INGREDIENT SAFETY: WHY DOES IT MATTER?

Ingredient safety in cosmetic products is not heavily regulated by state or federal government. In the 1970s, legislation was nearly enacted that would require pre-market safety testing for cosmeceuticals; however, this did not pass Congress. As a result, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) only requires manufacturers to garner information regarding ingredient safety, a conflict of interest that oftentimes leads to misleading results. The FDA has neither the funding nor the resources to police manufacturers’ reporting, especially overseas, leading to an even greater lack of safety oversight.

Since the cosmetic industry is primarily self-monitored, a number of ingredients with questionable safety records have made it to the open market. Over the last decade, several ingredients found within cosmetics have been identified as carcinogenic, for example, Blue No. 1, by independently-funded health watch organizations. Other ingredients, like ethoxyethanol, have been found toxic to developing fetuses when used in pregnant women. These have been removed from the market, but significant threats still remain. Parabens and formaldehyde, ingredients with extensive data suggesting a link to breast and throat cancers, respectively, are still permitted by the FDA to be used in various cosmetic preparations!

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) (http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/), an independent non-profit health organization, has championed the cause to remove potentially unsafe ingredients from common skincare and cosmetics products. The EWG has developed an extensive database from which First Aid Beauty (FAB) has drawn heavily in an effort to insure the safety of every one of our products. This database lists thousands of ingredients commonly found in cosmetic products and rates each one for safety.

In addition to directly caustic ingredients, there are myriad substances that create irritancy and allergy within our skin’s active immune system. These ingredients may not be cancer-causing, but they can still create tremendous inflammation, especially among younger people or those with sensitive skin. For example, propylene glycol found in over 10,000 beauty products, is a known skin irritant that often leads to severe redness, flaking, and itching of the skin.

It is important to select products with ingredients that are safe not only from
an FDA perspective, but also from a dermatologic one. Chose ingredients that have a dedicated safety record both within the FDA, the cosmetic industry, and independent health groups such as the EWG. Then pare these down further to remove items that dermatologists find problematic for patients because of high
skin irritancy and allergy. By carefully chosing products with superior safety
records that perform powerfully yet gently, you will see results in your skin today and in the future.