December 3, 2005 WHO IS MAKING YOUR COSMETICS? By Ruth Winter, MS When I first wrote A Consumer’s Dictionary of Cosmetic Ingredients published by Crown in 1978, I pointed out that cosmetics have traditionally received little attention because in the past it was wrongly assumed that such products do not really affect our health and safety. The skin was believed to be a nearly perfect barrier that prevented chemicals applied to it from penetrating the body. This belief went unchallenged until the 1960s, when the much-heralded but unmarketed miracle drug DMSO proved the ability to carry substances with it through the skin and into the body’s tissues and caused eye problems in rabbits. It has now been accepted that all chemicals penetrate the skin to some extent, and many do so in significant amounts. In fact, the government just issued a caution that the contraceptive patch releases more estrogen into the body than the pill.  Today an increasingly popular way to deliver drugs is “transdermally” . Many “cosmetic patches” are either on the market or about to be.   There are an estimated one thousand companies known to be producing twenty thousand cosmetics and toiletries. How many others are churning out products? No one knows! What is being put in those cosmetics? No one knows for sure.   A Consumer’s Dictionary of Cosmetic Ingredients is now in its sixth updated edition and the situation is still the same today as it was in 1978. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cannot require companies to do safety testing of their cosmetic products before marketing. Neither cosmetic products nor cosmetic ingredients are reviewed or approved by the FDA before they are sold to you.   There is a new effort by the FDA to make some changes. The agency has launched a new electronic system for the registration of cosmetic formulations that aims to enhance the safety labeling of products.   The Voluntary Cosmetic Registration Program (VCRP) came into force on December 1, and means that cosmetic firms will be able to register their establishments and file their cosmetic formulations with FDA electronically for cosmetics on the market in the US. The FDA says that from information maintained in the VCRP database, it will be able to estimate the extent and use of a cosmetic ingredient, allowing it to develop safety messages to alert manufacturers and the public wherever necessary.   Although the FDA stresses that participation is still voluntary, the system is designed to streamline the process, which, it is hoped should encourage greater participation by the cosmetics industry.   The move falls in line with increasing pressure from consumers and lobby groups to introduce greater levels of regulation into the US cosmetics industry.   In comparison to the more strictly regulated European market, the US market is often side-lined as representing the interests of the industry before the health and safety of consumers.   A step towards greater regulation in the US was recently undertaken by the state of California, after govern Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a bill back in October that requires cosmetics manufacturers to disclose which of their products contain potentially harmful chemicals.   Although the law is only relevant to the state of California, the fact that it has the biggest economy of any state in the US, combined with the fact that many nationwide cosmetic suppliers will have to adapt their product ranges according to the bill, means that it has had US-wide implications.   The FDA's move is widely thought to be a manifestation of the growing consumer pressure and the California bill.   As well a protecting consumers, the FDA stresses that the system will also help manufacturers to make informed decisions by keeping them up to date on latest safety information, as well as all the latest information from the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel, which specializes in establishing priorities for ingredient safety review.   Do you believe listing of all companies producing cosmetics should be mandatory, not voluntary? How about mandatory reporting of adverse reactions to cosmetics? That’s also voluntary.   Write to your senator and representative and express your opinion. If you do have an adverse reaction to a cosmetic, send the information to The Office of Consumer Affairs, Food and Drug Administration, HFE-88 5600 Fishers lane, Rockville, MD 20857 Consumer Inquiries: 888-INFO-FDA The FDA website is: http://www.FDA.gov

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