What's that on my skin?

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The cosmetic industry has grown by leaps and bounds in the past few decades. Men and women, have a wide array of products to choose from - soaps, shampoos, conditioners, colognes, hair sprays, gels, toothpaste, shaving products - the list is endless, really.

The western world has always battled with the ill-effects of using chemicals on their skin. India, thanks to the growing influx of malls and increased exposure to global cosmetics, has a lot to be concerned about.

Have you ever counted how many cosmetics you use in a day? Chances are it's nearly 10. Most people use these products without a second thought, and believe that the government must certainly be policing the safety of the mixtures. But they are wrong about this.

Search for any product related information at -
http://www.ewg.org/reports/skindeep2/search.php?search=&searchtype=products&Go.x=17&Go.y=14

Personal care products contain carcinogens, pesticides, reproductive toxins, endocrine disruptors, plasticizers, degreasers, and surfactants. Some of these products are suspected to cause cancer, and reproductive disorders!

No premarket safety testing is required — this is a reality of both the personal care product industry and the broader chemical industry as a whole. For industrial chemicals, the government approves an average of seven new chemicals every day. Eighty percent are approved in three weeks or less, with or without safety tests.

According to the agency that regulates cosmetics, the FDA's Office of Cosmetics and Colors, "...a cosmetic manufacturer may use almost any raw material as a cosmetic ingredient and market the product without an approval from FDA" (FDA 1995). The industry's self-policing safety panel falls far short of compensating for the lack of government oversight.

Some companies choose to use known human carcinogens or developmental toxins like coal tar and lead acetate. These are the base ingredients of the product, just as flour is an ingredient in bread. These chemicals are found in percent levels in personal care products, nearly all easily penetrate the skin, and some we ingest directly from our lips or hands.

The following results were published in a study conducted by the Environmental Working Group:

  • More than one-third of all personal care products contains at least one ingredient linked to cancer.
  • 57 percent of all products contain "penetration enhancer" chemicals that can drive other ingredients faster and deeper into the skin to the blood vessels below.
  • 79 percent of all products contain ingredients that may contain harmful impurities like known human carcinogens, according to FDA or industry reviews. Impurities are legal and unrestricted for the personal care product industry.

(Data compiled from Environmental Working Group)

The bottom line is that companies takes the consumers to be fools, with little regard to consumers' health. This industry, like most other industries is driven purely by profit. It is absolutely necessary that consumers on their part, are aware and make choices based on the ingredients mentioned on the product's label. If we don't buy, they cannot MAKE.

Like our dear ol' grandmother says, there's nothing like turmeric, besan and milk for the skin!

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