Get the Lead Out (of Lipstick)

Dear Cosmetics Industry: Please stop defending lead and other nasty chemicals in your products.  Love, Mia

A $25 tube of department store lipstick should be safe, right? You might assume it is safer than $2 drugstore brand. Not necessarily …

During the busy 2011 holiday season, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) quietly released its new data on 400 popular lipsticks sold in the U.S. These products are contaminated with widely varying levels of lead, including higher amounts than found in earlier studies.  Perhaps the cosmetics industry was dismayed to see that just in time for Valentine’s Day 2012, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics picked up the story and spread the word with their “Kiss Lead Goodbye” campaign. The consumer group is asking the worst offender and the FDA to get the lead out of lipstick, already.

The jury isn’t out on lead—it is toxic to the developing brain, even in small amounts, and it builds up in our bodies over time. That’s why we took it out of house paint and gasoline decades ago.  We have limits for the amount of lead allowed in drinking water and candy.  But in the stuff many, many women put on their lips several times a day, even while pregnant? Not so much.

Interestingly, the brand with the highest levels of lead also makes one of the lipsticks with the lowest levels in the FDA study. They are all over the map. But note: they can make lipstick with little-to-no lead. Vested interests have long defended lead in lipstick, saying that these are low levels, and compared to other exposures, these amounts are safe. But in January 2012, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention restated that there is no safe level of lead for children and pregnant women.

Haven’t we been through this already—big companies defending lead in lipstick, FDA doing nothing about it, and experts saying that there is no safe level, period? The point here is that there might be heavy metal exposures we can’t control in life, but apparently in lipstick, companies can get the levels really low. Yep, I’m definitely having déjà vu. And lately, haven’t there been other members of the cosmetics industry defending the use of chemicals known to harm humans, animals and/or the environment, like formaldehyde in baby shampoo and in hair straighteners?

So, Cosmetics Industry, I have a crazy idea: What if the you stopped wasting time and money declaring that lead in lipstick is safe, carcinogens in baby shampoo is nothing to worry about and formaldehyde in hair straighteners is okey dokey, and instead made sure that your products are free of (or have as little as possible) heavy metals and other toxins in the first place?  We see that you can do it! Oh, and you don’t need a focus group to see if women will choose lipstick with lead or without lead, if given the option. We’ll always pick the one without it.  (There—I just saved you some more money!)

I think that it is time that the cosmetic industry enter the 21^st century and stop making excuses for negligent behavior.  I think we’re all worth it. Don’t you?

For more by this author visit, www.counterexpectations.com.

Photo credit: _Frankenstein_

Safe Cosmetics: Five Tips for Frugal Shoppers

If you’ve kept up on the latest news about toxic chemicals in cosmetics, you may be wondering if it’s possible to find safe products without breaking the bank. The good news is, you can protect yourself from toxic exposures while saving money too – it just takes some creative accounting and a willingness to look at the big picture.

I like to think of money as energy, and I want to put my energy into creating the kind of world I want to live in. So I buy all my personal care products from companies I trust; companies that share my vision of a healthy world. These tend to be small, independently owned operations that don’t use air-brushed celebrities to hawk their toxic anti-aging creams.

All of us have the power every day to make a positive impact on the world by spending money in ways that advance our values and offsetting the cost by refusing to spend money on the things that don’t. In this way, I actually spend less money than I used to on products that are better for my health and the planet. Here’s how:

Less is more – Companies love to make us think we need a different lotion for every part of our bodies, a different cleaning product for every room in the house. Better to buy one high-quality, non-toxic product from a company you love. An advantage to getting to know your local manufacturers is that sometimes you can get a great discount! (Thanks Grateful Body!)

Bye-bye hair dye (and other expensive toxic stuff) – Hair dye, relaxers, perms: Anything that changes the shape and color of hair tends to be quite toxic chemically, not to mention messy and expensive. Giving up the hair dye saves hundreds of dollars a year, and this is where I save the most money. Sometimes I miss the highlights, but my theory is that most women actually look better with their natural hair color. (Check out my Bye Bye Hair Dye page on Facebook.)

Make your own – Coconut oil and sesame oil make great lotions, and baking soda and vinegar are excellent cleaning agents. Here are some cheap green cleaning recipes and ideas for making your own cosmetics. I also love these ideas from the Zero Waste Family lady.

