disappear upon the discontinuation of the lipstick. It was found that the presence of Lead in the lipsticks is the major cause for the reactions. Almost all major brands of lipsticks contain Lead in considerable quantity. The lead is mixed with saliva and reaches the stomach even after 6 hours of application. In 1990s, reports of analytical results from a commercial testing laboratory suggested that traces of lead in lipstick might be of concern.
In a 2007 study, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics found that some brands of cosmetics had consistently higher lead levels compared to other companies. The worst offender in the CSC study was L’Oreal, which made some of the top highest lead-containing brands. Lancome, L’Oreal, Cover Girl and Maybelline.
Myth: Skin-care products are all hype; soap and water works just as well.
Fact: The science behind skin-care products has grown in leaps and bounds over the past 20 years. Today, there is good scientific evidence behind the use of such ingredients as hyaluronic acid, alpha arbutin, peptides, antioxidant vitamins, green tea polyphenols, retinoids, alpha- and beta-hydroxy acids, and essential oils in skin-care products to minimize wrinkles, fade dark spots, and strengthen collagen.
Myth: Natural cosmetic ingredients do not work as well as synthetic chemical ingredients.
Fact: Fruits, vegetables, or any pure food ingredients are not necessarily the best for skin. When it comes to skin care, more often than not, it is some small element of the plant that provides the benefit for skin. Extracting this component from the plant almost always requires a chemical process. Further, these extracts are far more stable than the whole food. Think about it this way: a plant in its pure form isn't stable in the least, especially in skin-care products. Even a sour lemon will grow mold in the refrigerator and imagine what would happen to the lemon over time if was sitting on your bathroom counter!
A slice of apple does little or nothing to benefit the skin however an element of the fermented apple (Alpha Hydroxy Acid) will promote skin cell proliferation by exfoliating dead surface skin cells. Another example is the Bearberry. In its raw state, it has no known skin benefits but an element of the Bearberry called Alpha Arbutin has been proven to eliminate dark spots in the skin even more effectively than Hydroquinone which is a synthetic ingredient.
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