The safety of cosmetics and personal care products in the US has come under scrutiny after a new bill was put forward this week that seeks amendments to the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.
Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein and Republican Senator Susan Collins co-sponsored the bill, which calls on the FDA to review at least five ingredients yearly; the federal regulations surrounding ingredients in cosmetics have not been updated for 75 years.
"From shampoo to lotion, the use of personal care products is widespread, however, there are very few protections in place to ensure their safety," Feinstein said in a news release.
Among the first five chemicals the FDA would be expected to review, if the bill makes it through to law, are a form of formaldehyde used in hair-smoothing treatments and a chemical that mimics oestrogen.
It is common knowledge that few bills make it through to law; govtrack.us gave this bill a prognosis of a 2% chance of being enacted. However, it has been reported that the bill has the support of industry bodies and companies including P&G, Johnson & Johnson and Revlon. In addition, a trade association that represents more than 600 companies is said to be backing the bill.
