Skin Care Product Safety — What You Should Know
Do you ever wonder about the safety of your skin care products? Looking at the ingredient labels on many facial cleansers, moisturizers and body lotions can leave one wondering, “What in the world are most of these things?” and “Is it safe for me to be applying these ingredients to my skin every day?” Currently, it can be difficult for the average consumer to find answers to these questions, which is why the topic of today’s blog post is: Skin Care Product Safety—What You Should Know.
Where can you learn more about skin care ingredient safety?
The toxicity of product ingredients is examined almost exclusively by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel, an independent committee of scientists and physicians that thoroughly reviews and assesses the safety of ingredients used in cosmetics in the U.S. You can visit www.cir-safety.org to access safety information compiled by CIR. Additional reliable ingredient safety information can also be found on www.cosmeticsinfo.org, a website sponsored by the Personal Care Products Council (PCPC), the leading national trade association representing the global cosmetic and personal care products industry. It is important to note that the safety of many new skin care ingredients has not yet been assessed by CIR.
What do cosmetic companies do to ensure product safety?
Skin care product formulators first work closely with ingredient manufacturers to make certain that they have the most comprehensive and up-to-date ingredient safety information. Following a thorough review of the safety of each ingredient in a formulation, the finished product is subjected to a number of clinical safety tests for adverse reactions such as skin allergy or skin and eye irritations. These tests are performed by scientists who are specially trained in evaluating skin care safety. Once the product is brought to the marketplace, reputable skin care companies continue safety monitoring of consumer experience to help identify any potential safety issues related to their products.
Who regulates the safety of skin care products and cosmetics?
Under the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act), cosmetic companies are responsible for substantiating the safety of their products and ingredients. Skin care products and ingredients do not require pre-approval by the FDA before being sold to consumers. Rest assured, according to the PCPC, cosmetic products have impressive safety records under the existing FD&C Act requirements. 1 However, the Safe Cosmetics Act of 2010 was recently introduced to Congress requesting greater oversight by the FDA in order to hold companies more accountable and to help consumers feel more confident about product safety. 2
Should you have any questions or concerns about skin care product safety, contact the company that markets the product you would like to know more about. A responsible skin care company should have no hesitations about sharing product safety information with its consumers.
The new Mannatech LIFT™ skin care system has been thoroughly safety tested, with all products being well-tolerated after 12 weeks of use and testing negative for skin allergy and comedogenicity (a measure of clogged pores). To access more information about the safety of each product in the Mannatech LIFT skin care system, including ingredient identity and safety information and copies of the clinical study reports, please visit www.MannatechScience.org.
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Dr. Nelson is a Research Scientist at Mannatech, Incorporated.
1Cotte, K.F. Nation’s Cosmetics Industry Calls for Greater FDA Role in Oversight of Ingredients in Personal Care Products (http://personalcaretruth.com/2010/07/nations-cosmetics-industry-calls-for-greater-fda-role-in-oversight-of-ingredients-in-personal-care-products/). Posted 07-16-2010. Accessed 9-20-2010.
2Just Introduced: The Safe Cosmetics Act of 2010 (http://www.safecosmetics.org/section.php?id=74). Accessed 9-20-2010.
This article was originally posted on HealthyScience.net.
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