Just say “No” – to gratuitous products that add unnecessary expense and chemical exposures to our lives: perfumes, body sprays, vaginal sprays, air fresheners, dryer sheets, bubble bath.… It feels great to discover how much we actually don’t need! And after taking a break from all these synthetic fragrances, you start to notice how gross they actually smell.

Get political – No matter how smart we shop, we can’t avoid toxic exposures as long as companies continue to pollute the environment with toxic stuff. So we need to get behind laws like the national Safe Cosmetics Act that will shift whole industries to safer products.

Extra bonus points: Save lots of cash by turning off the TV! How much do people spend on cable these days? I have no idea because I don’t even own a TV. Most shows I like run for free on the Internet without all the brainwashing ads that try to make me think it’s a good idea for the scent of laundry detergent to last for seven days!

For more savvy tips, visit Stacy at notjustaprettyface.com

Photo credit: eyeSPIVE

What’s in that Pink Ribbon Product?

It’s that time of year again, when we can’t walk five steps without finding some new opportunity to spend money for breast cancer. We can “Kiss for the Cause” with Revlon lipstick, dust our cheeks with Estee Lauder’s Pink Ribbon Shimmer Compact, or hydrate our feet with Foot Works for the “Avon Breast Cancer Crusade.”

Before I rush out for a pink-ribbon makeover, I have some questions for these companies: How much money are they actually contributing to breast cancer charities, and what is the money being used for? And most importantly, are they willing to stop using chemicals linked to cancer?

The big beauty companies don’t want such questions raining on their pink parade. Revlon, Avon and Estee Lauder generate lots of goodwill and positive press with their signature pink-ribbon products and events. Yet ironically – outrageously – many of their products contain chemicals linked to cancer.

Revlon, for example, makes more than 20 hair dyes that score a 10 (for most toxic) in the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep database. Just one hair-dye product, Revlon Colorist Expert Color & Glaze System, contains more than one dozen chemicals linked to cancer!

Avon and Estee Lauder make various products containing PEG compounds and other chemicals that undergo a nasty chemical process called “ethoxylation,” which uses ethylene oxide (a known breast carcinogen) during processing and often leaves products contaminated with 1,4 dioxane (a carcinogen and serious groundwater contaminant).

Tangelo-Orange Superbug?

Have you gone pesticide-free with your food or with your lawn care? How about with your hand soap?

Though soaps from popular shops like Bath & Body Works often have yummy-sounding names like “Tangelo Orange Twist” and “Sugar Lemon Fizz,” they unfortunately contain a not-so-sweet ingredient: triclosan.

Have you seen it on ingredient labels of your soaps or other cosmetics? Triclosan is a common antimicrobial and pesticide that has been linked to hormone disruption (which, in turn, is linked to a variety of serious health problems, including some cancers). Its extensive use in consumer products may contribute to -resistant bacteria, or so-called “superbugs,” which has promoted the Canadian Medical Association to call for a ban on products containing triclosan.

Scientists at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention detected triclosan in the urine of nearly 75 percent of those tested, so we know that it isn’t staying on the surface of our hands when we lather up with cosmetics that contain (or come across it in the other products where it can hide, like cutting boards and garden hoses). Triclosan also builds up in our bodies and in the bodies of wildlife (like dolphins) and other aquatic creatures. Not cool!

And here’s the real kicker: Despite its widespread use as a germ killer in consumer products, triclosan is no more effective than soap and water at preventing illness or eliminating germs, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

So what’s up with the cute slogan (“spread love, not germs”) that Bath & Body Works is using to sell triclosan-containing soaps to its customers, many of whom are teenagers? What kind of “love” is a toxic, bio-accumulative pesticide?

This summer, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics and environmental groups are asking Bath & Body Works to stop using unlovable and unnecessary triclosan, especially in products marketed to teenagers, whose bodies are more vulnerable to the effects of hormone-disrupting chemicals. More than 7,000 people have sent letters to the company so far [click here to add your voice to the chorus of common sense!]

Some good news: A few major companies have announced they are phasing out triclosan, including Johnson & Johnson, L’Oreal, The Body Shop and Staples. Colgate-Palmolive has eliminated triclosan from its dishwashing liquids and Softsoap hand soaps (but continues to use the chemical in its Total brand toothpastes).

While the market starts to move away from this hazardous chemical, other organizations and scientists are urging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and FDA to better regulate it. In the meantime, consumers need to read ingredient labels to avoid triclosan, and companies like Bath & Body Works still need to get the message and make the commitment to discontinue the use of triclosan and all other chemicals linked to harm and bioaccumulation.

