Trendopoly
Edit
 Long-Term Effects More Than Skin Deep In the past, during the Elizabethan Era, royalty painted their faces with white paint to achieve the ‘look’ of the day. Unfortunately, this make-up contained high quantities of lead, a likely cause of their tendency towards early death, and definitely the catalyst behind the havoc wreaked on their skin. Today, use of cosmetics is not reserved for royalty. Far from it - the cosmetic industry is a multi-billion dollar cash cow, and the application of make-up and use of cosmetics is a daily part of most peoples beauty regimen. Not surprisingly then, there has been a growing demand for regulations to monitor the inclusion of potentially toxic chemicals that could have adverse long-term effects on the human reproductive systems, or that could contain potential cancer-causing agents. Up until now, the cosmetics industry has been largely self-regulated. Current laws require the safety of make-up before it’s allowed to be sold to the public. However, ‘safety’ is mostly determined by whether the products create skin irritation. The call for studies on the long-term effects and disclosure of potentially harmful components is now requested.  Momentum has been building for greater oversight of the chemicals in everyday products... environmentalists are pressing for a deeper analysis of the possible long-term effects of exposure to these chemicals. “If you are looking for chemical exposures that everyone can relate to, it’s not medical devices like IV bags,” Dr. Zuckerman said. “It’s shampoos and creams that are ubiquitous, that men, women and children are using every day.”
Beauty manufacturers are required to ensure the safety of their cosmetics before they go on sale, but the federal agency has never defined safety... That has left it to the beauty industry to settle on a definition, with the overall standard being that products are safe for use if they do not irritate the skin when applied as directed.
(nytimes)References: members.shaw, nytimes 1 Comment: on Harmful Chemicals in Make-Up |
 |
|
 |
Urban Retrospectives
