Safety First! New Bill and Industry Support Mean More Regulation in Cosmetic Industry

More regulation of cosmetic products is likely pending, with recent discussion from both the cosmetic and regulation industries.

The Personal Care Products Council, the cosmetic industry's trade group, proposed to establish more direct regulation over cosmetic products, and to develop a more involved role for the FDA in the supervision of ingredients. That's right--the cosmetic's industry itself is asking for more regulation on products like sunscreen, cleansers, and moisturizers, which ultimately will mean safer products for consumers.

Under the existing laws, the FDA isn't able to require cosmetics companies to test their product's safety in a regulated way. The FDA also doesn't have to approve the claims made on product labels (like "natural" or "safe"), or have the authority to order recalls.

The internet is abuzz with discussion about the seven-minute 'Story of Cosmetics' video, which was released today. The video advocates for higher safety regulation, saying that fewer than 20% of chemicals in cosmetics have been assessed by the industry's safety panel. The video is co-produced by The Story of Stuff Project, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics and Free Range Studios.

Today, Democrats Reps. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill. and Ed Markey, D-Mass. in Congress proposed a bill that would empower the FDA and give it a larger role in determining the safety of cosmetic products. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., is working on a similar bill in the Senate.

Only time will tell what kinds of changes are in store for the regulation of cosmetic products, but it certainly seems that all parties are on the same page: more regulation equals safer products, and safety is always important to consumers. Check back with DermaNetwork for updates and more information about FDA regulation in the cosmetic industry.