In addition to emailing Bath & Body Works, here are three things you can do to help spread health and the truth about triclosan:

1. Take the Triclosan-Free Pledge.
2. Check out these tips for avoiding triclosan.
3. Make your own hand soap in less than 10 minutes!

Liquid Hand Soap recipe

Add this mixture to your soap dispenser (even the foaming kind):

- ¾ cup (187.5 milliliter) distilled water
- ¼ cup (62.5 milliliter) liquid castile soap (found at most health food stores or organic grocers in unscented or scented with essential oils)
- Optional: ½ teaspoon (2.5 milliliter) grape-seed oil

May your summer be sweet and nontoxic!

Mia Davis is the organizing director of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics and the co-leader of the Workgroup for Safe Markets. Both national coalitions are working to move the market and pass legislation that will reduce or eliminate toxic chemicals in consumer products.

Photo credit: fragglerawker_03

The True Cost of Your Shiny Smooth Hair

Beautiful, shiny, frizz-free hair? Count yourself lucky to have hair at all! I first heard about the Brazilian Blowout from Susanne Harvey, who called to tell me she’d lost huge chunks of her long red hair¹ after using the popular hair-smoothing product that is all the rage with celebrities.

Turns out many women have had the same fallout experience, including actress Mary Louise Parker² and scores of others who have been complaining to FDA for years about hair loss, blisters and rashes they experienced after using certain hair treatments.

The reason why was made clear by several recent studies³: Many salon products that promise straight, frizz-free, “healthy” hair — even those marketed as “formaldehyde-free,” like Brazilian Blowout – actually contain significant levels of formaldehyde, a potent allergen and known carcinogen.⁴

The revelations prompted Health Canada⁵ to pull the products off the market six months ago. But here in the United States, where it’s legal for hair products to contain unlimited amounts of carcinogens, FDA has taken no action to protect consumers.

Finally this week, the federal Occupational Health and Safety Administration stepped forward to warn salons⁶ to stop using formaldehyde-containing hair straighteners, and the state of California requested an injunction against the LA-based manufacturer of Brazilian Blowout.

“Workers have the right to know the risks associated with the chemicals with which they work, and how to protect themselves,” said OSHA Assistant Secretary Dr. David Michaels in a statement.

Yes indeed! Unfortunately, workers and salons are not getting the straight story from manufacturers, who continue to insist these products are safe. According to an Environmental Working Group (EWG) survey, 95 percent of top manufacturers claim their hair-straightening products contain little to no formaldehyde, when they actually contain substantial amounts.

Obviously, these companies can’t be trusted and the FDA is failing to protect public health. The “Brazilian Blowup” is the perfect example why we need to reform national cosmetic regulations to bring American consumer protections up to standards that are already in place in Canada, Europe and elsewhere.

The federal Safe Cosmetics Act, introduced into the U.S. House of Representatives last year by Rep. Jan Schakowsky (and soon to be re-introduced into the new Congress) will make it illegal to put cancer-causing chemicals into personal care products in the first place, and will require companies to be fully transparent about their products.

Take action here to support the Safe Cosmetics Act.

In the meantime, what’s the best option for hair straightening? EWG’s assessment found possible health risks associated with all the longer-lasting chemical hair straighteners. The safest route is to use a flat iron, or – like this Sesame Street video we love – learn to love your hair just the way it is.

Photo credit: Claudio Mancilla

Sources:
1. Not a Pretty Picture. http://www.earthisland.org/journal/index.php/eij/article/not_a_pretty_picture/ Accessed April 18, 2011.
2. Mary-Louise Parker of ‘Weeds’ claims Brazilian hair straightening caused her hair to fall out. http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/fashion/2011/04/12/2011-04-12_mary_louise_parker_of_weeds_claims_brazilian_hair_straightening_caused_her_hair_.html Accessed April 18, 2011.
3. Still waiting on FDA to do something about Brazilian Blowout. http://notjustaprettyface.org/blog/still-waiting-on-fda-to-do-anything-about-brazilian-blowout Accessed April 18, 2011.
4. National Academy of Sciences: Formaldehyde Still Causes Cancer in Humans. http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/jsass/national_academy_of_sciences_f.html Accessed April 18, 2011.
5. Brazilian Blowout Contains Formaldehyde. http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ahc-asc/media/advisories-avis/_2010/2010_167-eng.php Accessed April 18, 2011.
6. Hair Smoothing Products That Could Release Formaldehyde. http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/formaldehyde/hazard_alert.html Accessed April 18, 2011.