The sky is falling! Or so you’d think from the kerfuffle over a bill that would have banned cancer-causing chemicals from cosmetics in Colorado. In blogs and on twitter, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics was accused of everything from Evil Oz-ery to getting paid by FDA to circulate lies about toxins (my personal fave).

So, to set the record straight: The bill (which died yesterday in committee) was sponsored by the Colorado Women’s Lobby, not the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, and was an attempt to protect consumers from being exposed to the worst chemicals used in cosmetics.

Contrary to some claims, the bill would not have banned olive oil or any other natural food-grade ingredients, but only chemicals that are already banned from cosmetics in the EU, and which also appear on other authoritative bodies’ lists of chemicals known to cause cancer or reproductive harm (EPA, NTP, IARC and NOISH) – about 15 chemicals in all, most of which are not ever used by small companies.

We environmental health advocates are big fans of small, indie businesses, in case anyone was wondering. As SF Magazine just wrote, the activism of Campaign for Safe Cosmetics has been a major factor behind the growth of a vibrant, locally-based natural products industry in the Bay Area. For more about why policy action is also necessary, see this Denver Post op-ed by State Rep. Dianne Primavera.

PS: if anyone knows where I can apply for FDA funding to do the agency’s job for it, let me know!

Stacy Malkan, 3/9/10

Stacy Malkan’s award-winning book, “Not Just a Pretty Face: The Ugly Side of the Beauty Industry”is now available in Korean. Copies are available through the U.S. based bookseller:
SPRING WATER BOOK IMPORT, INC.
3003 W. Olympic Blvd. #105, Los Angeles, CA 90006
T. 213-380-8787 F. 213-380-0264

What kind of world are we in where the President’s daughter gets lambasted for wearing her natural hair Impact Pt I hd Serenity move ? The social pressure on black women to use harsh chemical treatments on their hair is outrageous and oppressive — not to mention dangerous for their health.

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Hair relaxers are among the most toxic products on the market, with 2/3 of the hair relaxers on Skin Deep ranking a 7-10 (with 10 being the worst). The most toxic hair relaxer in Skin Deep is called Africa’s Best “Organic” relaxer for kids! — which goes to show, you can’t trust labels on these unregulated products. And it raises another problem: toxic treatments are being marketed to very young girls at a time when their bodies are most vulnerable to harm from toxic exposures.

According to researchers at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, the early and life-long exposure to hair products — including heavy conditioners that contain placenta and other hormone-disrupting ingredients — may be contributing to the high rates of breast cancer in young African American women.  The authors advise parents to avoid using any personal care products on children that may contain hormones or placenta.

Hair weaves are problematic from a health standpoint too — many contain formaldehyde glues, as well as other hazardous chemicals that beauty workers and their clients are breathing in. These products need to get cleaned up so they are safe. Stand up for women’s health by getting involved with the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics and help get toxic chemicals out of all beauty products.

Stacy Malkan, author of “Not Just a Pretty Face: The Ugly Side of the Beauty Industry In God’s Hands download .” See chap. 5 for more about cultural pressure and the beauty myth!Alien Raiders rip

Years ago, when we reported that 70% of beauty products contained chemicals linked to birth defects of the penis, I was asked a funny question: If this chemical is harmful to boys, why do we have to worry if it’s in products used by women? I thought, seriously? Unfortunately, the person was serious, and so were the dozens of others who asked the same question. So I learned that you have to actually answer this question: Um, because boys come from the bodies of women.

Yes, if we want to protect people of all sexes — and, it turns out, species of all kinds — from gender-bending chemicals, we need to keep these chemicals away from females who are, might be, or might someday want to become pregnant. In other words, we have to keep these chemicals out of commerce.

To get an idea of the scope of the problem, see Nicholas Kristof’s piece in the NYT: It’s Time to Learn from Frogs and this CBC documentary: The Disappearing Male.

Sperm counts are plummeting, and scientists note a remarkable decline in fertility rates in industrialized countries.

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But don’t worry, says the beauty industry, it’s just “a little bit” of estrogenic parabens and gender-bending phthalates in the shampoo, lotion, deodorant, perfume and baby wipes. Help give the beauty industry a makeover!

Stacy Malkan, June 30

Industry apologists are out in force on the Mommy blogs, telling us not to worry our pretty little heads about carcinogens in baby shampoo. The chemicals are used for good reason, explains Johnson & Johnson

, makers of the iconic Johnson’s Baby Shampoo that, according to the label, is “pure,” “gentle” and “the number one choice of hospitals.” It also happens to contain the hazardous substances formaldehyde and dioxane, which are not listed on labels. The two chemicals are known to cause cancer in animals, and formaldehyde can also cause skin rashes in kids who are sensitive to the chemical.

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What you won’t hear from J&J: Many other companies are already making gentle, pure and wonderful baby products that do not contain known carcinogens and allergens. And that’s what Johnson’s should be doing too.

Check out the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics report. Also see ABC News and the Washington Post United 93 video chat with me.

