What's lurking in your compact? Annie Leonard will tell you.
Annie Leonard and Free Range Studios are back with a new installment in their The Story of… series.
Thanks to Nathaniel Janowitz for posting their newly released video, The Story of Cosmetics, on Elephant Journal and giving me the heads up. The new short covers point # 4 in The Five Feminist Criticisms of Beauty.
For more, read the Daily Femme’s article, Lead in Lipstick ain’t a Myth and other Horror Stories about Your Cosmetics.
Wow I never knew Pantene Pro V contained that many chemicals that are so toxic. I use that product! Its very sad how the people in charge of distrubuting these products dont care about he human population and health. These products contain chemicals that can cause cancer and babies shampoos have them also, thats not right. My mom has always made me buy deodorant that was”organic” now I know why.
Comment by Delyla M. — October 20, 2010 @ 3:51 pm
This video was extremely informative and frightening at the same time. The government should step in and regulate the cosmetic industry because it’s hurting everyone and no one is paying attention. I’m sure changing the ingredients in the products might cost a little more for the companies but they can afford it since they are huge.
Comment by Dalal C. — October 20, 2010 @ 11:38 pm
I’m really surprised at the fact that the government doesn’t do anything about these beauty products. For years, I would read the ingredients on shampoo bottles and bottles of body wash wondering what those ingredients actually were; but I always told myself that they must be safe because there’s no way these companies could sell unsafe products. Now I know the truth, and it’s frightening. It worries me greatly that my health is in jeopardy all due to the fact that I feel the need to look good everyday. I’m definitely going to start buying “green” products from now on and using less toxic products.
Comment by Sharon R. — October 20, 2010 @ 11:44 pm
This video was truly eye-opening. I had no idea that the FDA does not regulate the cosmetics industry whatsoever. It’s truly disturbing to know that the cosmetics industry is making their own rules and deciding whether or not to follow them. The part revealing the hypocrisy of Estee Lauder really stuck out and made me consider all of the other companies using similar marketing tactics. From now on I will only use green products!
Comment by Jennifer Edgerton — October 20, 2010 @ 11:45 pm
Wow, this is really eye opening. I thought that there were much stricter regulations for these types of things not to be available for the masses to consume. This is very disturbing and makes me feel that I need to be much more altert and careful.
Comment by Joshua. S — October 21, 2010 @ 9:14 am
It’s amazing all the toxic things that we are subjected to in our day to day lives. I had no idea that major companies like Pantene Pro V had so many chemicals in their products. Because the cosmeptic industry is such a powerful and indemand industry, they don’t have to play by the rules as much as other more heavily regulated companies. This has really opened my eyes, and even though I already use organic toothpaste and shampoo, I am going to look into green make up.
Comment by Karly R — October 29, 2010 @ 9:43 am
Thank you for the video, it was extremely informative. I can’t believe that anyone can write organic on the label…I thought they had to be inspected. I’ve already shared what I’ve learned with my mom. We must change the system. -Leora S.
Comment by Leora Sheily — April 17, 2011 @ 8:48 pm
My dad is a makeup artist and has spent the last ten years trying to stop using products that have harmful chemicals, however, his biggest battle hasn’t been not using the product, but finding new, SAFE products to use. Like so many problems, government regulation only extends as far as their bank account does. Sad.
Comment by Danielle G. — April 19, 2011 @ 4:59 pm
It’s upsetting that the FDA probably won’t intervene in the production of these productions until something extremely severe and fatal happens.
Comment by Adriani T. — April 21, 2011 @ 12:52 am
The chemicals in some of these products sounds like they could kill small animals. The government really needs to clamp down and impose stricter regulations for products like these.
Comment by Shawn S — June 1, 2011 @ 10:54 pm
I found most interesting the irony in Estee Lauder’s campaign of supporting breast cancer while causing cancer through their products with the use of chemicals. Many products tend to support certain causes while failing to acknowledge that they themselves are part of the problem. It is difficult to not use these toxic products when that is the only thing on the shelf and the public remains uninformed, but maybe taking a closer look and being aware through videos like the one above can help
Comment by Tiffany Majdipour — November 1, 2011 @ 11:58 am
Such an informative and interesting video! I really hope some changes will be made. I for one know that I will support them. I just kills me that nothing has been done yet. Hopefully now that more people know, maybe we can do something about it.
