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Additional Information
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Q: What are cosmetics? How are they different from over-the-counter (OTC) drugs?
A: Cosmetics are put on the body to:
●cleanse it
●make it beautiful
●make it attractive
●change its appearance or the way it looks
Cosmetic products include:
●skin creams
●lotions
●perfumes
●lipsticks
●fingernail polishes
●eye and face make-up products
●permanent waves
●hair dyes
●toothpastes
●deodorants
Unlike drugs, which are used to treat or prevent disease in the body, cosmetics do not change or affect the body's structure or functions.
Q: What's in cosmetics?
A: Fragrances and preservatives are the main ingredients in cosmetics. Fragrances are the most common cause of skin problems. More than 5,000 different kinds are used in products. Products marked “fragrance-free” or “without perfume” means that no fragrances have been added to make the product smell good.
Preservatives in cosmetics are the second most common cause of skin problems. They prevent bacteria and fungus from growing in the product and protect products from damage caused by air or light. But preservatives can also cause the skin to become irritated and infected. Some examples of preservatives are:
●paraben
●imidazolidinyl urea
●Quaternium-15
●DMDM hydantoin
●phenoxyethanol
●formaldehyde
The ingredients below cannot be used, or their use is limited, in cosmetics. They may cause cancer or other serious health problems.
●bithionol
●mercury compounds
●vinyl chloride
●halogenated salicyanilides
●zirconium complexes in aerosol sprays
●chloroform
●methylene chloride
●chlorof luorocarbon propellants
●hexachlorophene
Q: What is the role of the Food Q: Are cosmetics safe? and Drug Administration (FDA)
A: A cosmetic maker can sell products without FDA approval. FDA does not review or approve cosmetics, or their ingredients, before they are sold to the public. But FDA urges cosmetic makers to do whatever tests are needed to prove their products are safe. Cosmetics makers must put a warning statement on the front labels of products that have not been safety testing, which reads, “WARNING—The safety of this product has not been determined.”
Click here to read more of this great fact sheet on cosmetics and your health: http://www.4woman.gov/faq/cosmetics.pdf
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