Personal care, salons and beauty products are sold all over America Federal oversight – And many include toxic elements.

The average American adult uses about 12 personal care products a day, consumer Reports They sayAs a result, an average is exposed to 168 chemicals. They may include formaldehyde, mercury, asbestos, lead and parabens, which are associated with cancer, brain damage and reproductive damage. Women of color are considered to use several products twice, according to consumer Reports,

Despite the growing scientist Research in dangers Presented by toxic chemicals, they have been very low to restrict them or labeled on at least cosmetics.

A group of Democratic MPs expects to change it.

Reps on Wednesday. Illinois’ John Shekowski, Texas’s Lizzie Fletcher, Doris Matsui of California and Ayana Pressley of Massachusetts started “” “”.Safe beauty bill package“A set of four bills that they are designed to update, which they say” a old -old set of federal cosmetics laws. ,

Each product focuses on a different aspect of safety, banning the most toxic ingredients in everyday beauty supply, to create protection for women of color and salon workers who are inconsistent to them.

“More than 10,000 chemicals are used to make beauty and personal care products,” Schakowsky saidWho wrote all four bills. “We are safe to ensure that the beauty and personal care products they use.”

This is an updated version Uniform package That MPs first introduced in 2021.

In 2022, the then President Biden signed the law Modernization of cosmetics regulation act (Mokra), which US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) calls the most important expansion of its right to regulate cosmetics since its construction in 1938.

The law required the FDA’s power to do things such as mandatory memories, adverse event reporting and suspending the facility registration of manufacturers. But MPs and Consumer Safety Advocates say this was really rare to improve beauty and personal care products.

Lack of federal action has operated Some states – To ban dozens of chemicals from cosmetic products in recent years including Vermont, California, Washington and Oregon.

The FDA did not comment when asked about the law.

The Personal Care Products Council – A major cosmetics business industry – stated in a statement to NPR that it is “fully committed to maintaining the highest standards of safety, quality and transparency for cosmetics and personal care products.”

The group says On your website It has “Science and Safety is a long history of the best practices, which is often essential by law.” One in 2024 details Responding to concerns about PFA, known as “Forever Chemicals”, in individual care products, the group said that all cosmetic materials are subject to the same federal safety requirements, saying that “members companies take their responsibility for product safety … very seriously.”

consumer Reports It is said that the safe beauty bill package addresses the gap in federal regulation that was not addressed by Mokra, “including component safety and transparency, which consumers care most.” The law has been abolished 150 companies and organizationsMany environment and consumer focus on health.

Janet Nudelman, director of the program and policy at the Breast Cancer Prevention Partners, said in a statement that the bill package “matches the new high bar for cosmetic security installed by the states” and the FDA “will help some of the most toxic chemicals on the planet” out of beauty products “.

He said, “These bills believe that everyone is entitled to protection from unprotected cosmetic exposure where they live, shop, or work,” he said.

What chemicals are we talking about?

Studies have added marketed hair products, mainly like black women, such as straighteners and relaxers, for increasing risk of certain cancer and other health risks.

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Year scientific research Health problems including hormone disruption, respiratory issues, adverse reproductive results and cancer have added toxic chemicals to hair, makeup and other individual care products.

This is particularly worrying for black and latina women, who are more often exposed to dangerous materials such as formaldehyde in nails and hair products.

A consumer Reports Study published in march Out of the 10 most popular synthetic hair products used in popular braids, extensions and other hairstyles with black women, 100% of the most popular synthetic hair products found cancer -causing materials.

Another study, published in the journal Environmental science and technology papers In May, it was found that formaldihyde and formaldehyde-immunity products are present not only in hair comfort but also in one. Wide range of beauty products It gets even more regular use, including soap, lotion, shampoo, conditioner and eyeliner.

And breast cancer prevention released by partners on Thursday, especially given the dangers of aroma, found that More than 98% fragrance chemicals Either basic security data is lacking or classified by scientific authorities as high or potentially high concern.

“An interval combined with a self-regulated aroma industry allows for the federal labeling loopol dozens-sometimes even hundreds of chemicals to hide under-sides, ‘fragrances,” furnace,’ “fragrance ‘or’ taste ‘or’ taste ‘beauty and individual care products product labels,” reports, “reported in the report.

Consumer advocates say that product safety is becoming even more important, as Girls turn to makeup And at a young age Skincare Products On the rate of breast cancer In women under 65 years of age.

While the European Union has banned more than 2,400 toxic chemicals from individual care products, FDA only banned About a dozenAdvocates and legalists want America to start catching.

“This is the time to close the flaws that allow toxic chemicals in products used every day on our body,” Shakovski said.

What will these laws do?

Bills have Referred to For the House Committee on Energy and Commerce for consideration, the first step in the legislative process. If they pass then what will they do here:

• Poisonous beauty act There will be restrictions on two entire classes of chemicals-phthalates and formaldhyde-immunity-and 18 of the 18 most dangerous chemicals, including mercury, formaldehyde and lead. These substances have already been banned by many American states and the European Union.

• Cosmetic supply chain transparency act Cosmetic companies will require suppliers of raw materials, materials and private label products to disclose materials and safety data to improve industry-wide transparency and give rise to safe products.

• Right to know the cosmetic dangerous component act It will be necessary to reveal the labels and websites of the products “all components that can pose health risk to consumers,” from aroma to taste. Companies will also have to provide direct links for security information for any component known to harm human health.
• Cosmetic safety safety for colors and salon workers communities Salon will fund $ 30 million in research, public education and secure options for women of workers and colored women, especially for black women, in cosmetic products. It will also direct the FDA to oversee the safety of synthetic hair products.

Janet Robinson Flint, co-founder and executive director of Black Women for Wellness, said in a statement that he hoped that the Congress would “get this moment with urgency”.

“Women, girls and all people in this country are better than our MLAs, regulatory agencies (EPA/FDA), and corporations,” he said.