Lead in Lipstick? Coal Tar in Shampoo? As New Bill Calls for Stricter Rules on Beauty Products, a Debate Between Campaign for Safe Cosmetics Founder and Cosmetics Industry Spokesperson
Do you know what’s in the personal care products that you use? Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) introduced legislation Tuesday night that would toughen safety standards for beauty products and require regular government testing for hazardous ingredients. We host a debate between Stacy Malkan, founder of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics and author of Not Just a Pretty Face: The Ugly Side of the Beauty Industry, and John Bailey, chief scientist at the Personal Care Products Council and a spokesperson for the cosmetics industry
Skin Deep: Online Cosmetics Safety Database Rates 62,000+ Beauty Products
We speak with Jane Houlihan, vice president for research at the Environmental Working Group and the creator of Skin Deep, an online cosmetics safety database. The database provides safety ratings for more than 62,000 products on the market and receives about one million hits per month.
Actress and Cancer Survivor Fran Drescher Speaks Out in Support of New Bill Seeking Stricter Cosmetics Rules
Actress and cancer survivor Fran Drescher is speaking out in support of the bill introduced by Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D–IL) that would toughen safety standards for beauty products. Drescher is best known for her role as Fran Fine on the long-running former sitcom The Nanny. She is also a cancer survivor and the founder of the group Cancer Schmancer.
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July 21st, 2010 at 4:28 pm
Hiya
Loving the work you’re doing with the blog.
Suspect you know it’s really easy to make a lot of cosmetics yourself – we’ve just forgotten how. If you’d like some starting points let me know.
I had a small business in Australia making and selling face creams, scrubs, lip balms and pretty much everything you’d normally buy in a shop and now teach groups of gals (and sometimes boys) to do the same. Brief intro to one of my products is here: http://teaplusart.wordpress.com/2009/11/12/massage-bars/
If you use recycled containers the environmental benefit is even better.
Rachael
July 22nd, 2010 at 12:33 pm
Hi, Absolutely brilliant video!! Thanks. There’s one important caveat though. While I am all for the FDA banning bad ingredients, I am against FDA approving all products before sale. I have been buying very simple cosmetics (moisturizers, shampoos, make-up, balms, etc.) from herbalists and healing artists for many years, and am a healing arts practitioner myself. I am confident making my own decision about using these products. If they had to be government approved, small businesses would not be able to complete. FDA approval is expensive and lengthy, and who knows if they’d even approve olive oil and chamomile for example? Recent FDA regulations regarding milk is a good example of too much regulation. Its fine to ban artificial hormones from milk, but not fine to say I can’t buy raw milk from my local farmer if I want to. So, YES! Ban cancer causing chemicals! But, let me make my own decision about using small batch cosmetics.
July 23rd, 2010 at 10:50 am
Getting the FDA to watch for deadly chemicals is like getting the fox to watch the hen house.
I also agree that they ban too many natural products which makes this a hairy problem.
It comes down to consumer awareness and education. Unfortunately the largest part of the population is educated by the media (mostly TV) who brainwashes the people.
Good on you for this campaign!
July 23rd, 2010 at 12:32 pm
I am the owner of an Organic Lifestyle Destination in Houston. I am passionate about the environment but especially about Whole Body products. I work very hard to educate my customers on the importance of paying attention to what goes on and in their bodies. I offer Organic, Healthy choices in my store and hope to create value and inspire change with what I am doing. Enough is enough!