That's A Killer Look - A Study of Chemicals in Personal Care Products

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The average adult American uses 9 personal care products every day,
exposing themselves to 126 different ingredients, including many
industrial chemicals.2
Most people assume that everyday consumer
products, and the chemicals they contain, have been tested for
safety. Unfortunately, that’s not true. Our national chemical safety
system is broken, and we are paying the price – in health problems
and increased costs to our health care system and economy.
Cosmetics and personal care products are one significant source of
exposure to dangerous and untested chemicals. Because we put cosmetic
products directly on our bodies, the potential for immediate absorption
or ingestion is high. These products may be made from 12,500 different
ingredients, most of which have not been assessed for safety by any
publicly accountable body.2
Only 11 cosmetic ingredients have ever been
banned or restricted by the U.S. government. The sad reality is that most
times we put a mainstream cosmetic or personal care product on our
bodies, we are dosing ourselves with hazardous and untested chemicals.
Fortunately, public pressure is creating change. Consumer demands
are forcing many companies to replace some toxic ingredients. Smart
companies are prospering by making safer products. Several states have
passed innovative laws to identify and phase out the most hazardous
chemicals in everyday products. Momentum is building for national change
to protect our health, reduce unnecessary health care costs, and grow our
economy through investment in “green” chemistry and safe products.
Out of 12,500 different ingredients in
cosmetics and personal care products, nearly
90% have not been assessed for
safety by any publicly accountable entity.

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We analyzed twelve cosmetic and personal care products used
by young people in Maine to assess their safety. We studied how
ingredients of these products are regulated, and researched the
specific ingredients listed on the product labels. We also tested the
products for the presence of three chemicals that would not be listed
on labels, but that we thought the products might contain.
To research ingredients listed on product labels, we accessed the
extensive Skin Deep cosmetics safety database maintained by the
Environmental Working Group, which compares ingredients to over 50
toxicity and regulatory databases. We assessed which ingredients of
the products studied have been named as Chemicals of High Concern
by the State of Maine. (Maine CHCs have been proven hazardous to
humans by an authoritative government body.) We also sent all 12
products to an analytical testing laboratory, where they were tested
for the presence of three chemicals (phthalates, formaldehyde, and
1,4-Dioxane) using approved methods and protocols.
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Our safety analysis produced three key findings.
1. Cosmetic and personal care product ingredients are almost entirely
unregulated. Many are toxic, and most have not been tested for safety.
2. Almost every product we analyzed contains ingredients linked to cancer,
reproductive and developmental problems, immune system problems,
and other health effects, in addition to many ingredients for which no
health and safety information is available.
3. Several products we tested contain dangerous chemicals that are not
listed as ingredients on the product labels.
Cosmetics and personal care products may contain 12,500 different
ingredients.3
Almost 90% of these ingredients have not been assessed
for safety by any publicly accountable authority (including the U.S.
government and the cosmetics industry’s self-regulating body).4
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cannot require pre-
market safety testing of cosmetic and personal care products or their
ingredients.5
FDA does not even have authority to require approval of
cosmetic labels for accuracy before the products are marketed.6
Ingredients for which there is no publicly available safety information
are found in almost every product on the market.7
Ingredients
linked to cancer are found in over 1/3 of cosmetics and personal care
products.8
Only 11 ingredients have ever been banned or restricted
by the U.S. FDA.9
Products may also contain chemicals not listed on
the label, because they are present as byproducts of the production
process, breakdown products of listed ingredients, or components of a
“fragrance” that do not have to separately listed.
Because most cosmetic
and personal care
product ingredients
have not been tested
for safety, we mostly
don’t know what we are
putting on our bodies
or our children’s bodies.
Of the ingredients for
which there is some
publicly available health
and safety information,
we found great cause
for concern. Many
common ingredients
are known or suspected
to cause cancer,
reproductive health
problems, learning
and developmental
disabilities, immune
system disorders, and
other health impacts.
The products we analyzed