Comment by Tandis Shams Fard — November 7, 2011 @ 5:04 pm
Wow, i never knew so many chemicals are snuck into our bodies every day. I found the bit about Estee Lauder’s campaign of supporting breast cancer while using products that cause cancer so ironic and only more proof that this is industry really doesn’t care about health, it only cares about money.
Comment by Erin K. — November 7, 2011 @ 5:54 pm
I did not know that the products in my bathroom were made out of toxins that relate to cancer. A family member was diagnosed with cancer, I do not want not be buying products that support that disease. this is ridiculous how the industries look passed the dangerous chemicals in our beauty products, money over rule health.
Comment by bianca castilo — November 7, 2011 @ 7:48 pm
This video was really eye opening. I’ve never thought that all the products that I use every day are toxic and we do not have any strict rule to prevent these companies.
Comment by Negar Azadbadi — November 10, 2011 @ 11:05 pm
I was already aware that no matter what shampoo products I used, no matter how much shiner or fuller the bottle claims that my hair will be, all I did was wash my hair. However, I didn’t know that the toxins used in the ingredients were that dangerous to human health. Also, I love Pantene products
Comment by Bridget T. — November 26, 2011 @ 1:26 am
The toxins that are found in cosmetics is something that a lot of us “know” about, but choose to ignore. We would rather risk the chance than walk out of the house with a bad hair day, or with no eyeliner (I for one have been COMPLETELY guilty of this sort of thinking), because we can’t directly see the negative results of what we are doing to ourselves. Also, while we know that these things aren’t good for us, we’re still very in the dark and WHY they aren’t, and just how dangerous they are. Annie Leonard’s videos always take matters that seem complicated and almost impossible to understand, very simple and are chalk full of information. This video was no different, providing facts that one just couldn’t ignore in order to show that perhaps there are things more important than having that “perfect shine.”
Comment by Nisha Chauhan-McGrath — January 17, 2012 @ 6:52 pm
A few years ago, when I heard about the health issues related to the constant use of Parabens in moisturizers I began a search for Paraben-free moisturizers. At the same time, my budget was constrained so I could not afford to purchase department or specialty store products. I looked for Paraben-free moisturizers at my local drug store. And I was surprised at how difficult it was to find such products. I eventually found one facial moisturizer and one body lotion that did not contain Parabens and did not cost a fortune. But this is a sad example of what Annie Leonard discusses when she points out that even shoppers with the best of intentions are often stymied when faced with the products readily available and offered by the major corporations. They offer what is cheapest and easiest to produce and store, not what is best for the consumer’s health. When I looked at the EWG.org November 30, 2011 list of companies that had fulfilled the Compact for Safe Cosmetics pledge to make safer products and earned the title “Champion” from the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, the list included hundreds of companies, but neither Proctor & Gamble nor Johnson & Johnson, both manufacturers of commonly used personal care products in the USA, were on this list. Just as socio-economic status is currently the determinant of the quality and safety of one’s housing, socio-economic status is becoming the determinant of the quality and safety of one’s personal care products. This is why, as Leonard points out, we need government intervention in this important area.
Comment by SandraR — January 17, 2012 @ 9:28 pm
I never knew that companies could say that their products were natural or organic with out actually being true. I thought that when I was buying organic natural products I was being smart and not using regular shampoo or lotions which I assume had more chemicals. The FDA needs to regulate this toxic chemicals that are put in our everyday products. So we can know what effects they might have on us in the long run. Thank you for making me aware .
Comment by Mirian M — January 19, 2012 @ 9:24 pm
Great informative and eye opening video. I always knew that such products were too good to be true. My cousin loved using herbal essence until one day she found a condom inside the bottle. This just shows what a poor job of regulating FDA does to keep products safe for consumers. Aside from that, I never knew that beauty products could harm us this badly. I thought by using organic products I could escape, but I guess not. This opens our eyes to what a messed up system we support.
Comment by Sahar S. — January 24, 2012 @ 10:18 pm
Although many of us know that there are toxins, not only in cosmetics, but also in our processed foods, as well as our cleaning supplies. Additionally, in recent months, there has been an outcry about farmer’s markets who claim to have organically grown produce, when in fact, it is not. I, too, am guilty of contributing to and buying many of these products. But we can change the status quo if we join together. It all comes down to two things. One, companies who sell these toxic products want high profits margins, at any cost. And two, as long as consumers keep buying their products, they have no reason to change. Government isn’t going to step-up to the plate to regulate these companies unless we, the consumer’s, take the initiative to make our voices heard. First, we can write, phone, tweet, or email our congressional representatives until they are inundated/overwhelmed by our sheer numbers. This same campaign was just used over censorship of the Internet this past week and the protest worked. Second, boycott. Do not buying these companies toxic products. They must either change or go broke. Yes, it’s inconvenient, and is a little more work, but aren’t we worth it, isn’t our planet worth it, aren’t future generation worth it?? Knowledge is great. But change means taking action, not just giving lip service.
