EWG RESEARCH
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
• Why this matters
• What not to buy
• What you can do
UPDATES
• FDA fails to protect consumers
• Cosmetics with Banned & Unsafe Ingredients
• EWG petition to FDA
• Top 20 brands of concern
• Top 20 companies of concern
• Top ingredients and products of concern
IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS
• Compact for Safe Cosmetics Signers
• Safety in the hands of the cosmetics industry
• Exposures add up
Why this matters — cosmetics and your healthHave you ever counted how many cosmetics or personal care products you use in a day? Chances are it's nearly 10. And chances are good that they include shampoo, toothpaste, soap, deodorant, hair conditioner, lip balm, sunscreen, body lotion, shaving products if you're a man, and cosmetics if you are a woman. And what about your children? On any given day you might rub, spray, or pour some combination of sunscreen, diaper cream, shampoo, lotion, and maybe even insect repellant on their skin. |
Sunscreens: What Works and What's SafeIn a new investigation of 838 name-brand sunscreens, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) found widespread evidence that many products on the market are not safe and effective, including one of every eight high-SPF sunscreens that does not protect from UVA radiation. We have also identified 136 products that offer very good sun protection with ingredients that present minimal health risks to users. Find out which in our best and worst lists. |
Teen Girls' Body Burden of Hormone-Altering Cosmetics ChemicalsLaboratory tests reveal adolescent girls across America are contaminated with chemicals commonly used in cosmetics and body care products. Environmental Working Group (EWG) detected 16 chemicals from 4 chemical families - phthalates, triclosan, parabens, and musks - in blood and urine samples from 20 teen girls aged 14-19. Studies link these chemicals to potential health effects including cancer and hormone disruption. |
Safety Guide to Children's Personal Care ProductsEvery day children are exposed to an average of 27 personal care product ingredients that have not been found safe for kids, according to a national survey conducted in summer 2007 by Environmental Working Group. Overall, 77% of the ingredients in 1,700 children's products reviewed have not been assessed for safety. Check our list for safer product picks. |
FDA fails to protect consumersOn September 29, 2005, the Food and Drug Administration issued a final written response to a cosmetic safety petition filed by the Environmental Working Group. Notably, FDA affirmed its inability to enforce a requirement that a warning label be posted on products that have not been substantiated for safety. |
Cosmetics with Banned and Unsafe IngredientsIn a letter to Andrew C. von Eschenbach, US FDA Commissioner, EWG's Executive Director Richard Wiles writes, "FDA regulators will attend a forum in Brussels this week in which cosmetic industry representatives and international regulators will discuss "ways to remove regulatory obstacles among the regions" and other issues related to cosmetic marketing and safety (FDA 2007a). Environmental Working Group (EWG) is writing to express deep concern that FDA officials are excluding public health, consumer, and environmental organizations from this meeting while allowing the regulated industry to participate." |
EWG petition to FDAIn June 2004, EWG petitioned the Food and Drug Administration to improve the safety of cosmetic products. |
Top 20 brands of concernSkin Deep's safety assessment ratings provide a measure of potential health concerns linked to ingredients used in popular health and beauty brands. The brands in our list contain ingredients with the average highest levels of concern according to our rating system, from among the 428 brands with at least 25 products in Skin Deep's database. |
Top 20 Companies of concernSkin Deep's safety assessment ratings provide a measure of potential health concerns linked to ingredients used by personal care product companies. The companies in our list are those using ingredients with the highest average levels of concern according to our rating system, from among the 209 companies with at least 40 products in Skin Deep's database. |
Top ingredients and products of concernThe ingredients of concern in our list are drawn from EWG's analysis of 8,798 ingredients contained in the 52,182 personal care products within Skin Deep's databases. Based on a comparison of these ingredients against chemicals listed in 51 toxicity and regulatory databases, EWG has developed a list of top ingredients of concern comprising known and probable carcinogens; known and probable reproductive and developmental toxins; and ingredients that are illegal for use in cosmetics in the U.S. or E.U., or that have been found unsafe for use in cosmetics by authoritive bodies. |
Compact for Safe Cosmetics SignersSince 2004 approximately 1,392 companies have signed a pledge to produce safer products, free of known and suspected carcinogens, and reproductive and developmental toxins. The pledge is sponsored by a broad coalition of public health and environmental organizations committed to working with corporate leaders who prioritize their customers' health. |
Safety in the hands of the cosmetics industryEWG's letter to CTFA staff scientist and frequent spokesman Gerald McEwen, who is the primary advisor of the industry-funded panel on which the FDA relies for decisions relating to personal care product safety. |
Exposures add up — survey resultsA personal care product use survey of more than 2,300 people, conducted by EWG and a coalition of public interest and environmental health organizations, shows that the average adult uses 9 personal care products each day, with 126 unique chemical ingredients. More than a quarter of all women and one of every 100 men use at least 15 products daily. |
Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHAs), Beta Hydroxy Acids (BHAs), and skin cancerOn May 21, 1992 FDA issued a consumer warning that commercial "skin peel" products, advertised to remove wrinkles, blemishes, blotches and acne scars, could destroy the upper layers of the skin, causing severe burns, swelling, and pain. FDA describes the following progression: "The skin initially reddens, as with a sunburn, then darkens and finally peels away revealing what manufacturers claim will be "new skin." Treatments may be painful and leave permanent scars" (FDA 1992). |
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