At least 7 of 12 products contain
chemicals already determined to be
hazardous by the State of Maine.10
7 of 12 products contain chemicals
linked to cancer.
linked to reproductive or
developmental problems.11
subject to prohibitions, restrictions,
or warnings.12
All 12 products contain at least one
chemical linked to allergic reactions
or immune system problems.
Only 1 of the 12 products is
manufactured by a company that
has signed the Compact for Safe
Cosmetics (an agreement to remove
the most hazardous chemicals from their products
and publicly report progress).
Three Hazardous Chemicals Not Listed on Labels
Were Found in Several Products
Formaldehyde was found in all three of the
products tested for it, including in one product
labeled as “Formaldehyde Free”.
1,4-Dioxane was found in one-third of the six
products tested for it.
Two of the twelve products tested still contain toxic
phthalates, and we still don’t know what’s in the
“fragrances” included in the other 10 products.
For a complete description of the analytical and
research methods used for this study, visit
www.CleanAndHealthyMe.org
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Both industrial chemicals used in everyday products and pharmaceuticals
(medicinal drugs) often end up in our bodies. The pharmaceuticals do because they
are taken or applied as medicines, and the chemicals because many of them leach
out of the products in which they are used. But U.S. laws treat these two types of
products very differently.
A"*E(A#)%&
(Toxic Substances Control Act)
D"#+E#A*F!(A#)%&
(Food and Drug Act)
No pre-market safety testing required
EPAmustprove that restrictions proposedare
theleast burdensome to industrypossible
Only 5 of 80,000 chemicals have ever
been restricted (.006%)
Several stages of safety testing
FDA reviews data to determine safety and
effectiveness
Only 1 in 5 drugs that enter clinical testing
are approved (80% fail)
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Many ingredients are hazardous

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Products that do not contain toxic
phthalates or contaminants like
1,4-Dioxane may still be harmful. Many of
the 12,500 different ingredients used in
cosmetics and personal care products are
known to harm our health, and almost
90% of them have not been tested for
safety. We need stronger laws to stop
the use of known hazardous chemicals in
everyday products.
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This product contains 32 different
ingredients, some of which have been
banned or restricted in other countries.
Ingredients in this product are linked to:
!"Cancer
!"Reproductive & developmental toxicity
!"Immune reactions/allergies
!"Endocrine (hormone) disruption
!"Neurotoxicity
!"Biochemical or cellular changes
%8;3/:&A2:2=-&&
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(Labeled as “Toluene, Formaldehyde, DBP
and Camphor Free”)
Most consumers assume that ingredients
have been tested for safety, and that
product labels are accurate. But the U.S.
FDA cannot require pre-market testing of
cosmetic ingredients, and does not approve
product labels for accuracy. We need reform
that requires chemicals to be proven safe
before they are used in everyday products.
>59.&K6&32/;0H
We found formaldehyde in this product,
despite the label that clearly says
“Formaldehyde Free”
Ingredients in this product are linked to:
!"Cancer
!"Reproductive & Developmental toxicity
!"Endocrine (hormone) disruption
!"Neurotoxicity
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@=66N8;G&"98=&%<=91
Because of public pressure, many companies
have stopped using toxic phthalates in their
products. Some laggard companies (like
this one) are still using these dangerous
chemicals. And we still don’t know what
chemicals most companies are using in
unspecified ingredients like “fragrance.” We
need government action to quickly replace
toxic chemicals like phthalates with safer
alternatives.
>59.&K6&32/;0H
We found the toxic chemical diethyl
phthalate in this product. Diethyl phthalate
was not listed as an ingredient on this
product’s label. (It’s probably contained in
the unspecified “fragrance” ingredient.)
Other ingredients in this product are linked to:
!"Cancer
!"Reproductive & Developmental toxicity
!"Neurotoxicity
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Making safer products is clearly possible,
and some of the most successful companies
are doing so. Smart businesses are appealing
to the rapidly growing consumer demand
for safer products, and customers should
support these forward-thinking companies.
>59.&K6&32/;0H
We did not find phthalates in this product
(confirming the manufacturer’s claim that
the product is phthalate-free).
This manufacturer has committed to make
safer products by signing the Compact for
Safe Cosmetics.
No ingredients in this product are linked
to cancer, reproductive or developmental
problems.
This product is made from low-toxicity
ingredients.

