Are the body products/cosmetics you buy at the supermarket, drugstore or department store cosmetics counter safe? Most people think they are. After all, we live in the US and have the good ole' Food and Drug Administration (FDA) looking out for us, right?
Not so, my friend. The FDA has no authority to require companies to test cosmetics products for safety. The Agency does not review or approve the vast majority of products or ingredients before they go on the market. The FDA conducts pre-market reviews only of certain cosmetics color additives and active ingredients that are classified as over-the-counter drugs (FDA 2005, 2010).
In fact, except color additives and a few prohibited substances, cosmetics companies may use any ingredient or raw material in their products without government review or approval (FDA 2005). Whereas the European Union has banned more than 1,000 ingredients from use in cosmetics, the FDA has only prohibited the following (FDA 2000a):
Bithionol
Chlorofluorocarbon propellants
Chloroform
Halogenated salicylanilides (di-, tri-, metabromsalan and tetrachlorosalicylanilide)
Methylene chloride
Vinyl chloride
Zirconium-containing complexes
Prohibited cattle materials
Beware, the chemicals in so many of our body products are cancer-causing and endocrine-disrupting agents that can build up in the body over time. Ditch the chemicals and use natural products like those found on www.AbundanceNaturals.com.