The Environmental Working Group (EWG) based in Washington, DC and Oakland, California, testified before the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Health, Committee on Energy and Commerce, at a hearing on the “Discussion Draft of the ‘Food and Drug Administration Globalization Act’ Legislation: Device and Cosmetic Safety” on May 14, 2008.  In alliance with the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics the EWG seeks to tighten product safety standards in the personal care/cosmetics industry.

Currently the cosmetics industry is loosely regulated under Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetics Act (FFDCA)  with the FDA having limited power to ensure safety in an industry worth $35 million annually.   Registering the location of cosmetic manufacturing facilities with the FDA is voluntary and inspecting these facilities is the main resource for cosmetic oversight.  Ingredients in unregulated personal care products include phthalates (linked to birth defects and male reproductive problems), nano-materials (currently under investigation), animal and organ tissue derivatives (restricted in other countries).   Additionally analysis and research by EWG revealed that 1 in 5 products, notably lipstick contained chemicals linked to cancer.   

Recommendations made by the EWG remind the Subcommittee that the past 70  years of industry self regulation has not put public health and safety at the forefront.  The International Cooperation on Cosmetic Regulation (ICCR) forum will meet with representatives from the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe on July 28^th  to attempt to further limit regulatory oversight.  Stay tuned to the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics and the Environmental Working Group for more information.