The Care Products We Are Using - Are They Safe?

The Environmental Working Group (EWG), created a cosmetic database -Skin Deep Database- to help fill safety gaps left by the cosmetic industry that has publicly studied nearly 13 percent of the 10,500 ingredients identified by the government in personal care products. The FDA does not regulate the ingredients in the cosmetic products thus, it remains to the industry to decide what ingredients to put in their products. The EWG is stating that:
"More than 750 personal care products sold in the U.S. violate industry safety standards or cosmetic safety standards in other industrialized countries."
and
"98% of all products contain one of more ingredients never publicly assessed for safety."

Their analysis of ingredients in more than 23,000 products revealed that 751 different products fail to meet one or more industry or government safety standards, including:

• "383 products containing ingredients that are prohibited for use in cosmetics in Canada, Japan, or the E.U.
  
• 447 products that industry safety panels have found unsafe when used as directed, including 86 found unsafe for all product applications by the CIR and the International Fragrance Association, and 360 found unsafe by the CIR when used according to package directions and,
  
• 1,331 products containing ingredients for which the CIR panel said there is insufficient data to determine whether they are safe in cosmetics.
• 22,697 products (98% of all products assessed) containing one or more ingredients for which FDA, the CIR panel, or any other publicly accountable U.S. institution have not conducted safety assessments."

For a complete report go here.

The Skin Deep is the largest and most comprehensive database where consumers can compare safety ratings of numerous personal care products. The database contains searchable information about 27,528 care products - shampoos, conditioners, body lotions, toothpastes, baby products, fragrances, sunscreens, etc. In all these ratings are included 7,145 ingredients, 1,675 brands, and 1,040 companies.
Being very doubtful about the industry's care for the safety of the public, I check this database all the time when I need to buy care products for me and my family.