Misleading and Scaring Consumers is the Message Du Juor

Jeffrey Hollender's recent entry on Huffingtonpost.com titled, "There's Lead in Your Lipstick: What Cosmetic Companies Aren't Telling You" certainly grabs your attention, but that's all it does.  Sadly, entries like this are floating around the Internet misleading and scaring consumers into believing that anything and everything they use will harm them.  Science has been replaced with outrageous accusations and the extreme voices are the only ones being heard.  To set the record straight about Mr. Hollender's claims, here are the facts:

Cosmetic Safety:  Every cosmetic and personal care product is a combination of ingredients that are carefully selected and rigorously tested for safety.  The FDA maintains strict safety standards that must be met before a product is put on the market. See http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/cos-206.html to understand FDA's authority over cosmetics.  See www.cosmeticsinfo.org and click on the video to see the safety assessment processes companies go through to ensure product safety.   

Lead Levels in Lipstick: Lead is found naturally in the air, water, and soil and is never an intentionally added ingredient in lipsticks.  Based on scientifically established use levels, the amount of lead a consumer is exposed to from lipstick is at least 1,000 times below the limit established by the EPA for drinking water and more than 30 times below the safe limit set by California under Proposition 65. California's Attorney General has concluded that the levels of lead in lipstick identified by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics do not support a claim of a Proposition 65 violation.

Boric Acid/Sodium Borate:  Boric acid is not used in baby products.  The safety of boric acid (and borate salts) has been assessed by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review and the conditions of safe use set (see http://www.cir-safety.org/staff_files/safewithqualifications.pdf).
 
Phthalates:  The safety of the phthalates that are used in cosmetics and personal care products is supported by an extensive body of international scientific research and safety assessments.  Also lost in the one-sided statements made by Mr. Hollender is the fact that the phthalates used in cosmetics are very limited and have been assessed by experts.  For example, both FDA (see http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/cos-phth.html) and the U.S. Cosmetic Ingredient Review (see http://www.cir-safety.org/staff_files/safeasused.pdf) have discussed the safety of the phthalates used in cosmetics.  The European Union has found that Diethylphthalate used in fragrances is safe (see http://ec.europa.eu/health/ph_risk/committees/sccp/documents/out168_en.pdf).  Government data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention demonstrate that human exposure levels to phthalates are far below the safety levels set by regulatory agencies.  Click here http://stats.org/stories/a_health_scare_stinks_jun27_05.htm to read an interesting article from STATS.org, a non-profit research center affiliated with George Mason University, which examines statistical and scientific misinformation in the media.

 
Mercury: Mercury is not used in cosmetics products.  Even Mr. Hollender admits that manufacturers have phased out the use of mercury...enough said.

1,4 Dioxane:  In the February 2007 study mentioned, groups erroneously claimed that the FDA asked the cosmetic industry to voluntarily limit dioxane to 10 ppm.  This is simply not true and is reported in error.  FDA has set no limits for 1,4-Dioxane in cosmetics and personal care products, and the levels of 1,4-Dioxane reported in these products present no risk to consumers.  Dioxane is a trace level material found in some raw materials and products reported to contain 1,4-Dioxane are safe.  See http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/cosdiox.html for more information from FDA.  Also, for a more balanced discussion, go to www.cosmeticsinfo.org.