FDA & Cosmetics.

I meant to make my very first blog entry exciting, glamorous, and entertaining. While I was sitting here trying to think of my makeup design, I found myself looking over my notes. More precisely, I found myself reading over the articles my school handed back on the importance of reading labels. The first line caught my attention: "The Food and Drug Administration does not consider cosmetics to be a drug and therefore does not regulate and assess the safety of the manufacture and components of makeup and skin care products." I remember being shocked when the teacher told us that and I recoiled all over again at reading the single sentence.

So instead of showing images of my version of geisha makeup (they will be up on an entry soon, no worries! :] ), I figured I could share some information on the FDA's regulation of cosmetics -- rather, lack thereof.

• Cosmetics products are not subject to FDA premarket approval authority with the exception of color additives. So, who regulates cosmetics? The manufacturer does. Again, the only exception are color additives and those ingredients which are prohibited or restricted from use by law/regulation. So.... What exactly does all this mean? Manufacturers can basically use any ingredient in the formulation of a cosmetic.
• The FDA is not authorized to require recalls of cosmetics. It can only request a company recall on a product. It does, however, monitor company recalls. By the way, recalls are all done voluntarily by the manufacturer.
• The FDA does inspect cosmetic manufacturing facilities to assure cosmetic product safety and determine whether cosmetics are adulterated or misbranded. Cosmetics companies are also not required to register with the FDA.
• How does the FDA determine whether a product is a drug or a cosmetic? A "cosmetic" according to the law are "articles intended to be rubbed, poured, sprinkled, sprayed on, introduced into, or otherwise applied to the human body... for cleansing, beautifying, promoting attractiveness, or altering the appearance." Some examples include moisturizers, perfumes, lipsticks, nail polish, toothpaste, deodorant and etc. A "drug" by law are "articles intended for use in diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment or the prevention of disease," and "articles (other than food) intended to affect the structure of any function of the body of man or other animals."
• Can a product be both a cosmetic and a drug? Yes, it can. A normal shampoo is considered a cosmetic because it is meant to cleanse hair. But, a dandruff shampoo is considered a drug because it is intended to treat dandruff. A dandruff shampoo is both a cosmetic and a drug.

**All the information above was derived from the FDA web pages:
Is it a Cosmetic, Drug or Both? (Or is it Soap?)
FDA Authority Over Cosmetics

For the future, this is why it is important to ALWAYS read the labels on cosmetics. One can never be too sure what they're putting on their face! So, here are a few key ingredients that consumers want to avoid:

1. Isopropyl Myristate - Emollient that can be comedogenic and thought to be carcinogenic
2. Triethanolamin- Ammonia derivative; it is very harsh on the skin
3. Phenoxyethanol- Coal-tar often added only for fragrance-suspected carcinogenic
4. Parabens: Methylparaben, Ethylparaben, Propylparaben, Butylparaben- Parabens are a common synthetic preservative to inhibit microbial growth and extend the shelf life of products. They may degrade (especially methyl) releasing methanol -- a potentially toxic chemical.
5. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate- Detergent commonly used in cleansers and shampoos. It is safe for a short time, but it is a skin irritant.
6. Imidazolidinyl Urea- This is a preservative to prevent bacterial growth. It is ineffective against fungi and it is a common cause of contact dermatitis.
7. Synthetic Colors- Unknown whether they are damaging, but it is best to avoid if possible as they are unnecessary.
8. Ethanolamines (MEA, DEA, TEA)- Common pH stabilizers. They form nitrosoamines when combined with air which then becomes irritating or toxic.
9. Isopropyl Palmitate - Emollients. These should be avoided on use with oily skin.
10. Mineral Oil - This is a petroleum derived from hydrocarbon. It is moderately comedogenic and may interfere with perspiration.

** This list was obtained from a handout from Makeup First School of Makeup Artistry.