News Day Tuesday: Cosmetics’ effects may be more than skin deep, study warns
So. I have a confession to make. I don’t like…to smell bad. It’s true. And because I don’t like to smell bad, I do things like take showers. Everyday. With soap. And shampoo. And because my hair is a little crazy (I blame my parents who thought it was a good idea for me to get a few perms, starting when I was 9, but this is a childhood trauma I’d rather not get into right now), I use conditioner. AND, to top it all off, I use lotion. Because I like it better when my skin is nice and soft rather than a rough, dry mess. Plus, did I mention that I don’t like to smell bad?
So you can see how I wasn’t thrilled to learn that a small study recently released by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) found that all 20 of the teenage girls they studied had in their bodies an average of 13 chemicals commonly found in cosmetic products, like soap, shampoo, lotion, and yes, make-up too. Go ahead and read an article about the study.
The study is a bit controversial. The EWG contends that many of the chemicals they found act like hormones, and so would have a potentially greater impact on teenagers, whose bodies are still developing and particularly sensitive to changes in hormone levels. They admit that the levels of chemicals they found in the girls they studied didn’t match what was expected from normal cosmetics use – in other words, there were probably other environmental sources of those chemicals, not just the cosmetics. But the Personal Care Products Council, which represents the cosmetic and personal care products industry, issued a response to the EWG study, saying that the study is flawed and that the scientific research supports the conclusion that their products are safe.
To be fair, just because the study found these chemicals in the teenagers they studied doesn’t mean that they will be harmed by the use of cosmetics containing these chemicals. To justify those conclusions would require a more in-depth study, with a control group that didn’t use cosmetics with these chemicals, and with many more study participants, followed over a much longer period of time to see if the amount of chemicals in their bodies was related at all to their risk of developing health problems later on.
So what do you think? Do you think the warning alarms are premature or justified? Is the EWG study going to change your cosmetics use? Do you think anything should be done about the use of these chemicals in cosmetics that teenagers use? If so, what do you think you can do to bring about that kind of change? Do you think an organization like Teens for Safe Cosmetics can make a difference?
P.S. – Some of you might be wondering, “So what are these chemicals the EWG is making a fuss about?” To answer just that question, the EWG made a guide listing the ingredients and products they recommend that consumers avoid.
MarilyneL
October 7, 2008Well, I am not a big fan of cosmethics so I guess I’m not too worried about it. I once saw in a show, a report on the heavy make up used for shows and they had invited Anderson Cooper and tested his level of chemical and I remember it was pretty shocking. Now, we can’t yet affirm that those chemicals are harmful or not, but what I find the worst about it, is that, as normal customers, we trust the product we purchased. We assume that the right tests have been made and that it’s safe to use…and make sure we are not fooled by big companies. Thanks you the article!