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Chicago Tribune: Bill calls for stricter rules on cosmetics

July 21, 2010
Article

Bill calls for stricter rules on cosmetics

FDA would approve ingredients, conduct regular testing, scrutinize labels, order recalls

July 21, 2010|By Ellen Gabler and Sam Roe, Tribune reporters

U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., introduced legislation Tuesday that would toughen safety standards for cosmetics, including requiring regular government testing of products for hazardous ingredients.

The call for testing of cosmetics – from shampoo to lipstick to deodorant – was sparked by a Tribune investigation in May that found some skin-lightening creams contained extremely high amounts of mercury, a toxic metal banned in those products.

"Consumers can't assume even when an ingredient has been banned that it's not in a product," Schakowsky said. "That's a really, really important finding.

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The Food and Drug Administration said it currently tests high-risk products but acknowledged that officials had not tested skin creams for mercury in years. The metal is sometimes illegally added to creams because it blocks melanin that gives skin pigmentation. The products are used to lighten complexions and diminish freckles or age spots.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., is working on a similar bill in the Senate.

Schakowsky's legislation would require that the FDA decide which ingredients can be used in cosmetics and personal care products. Currently, companies decide which ingredients are safe for their products, with a few exceptions.

Consumer advocates say it isn't smart to allow an industry to police itself. But the cosmetic industry's own trade group announced last week that it, too, is interested in having a formal process for the FDA to review the safety of ingredients. The Personal Care Products Council said it was responding to American consumers who want more transparency.

Schakowsky's bill also calls for stricter labeling requirements and gives the FDA the ability to order recalls of dangerous products. The agency can currently only request a product recall.

Reps. Edward Markey, D-Mass., and Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., are co-sponsors of the bill.

Schakowsky said she has been especially bothered that loopholes in the law permit companies to avoid disclosing all ingredients in their products; for example, they can withhold information on specific ingredients in fragrances.

Lisa Archer, national coordinator for the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, said more than 12,500 chemicals are found in personal care products, but the average consumer has no way of knowing which are safe.

Issues:Cosmetic Safety