After all, there was a time when ladies of society actually bled themselves to look pale. There was a time when European women put poisonous drops in their eyes to dilate them so they would look more appealing to men. And, there was a time when Egyptians used lead and arsenic-based cosmetics to make themselves look more beautiful. At the time, these practices were thought to be safe. Boy, were they wrong.

So what about today's cosmetics? Surely today's modern-day fountain of youth is not tainted. Surely today's public would not fall pray to such snake oil remedies. Surely, science will save us?

The sad part is, often, we never know until it's too late. The Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act of 1938 requires that all food, drugs and cosmetics to be proven safe to the FDA before marketing to the public. In spite of this, many argue that today's regulation of cosmetics is not stringent enough.  The FDA, one of the few organizations put in place to guarantee the safety of cosmetics, does not hold cosmetics to the same standard as, for example, drugs. 

To further complicate things, there are a variety of terms out there that are being used indiscriminately by cosmetic manufacturers to portray a certain image of safety to the public. For example, the term ‘natural' means nothing in particular. That is, it does not have any particular definition among the medical, food or cosmetic communities. Many times products are labeled ‘natural' to indicate they have organic ingredients. The term organic typically means the ingredient was created without the use of pesticides, hormones or synthetic means.  The problem is that many products branded as ‘natural' may have only one organic ingredient or they may have 100% organic ingredients.  There is no way for consumers to know which is the case.

If the FDA not looking out for us, who is? Well there are organizations out there dedicated to getting to the bottom of all the hype. For example, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) is one such organization. Their website at http://www.ewg.com/ is dedicated to reporting toxicities on everyday products and currently has information on more than 15,000 products in their database.  The EWG attests that nearly 89% of cosmetic ingredients have never been fully assessed by the FDA for safety.

Legislation is also catching up, albeit, slowly. For example, California passed a law in 2005 that companies must disclose any ingredients that may cause cancer or birth defects. And although the FDA has not reached the point of assuring safety, they have taken steps in the right direction by recently employing organizations like the Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR). This organization tests cosmetic ingredients for safety.

Both the CIR and the EWG warn that just because a product says its natural or organic, doesn't mean its safe. When you think about it, many plants (i.e.-poison ivy) are ‘natural' but they certainly aren't safe. Consumers must be familiar with these common marketing ploys.

There are certain products that consumers may want to steer clear of. For example, coal tar, an ingredient use in hair dyes, has been linked to bladder cancer. Alpha hydroxy acid, popular in products that promise younger, smoother skin, has been linked to an increased skin cancer risk and potential chemical burns and scarring. Petroleum distillates used in a variety of cosmetics, have been labeled as carcinogens and are already ‘black-listed' ingredients in Europe. Finally, phthalates are chemicals that are often used in fragrances or are commonly used as plastisizers in nail polish. They have been linked to impaired reproductive development in babies who are exposed to it in the womb.

With all of the products out there it is virtually impossible for today's consumer to be familiar with all of the potential ingredients on the market today. They can, however, be aware of the several ingredients that have evidence of being potentially harmful and steer clear of them. Becoming familiar with resources who seek to educate consumers, such as those listed above, can help steer today's consumer in the right direction.