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Most people believe that our government
makes sure that chemicals and consumer
products are safe, especially for children.
Here’s what’s really happening.
The Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), passed in 1976,
should ensure that chemicals used in everyday consumer
products are safe. But TSCA is broken and does not
protect our health. More than 80,000 chemicals are
registered for use in the United States, and an additional
2,000 are introduced for use each year.16
The U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which oversees
TSCA, has been able to require safety testing for just 200
chemicals in 34 years, and has only been able to restrict
the use of 5 chemicals under the law.
The Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA) gives the U.S.
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authority to ensure
the safety of “cosmetics” (the formal term that includes
not only “beauty” products like lipsticks, hair colors,
nail polishes, and perfumes, but also most personal
care products like lotions, shampoos and conditioners,
toothpastes, and deodorants).17
FDA cannot require pre-
market testing of ingredients or products, cannot force
manufacturers to recall unsafe products, and cannot even
require that product labels be approved for accuracy.18
Only 11 cosmetic and personal care product ingredients
(out of 12,500 used) have ever been banned or restricted
by the FDA.19
In the face of our broken national chemical safety
system, public health organizations, consumers, and
states have stepped forward. Consumer demands
for safe products and public action campaigns have
encouraged some companies to phase out some toxic
ingredients. New laws passed by states are also making
an impact. We still need national reform to ensure that
all chemicals and all products are safe for everyone.
Public action campaigns are changing laws in Maine
and other states, and pushing Congress toward action.
Individuals and families are making a difference by
demanding accountability and action from government
agencies and companies. Find out how you can join
them at www.CleanAndHealthyMe.org.
>59.$-&"808;G&8;&
,/=&D=20/4.-P
In addition to 12,500 possible ingredients
(many of which are toxic, and 90% of
which have not been tested for safety),
cosmetic and personal care products often
contain contaminants and chemicals not
listed on the label (such as components
of “fragrances”). We tested twelve
products for three chemicals commonly
found but not listed on the label.
@,+E#)?*"Q?* and
preservatives that release formaldehyde
are used in many personal care products
(especially shampoos and liquid body
soaps) to prevent the growth of
bacteria. Formaldehyde is a probable human
carcinogen, and can cause allergic skin reactions.13
Some companies add formaldehyde-releasing
preservatives to their products, so formaldehyde
itself may not be listed on the label.
RSTU?(,V#L* is a chemical
present in many cosmetic and
personal care products, most
commonly in those that create suds
(like shampoo and liquid soap). It is
a byproduct of ethoxylation – a
production process using ethylene oxide. Because
1,4-Dioxane is considered a contaminant rather than
an ingredient, manufacturers do not have to list it on
product labels. The U.S. EPA considers 1,4-Dioxane a
probable human carcinogen.14
D"!"#)#!*% are a widely
used group of industrial chemicals
often found in cosmetic and
personal care products as carriers
for fragrances and colors.
Phthalates are usually not listed
separately on product labels. Phthalates have been
linked to a wide variety of health effects including
male reproductive damage.15
In response to public
pressure, some companies have removed the most
toxic phthalates from their products. Unfortunately,
we still don’t know what other chemicals may be
hiding inside “fragrances.”
We tested for three common contaminants
and unlisted ingredients. Some products may
contain other chemicals not listed on the label.

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Because federal law requires some disclosure of cosmetic and personal care product
ingredients on labels, consumers and retail businesses know more about these products
than about most others. Unfortunately, most of that information isn’t very helpful.
We can’t shop our way out of this problem by just
buying safer products. With 12,500 different ingredients used in
cosmetics and personal care products, thousands of different products
on store shelves (many with tiny, unreadable labels), no safety testing of
most ingredients, and many proven hazardous chemicals used in these
products, we need a better solution.
We must fix our broken chemical safety system to
ensure that all chemicals and all products are safe. Chemicals should
be tested for safety before they are used in any consumer products,
especially those we put on our bodies. Hazardous chemicals should be
phased out whenever safer alternatives are available.
The good news is that simple, common sense steps can move us
toward safe chemicals and products, reduce health care and education
costs, and grow our economy.
!! Support Maine’s Kid-Safe Products Law
In 2008, Maine adopted the groundbreaking Kid-Safe Products
Act, which establishes a system to identify and phase out the most
hazardous chemicals used in everyday products that endanger
children. Hazardous chemicals commonly used in cosmetic and
personal care products (such as phthalates) should be designated as
Priority Chemicals targeted for immediate action.
!! Fix our National Chemical Safety System
Momentum is building to fix the national laws that should protect
us from dangerous chemicals in everyday products. Legislation
to reform the Toxic Substances Control Act should require public
disclosure of safety information on all chemicals in use, take
immediate action to phase out the most dangerous chemicals, and
set safety standards based on real world exposures.
Campaigns to ensure safer chemicals and safer products in Maine and
across the country are underway. YOUR ACTION makes a difference.
Get involved at www.CleanAndHealthyMe.org
>59.&
(;08B80/9:-&
A9;&?2
)*#+LH Understand
how we can win
stronger laws to protect
our health. Explore
simpler, safer products,
and discover how to join
public campaigns for
change.
%"#+*H Educate your
friends and family
about the problem and
solutions. Get them
involved too.
#A!H Support
campaigns to fix our
broken chemical safety
system through the
Alliance for a Clean
and Healthy Maine
or one of its member
organizations at www.
CleanAndHealthyMe.org

