Two British Groups Battle Confusion, Fear about Chemicals

Last week, the London-based Cosmetic, Toiletry & Perfumery Association (CTPA) launched an interesting new Web site to address what it calls "widespread confusion" about chemicals.  According to the group's research, more than half of all British consumers worry that the chemicals in their everyday products could have an impact on their health, and 40 percent of Brits polled said they try to buy products that contain no chemicals at all.

"There seems to be a perception that chemicals are something man-made and 'dangerous' and that natural ingredients are chemical-free and 'safe.'  In reality, all substances are made up of chemicals, whether natural or synthetic, and all carry their own benefits and risks," said Chris Flower, director-general of CTPA.  CTPA said the site, http://www.thefactsabout.co.uk, aims to give consumers science-based information about cosmetic ingredients and the safety assessments that are performed before products are marketed. 

Another U.K.-based group, Sense About Science, took a deep dive on the issue two years ago with a report titled, "Making Sense of Chemical Stories," in which it addressed what it calls five misconceptions about chemicals:  1) you can lead a chemical-free life; 2) man-made chemicals are inherently dangerous; 3) synthetic chemicals are causing many cancers and other diseases; 4) our exposure to a cocktail of chemicals is a ticking time-bomb; 5) it is beneficial to avoid man-made chemicals; and 6) we are subjects in an unregulated, uncontrolled experiment.

In the beginning of the report, Tracey Brown, director of Sense About Science, explains the rationale for the document:  "Scientists are worried about the growing disconnection between the lifestyle view of chemicals and the chemical realities of the world.  They are worried not just because people are likely to misunderstand what chemicals are and do, but because of the consequences for decisions about lifestyle choices, family health and social policies.  In lifestyle commentary, chemicals are presented as something that can be avoided, or eliminated using special socks, soaps or diets, and that cause only harm to health and damage to the environment.  The chemical realities of the world, by contrast, are that everything is made of chemicals, that synthetic chemicals are often much safer for human health than so-called 'natural' ones, and that unfounded anxiety about chemicals is encouraging people to buy into ideas and 'remedies' that make little scientific or medical sense...."

The full report is available here.

The Personal Care Products Council is not affiliated with CTPA or Sense About Science.