Toxics in Products

The cosmetics you put on your face, the carpets you walk on, the plastic bottles you drink from – all harbor harmful or untested industrial chemicals. Despite this fact, the FDA does not require companies to test their own products for safety.

Cosmetics
Personal care products like shampoo, conditioner, after shave, lotion and makeup are not regulated by the FDA or any other government agency. It is perfectly legal and very common for companies to use ingredients that are known or suspected to be carcinogens, mutagens or reproductive toxins in the their products. Consumers buy these products at drug stores, grocery stores, online or in salons, usually without questioning the product’s safety.

Together we are working for safer products and smarter laws that protect our health and our families from toxic chemicals.

Independent laboratory testing initiated by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics in 2007 found that lipsticks from top brands contain lead. Two-thirds of the 33 samples we tested contained detectable levels of lead; of those, half were above the lead limit for lead in candy. Lead is a potent neurotoxin and linked to numerous other health and reproductive problems — and it doesn’t belong in lipstick.

Baby Bottles
A 2008 study, “Baby’s Toxic Bottle: Bisphenol A Leaching from Popular Baby Bottles,” released by environmental health groups in the U.S. and Canada demonstrates the toxic chemical bisphenol A (BPA) leaches from plastic baby bottles when heated. The groups have called for an immediate moratorium on the use of BPA in baby bottles and other food and beverage containers.

BPA, a synthetic sex hormone that mimics estrogen, is used to make hard polycarbonate plastic. Ninety-five percent of all baby bottles on the market are made with BPA. The results of the U.S. study show that, when new bottles are heated, those manufactured by Avent, Evenflo, Dr. Brown’s and Disney/First Years leached between 4.7 – 8.3 parts per billion of BPA. Recent research on animals shows that BPA can be harmful by disrupting development at doses below these levels.

Results of the study contribute to a growing body of evidence that calls for immediate protective action to reduce public exposure to bisphenol A, especially for infants and children.

Cans
While much of the press surrounding bisphenol A (BPA) has focused on baby bottles, a major source of BPA in our diet is from sodas and canned food. The canning industry uses the toxic chemical BPA to line cans that hold fruits and vegetables, soda and beer, and even infant formula. Hundreds of studies have found BPA to be linked to diseases including breast and prostate cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and neurological problems, lowered sperm counts and early puberty. To learn more about the health effects of canned food and beverages, visit safercans.org.

Toys
Children’s toys are now a notorious source for toxic chemicals, including lead, which has been linked to developmental delays. New toy safety regulations took effect in August 2009. The new regulations cut the amount of lead allowed in toys to half of what was allowed with previous restrictions. Restrictions are also now in place for phthalates in toys. Phthalates are known endocrine-disruptors, which affect the delicate balance of hormones in the body. 

While these new regulations are promising, they aren't a guarantee that toys sold in stores are safe. America's largest toymaker, Mattel, was recently granted an exemption which will allow them to test their own toys, rather than use independent labs for toy testing. Critics question whether Mattel, which was fined $2.3 million for lead in its toys in 2007, can be trusted.

To learn more about the safety of toys and to search for the most and least toxic toys, visit healthytoys.org.

Stuff
The everyday stuff we use day to day can be a major source of toxins in our lives. Everything from our car interiors to our pet’s toys to our children’s back-to-school products contain toxic chemicals. Exposure to all these chemicals add up, and can lead to health problems. To learn more about the toxins in the items around your home, visit healthystuff.org.