1 Environmental Working Group, Exposures Add Up,
at http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/research/
exposures.php, accessed on March 25, 2010.
2 FDA and EWG – see cites elsewhere.
3 U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Compliance Program
Guidance Manual 7329.001, Chapter 29 – Colors and Cosmetics
Technology, Part I, Page 1, available at http://www.fda.gov/
downloads/Cosmetics/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/
ComplianceEnforcement/ucm073356.pdf, accessed on March 25, 2010.
4 Environmental Working Group, Safety in the Hands of the
Cosmetics Industry, at http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/
research/industry.php accessed on March 25, 2010.
5 U.S. Food and Drug Administration, FDA Authority
Over Cosmetics, at http://www.fda.gov/Cosmetics/
GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/
ucm074162.htm, accessed on March 25, 2010.
6 U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Cosmetic Labeling and
Label Claims Overview, at http://www.fda.gov/Cosmetics/
CosmeticLabelingLabelClaims/default.htm, accessed on March 25, 2010.
7 Ibid EWG.
8 EWG, Skin Deep Frequently Asked Question, Question 7, at http://
www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/faq.php, accessed on March 25, 2010.
9 U.S. Food and Drug Administration, “Ingredients Prohibited and
Restricted by FDA Regulations”, at http://www.fda.gov/Cosmetics/
ProductandIngredientSafety/SelectedCosmeticIngredients/
ucm127406.htm, accessed on March 25, 2010.
10 Listed on the Maine Chemicals of High Concern list as of March 26,
2010. See http://www.maine.gov/dep/oc/safechem/highconcern/
11 Reproductive and developmental effects include infertility, reproductive
organ cancers, birth defects, and developmental delays in children.
12 These ingredients are prohibited for use in cosmetics,
or subject to restrictions or warnings based on industry
safety guidelines or government standards in the
U.S., Canada, the European Union, or Japan.
13 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Formaldehyde, at http://www.
epa.gov/ttn/atw/hlthef/formalde.html, accessed on March 25, 2010.
14 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1,4-Dioxane, at http://www.
epa.gov/ttn/atw/hlthef/dioxane.html, accessed on March 25, 2010.
15 Alliance for a Clean and Healthy Maine, Body of
Evidence, The Chemicals: Phthalates, available at http://
cleanandhealthyme.org/BodyofEvidenceReport/
TheChemicals/PhthalatesBeautyProductsandBeastlyVinyl/
tabid/96/Default.aspx, accessed on March 25, 2010.
14 Alliance for a Clean and Healthy Maine, Body of
Evidence, The Chemicals: Phthalates, available at http://
cleanandhealthyme.org/BodyofEvidenceReport/
TheChemicals/PhthalatesBeautyProductsandBeastlyVinyl/
tabid/96/Default.aspx, accessed on March 25, 2010.
15 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Formaldehyde, at http://www.
epa.gov/ttn/atw/hlthef/formalde.html, accessed on March 25, 2010.
16 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1,4-Dioxane, at http://www.
epa.gov/ttn/atw/hlthef/dioxane.html, accessed on March 25, 2010.
17 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,
National Toxicology Program, “About the NTP” at http://
ntp.niehs.nih.gov/?objectid=7201637B-BDB7-CEBA-
F57E39896A08F1BB, accessed on March 25, 2010.
18 Mary E. Davis, PhD, “An Economic Cost Assessment of
Environmentally-Related Diseases in Maine,” Staff Paper 579,
University of Maine School of Economics, February 6, 2009.
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This safety analysis of twelve cosmetic and personal care products was prepared by the Environmental
Health Strategy Center (www.preventharm.org) for the Alliance for a Clean and Healthy Maine. The research
greatly benefited from assistance provided by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics (www.safecosmetics.org)
and the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep cosmetics database (www.cosmeticsdatabase.org).
#::89;46&32=&9&A:69;&9;0&"69:.51&E98;6
The Alliance for a Clean and Healthy Maine is a diverse coalition of over 50 Maine-based
organizations that have embarked upon a multi-year public health campaign to phase out the long-
lived toxic chemicals that build up in the food web and our bodies. Alliance members include:
Environmental Health Strategy Center
Learning Disabilities Association of Maine
Maine Labor Group on Health
Maine Council of Churches
Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association
Maine People’s Resource Center
Maine Women’s Policy Center
Natural Resources Council of Maine
Physicians for Social Responsibility/Maine Chapter
Planned Parenthood of Northern New England
Toxics Action Center Campaigns
For more information on the Alliance, visit www.CleanAndHealthyMe.org

#::89;46&32=&9&A:69;&9;0&"69:.51&E98;6
For more information on the Alliance, visit www.CleanAndHealthyMe.org
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Young women in Waterville, Maine take action to demand safer products

That's A Killer Look - A Study of Chemicals in Personal Care Products

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That's A Killer Look - A Study of Chemicals in Personal Care Products