Comment by Suzy D — January 26, 2012 @ 4:56 pm
While it concerns me that there are so many toxins in our every day products, what concerns me more is the general apathy in regards to it. And that goes for me as well. My friends and I often talk about how bad various foods or products are for us but still keep using them. I can’t count the number of times we’ve talked about mystery ingredients in fast food while noshing on fries going “I know, but they’re SO good!” or discussing lead and other chemicals in our lipstick replying “I know, but I would DIE without my color!” It sounds like we’ll die WITH our color too!
I think our problem stems from the lack of immediacy in our building health problems. Using lead-based lipstick may cause us cancer ten years from now – but not tomorrow – so we can’t understand the magnitude of what we’re doing to ourselves. And somehow we can laugh at people in the 50s not understanding the dangers in aerosol cans, or their own problemed products, but we can’t seem to equate that to what we’re doing now. In 50 years people will laugh at our ignorance.
The video makes a great point, though, when it says it’s the people in government – especially the FDA and they’re offshoot committees – who need to start making a change for the betterment of society. But without nudging from the people who use the products the companies will have no incentive to fix their shortcomings. Our apathy (largely based on feelings of lack of control/power) will only validate their actions. As a whole people need to band together and show the big corporations that we won’t accept these harmful products anymore.
Or at the very least we should continue sharing this video.
Comment by Antonia C. — January 30, 2012 @ 10:54 am
We can choose to be beautiful without using any. Love that sentence. What don’t we make that the solution? Once we realize that women are more beautiful without all those extra stuff and stop using them, the companies will do whatever to gain their costumers back. So they will be forced to use non-toxic substances to make people go back. Right! Women will never take that. But I think it could be a possible awareness to the companies. This way we tell them that look, you want us to use your product and pay for them and come back, but we have a condition! Make them with fine safe products, and we will buy them.
Comment by MATAN P. — January 30, 2012 @ 2:52 pm
This was very informative. It is sad to say that clearly the government knows that all this chemicals in the products are bad. However, they don’t care enough to regulate it and make products better for us. It is tough to find products that are organic because even those products can still contain chemicals. The government won’t make a change so we have to know what products benefit us and take the time to look for something better. Hopefully within time the FDA can take bigger steps are advancing new better products.
Comment by Juliana C. — February 3, 2012 @ 10:40 pm
I wasn’t aware at all how completely unmoderated and unregulated the cosmetic industry actual is. I currently feel like a sack of toxins waiting in a cancer-distributing line. This is unethical and social irresponsible on part of the cosmetics industry. Swift and effective action is necessary in order to preserve health in the masses.
Comment by Taja Eddahbi — February 6, 2012 @ 11:58 am
FDA needs to do a better job. It is sad how companies can sell us things that will actually kill us or give us cancer. Like is money really worth people dying for. I guess spending less money on cheap labor, and cheap toxic resources to manufacture their wares is more important than spending an extra small amount of money for research on how to make a product that is sustainable. Not only is it killing us but everything around us. We take toxic materials, use them. Now the toxic is in our body, then we dispose of the materials, throw in trash, flush down toilet, etc. which leads back to the wildlife poisoning plants and animals, that we may eat in the future. Just an endless cycle of destruction.
Comment by Payne T — February 6, 2012 @ 10:45 pm
Oh Shoot! Have I been covering my body with all the chemical? I thought I was being precautionary enough with stuff I buy and use for my body. I tried to use organic, natural products believing that they are a bit better for my body and the environment. However, it is disturbing to find out that they do not mean anything, and actually natural, organic products do cost more. So this means eco-friendly, safe cosmetic products cannot be accessible to the poor, and the poor has no choice but to use cosmetic full of toxins. Thus, government and its agencies i.e.) FDA should step into formulating and manufacturing cosmetic products so that companies such as P&G and Estee Lauder would make products that are less harmful, dangerous to users at an affordable price to everyone. Also, consumers have to be more conscious about what they are using on their skin, hair, and nail, and they need to protest by boycotting those products that contain toxic chemical. So that those big brand companies produce more healthy, safe alternatives.
Comment by Jin Min — February 7, 2012 @ 12:49 am