Leaderboard Banner

Calling Out Beauty Brands

by Juliana Lytkowski

How safe are the products we're using?

With natural skincare and cosmetic brands booming, many consumers are questioning the chemicals that are used by brands in makeup, especially as they relate to health and wellness.

In a recent talk, our Editor-in-Chief, Rona Berg, cited a statistic indicating that 57 percent of consumers in the US purchase natural products, because they don’t contain unnecessary ingredients or chemicals. Representative Frank Pallone Jr., is now lending his voice to a legislative choir that is adding pressure to review and revise current cosmetic industry regulations to ensure product safety.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) currently oversees cosmetic safety and testing, and there are many proposed changes in the works now, but the original policies have not been changed much since they were originally put into place in 1938. All cosmetic products are required to be tested, but the manufacturers themselves do the testing and don’t even need to register with the FDA. And, manufacturers in the U.S. are not required by law to inform the FDA of any reported side effects that occur alongside the use of their products. Although, in her latestEditor’s Letter, Berg noted that President Obama recently signed a law that gives the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) new power to review and regulate the more than 84,000 chemicals found in everyday products, from beauty and personal care to household cleansers, toys and furniture.

So you don’t need to home and kick your beauty must-haves to the curb, though you will want to phase in natural and organic products when it’s time to replace what you have. (FYI, we vet every product we cover in Organic Spa Magazine for ingredient safety and efficacy.)

While Capitol Hill is working on industry reform—and we will keep you posted on regulatory updates—we’re sticking to our natural and organic skincare routines and keeping our fingers crossed for the future.

You may also like