US legislators propose crackdown on toxic cosmetics.

cosmetics regulation, American legislators are proposing that the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) be given the authority to ensure that personal-care products, including cosmetics, are free of harmful ingredients and that their labels fully disclose all components. The proposed “Safe Cosmetics Act of 2011” would give FDA the authority to demand safety assessments of cosmetics ingredients, issue recalls of unsafe products and ban the use of ingredients linked to cancer, birth defects and other ailments (safe cos metics .org/section.php?id =74). Introduced by Democratic representatives Janice Schakowsky, Edward Markey and Tammy Baldwin, the legislation would effectively end some years of beauty industry self-regulation. “Lead in lipstick and carcinogens in baby shampoo — that’s what happens when a multibillion-dollar industry regulates itself,” argues Janet Nudelman, director of program and policy for the Breast Cancer Fund, the San Francisco, California-based nonprofit advocacy group that spearheaded a drive for legislation. “We’re still seeing the fallout of that Brazilian Blowout hair straightener that was shown to contain 10% formaldehyde by weight, even though it was being marketed as formaldehyde free.” Beauty salon workers and consumers suffered such injuries as eye and nervous system disorders, respiratory tract problems, chest pain, vomiting and rash as a result of using the straightener but it remains on the market because the FDA is not authorized to recall cosmetics, Nudelman explains. The existing “Food, Drugs and Cosmetics Act of 1938” requires companies to list most of the ingredients they use on product labels, and to substantiate the safety of their products before marketing (www.fda.gov/Cosmetics /Guidance ComplianceRegulatoryInformation/ucm 074162.htm). But the FDA says manufacturers are responsible for ensuring that products are labelled properly and that it “does not have the resources or authority under law for the pre-market approval of cosmetic product labelling” and must go through the courts to remove misbranded products from the market (www .fda .gov /Cosmetics/Cosmetic LabelingLabelClaims /default.htm). The proposed legislative changes would compel companies to: • Fully disclose all ingredients used in personal-care products, including the components of previously exempted catch-alls such as “fragrance; • Submit all available data about the safety of ingredients for FDA assessment and public disclosure; • Conduct further safety testing deemed necessary by FDA; • Report consumer adverse reactions; and • Phase out blacklisted ingredients. News CMAJ