http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/features/harmful-chemicals-in-personal-care-products/
Harmful, untested chemicals rife in personal care products
by Amy Roeder
February 13, 2014 — In the United States, the average person is exposed to more than a hundred (synthetic) chemicals from cosmetics, soaps, and other personal care products before leaving the house in the morning. While people may assume these products are safe, their chemical ingredients are mostly untested and largely unregulated, with even known carcinogenic and endocrine disrupting chemicals still found in some formulations. What’s more, ingredient labels can be misleading, leaving even the savviest consumers in the dark about the safety of the products they use every day.
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Davis delivered her talk, “
Toxic Trespass: Harmful & Untested Chemicals in Everyday Products,” to a Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) audience on February 6, 2014.
Chemical exposure has been linked to rising rates in breast cancer, asthma, autism, reproductive problems, and other health issues, Davis said. Many chemicals in personal care products have never been tested for safety, and may also accumulate and interact in potentially harmful ways.
Under a law that has not been updated since 1938, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has little power to regulate the ingredients
in personal care products. Even known offenders such as formaldehyde, triclosan, and phthalates are still legally permissible in product formulations. Companies are allowed to label their products organic, natural, or hospital-approved based on their own interpretation of the terms, Davis said. They can also hide problematic ingredients in proprietary formulations by listing them as “fragrance” on a label.
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