For more information about how the big beauty companies are hiring lobbyists and spinsters to keep themselves unregulated and convince us to keep using toxic products, see my book, “Not Just a Pretty Face: The Ugly Side of the Beauty Industry.” — Stacy Malkan, 4/6/09

Good for Kim Kardashian for standing up to the sniping

about the airbrushed photo scandal that is making the rounds on the web. “So what, I have a little cellulite,” she said. “How many people do you think are photoshopped? It happens all the time.”

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You might not believe how much! Check out this enlightening video clip by Jesse Epstein on the New York Times website The All Together move — every young girl should see it, and know the extent to which photos are manipulated in the extreme.

Even famous women are photoshopped to the point of being inhuman. Here’s Jessica Alba as she really looks (beautiful) on the left, and with 10 pounds shaved off and all bronzed up for the photo, in order to sell us… what?  .

Do your favorite products contain hazardous chemicals? Watch Stacy Malkan discuss the latest research from her award-winning book “Not Just a Pretty Face: The Ugly Side of the Beauty Industry” on ABC 7 San Francisco, View from the Bay

Also see Stacy on: ABC 7 Chicago

, CBS 4 Miami, Good Morning America Fighting with Anger film and Grist.com

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Wall Street Journal article names “Not Just a Pretty Face” by Stacy Malkan one of the best environmental books. Buy Stacy’s book here. Deep Blue Sea the movie

Recent articles by Stacy Malkan:
Pretty In Pink? Companies market make-up to girls as young as 3, and the health implications are huge — Natural Solutions magazine

Panic in the Organic Aisle: How a dirty scandal is forcing the natural products industry to come clean – The Barefoot Contessa dvd Common Ground magazine

New: Oprah.com, Men’s Vogue

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and the Sacramento News & Review 

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: “The fantasy of a body spray transforming an adolescent boy into a virile Casanova who attracts throngs of lust-crazed women couldn’t be further from the truth.” Check out this new study showing how fragrance chemicals called phthalates may be feminizing male babies The Grudge 3 .

Under pressure from activists and regulators, leading beauty companies have removed some particularly nasty chemicals called phthalates from their products, according to a new report from Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. In a story in USA Today

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Well why not? Phthalates are linked to birth defects, damaged sperm and feminized genitals in males

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, yet some companies continue to put these chemicals into perfume and fragrance-containing products. It’s time for the billion-dollar beauty companies to get on board with the trend of making safer, toxic-free products that consumers want and deserve. Read more about the science and industry’s position on phthalates in Chapter 2 of my book, “Not Just a Pretty Face: The Ugly Side of the Beauty Industry.” – Stacy Malkan

Recent coverage: Green LA Girl blog

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, Plenty magazine, and Health.com story about the links between breast cancer and chemicals in cosmetics.

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The French titan of the beauty industry is caught in yet another toxic firestorm. This time, L’Oreal is getting sued by a former employee — the director of regulatory affairs Six Thugs movie , no less — who claims he was fired for complaining to his superiors that the company put animal ingredients into their “100% vegan” line and sold products containing banned toxic chemicals. Oh L’Oreal, was it worth it?Scoop Night and the City psp

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Night and the City rip July 2, 2008: Last week we saw what we are up against with the cosmetics industry! Did you hear what happened in Sacramento? Industry lobbyists lined the halls of the California legislature to complain that they can’t get lead out of lipstick. All the big companies were there – Estee Lauder flew in a vice president, and Johnson & Johnson’s (which doesn’t even make lipstick) lobbied to kill the bill that would have limited lead in lipstick In Bruges psp to the lowest possible level.The companies say it’s impossible. They can’t get lead out of lipstick. But don’t worry, they say, it’s just a little bit of lead in the lipstick, and lead is mostly a problem only for children (and where do they think children come from?).

Well, we worry. Because we know that lead is highly toxic to the brain even in tiny doses. Lead builds up in our bodies and it stays in our bodies for a long time, so it can endanger our future children even if we aren’t pregnant now. And more than worried, we’re mad, because lipstick doesn’t need to contain lead!

How do I know this? Because I am holding in my hand a $1.99 tube of Wet N Wild lipstick that has no lead in it. And here I have an $8.50 Revlon lipstick in a lovely shade of red — with no lead.

Here is an $8.50 tube of L’Oreal Colour Riche lipstick with the highest lead content found in recent product tests conducted by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics

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Six Thugs buy . And here’s a fancy tube of lead-containing lipstick made by Dior Addict that sells for $24.50 — and let’s not forget that the actual lipstick part of the product costs the company about 15 cents!

So yes we think the beauty industry can do better. Stay tuned for round two in the lead-in-lipstick legislative battle, coming soon.

And a B.S. radar alert: The beauty industry may be under the gun with toxic chemical controversies, but they have plenty of mind-warping weapons in their arsenal. The leaded lipstick scandal got huge press — from Good Morning America to the Washington Post — but all the beauty industry has to do to get our attention is buy a prime time series.

If you watch Lipstick Jungle (I admit to being a fan even though I may be the only one): keep an eye out for sneaky Maybelline NY product placements in the show, faux make-up tips with experts (so you, too, can look like Nico Riley!) and the annoying barrage of lip-plumping ads (6% plumper guaranteed!) — all sponsored by L’Oreal, the manufacturer that makes the most lead-contaminated lipstick of all Barnyard psp

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. It really is a jungle out there! … Stacy Malkan