“Pretty Toxic” is an incredible film that exposes the shocking lack of regulation in the cosmetics and personal care products industry and the impact it can have on consumers’ health.1
The global beauty industry is expected to reach $670.8 billion in 2024.2 However, in the United States, the cosmetics and personal care products industry operates with minimal oversight. It is regulated by “two pages of federal law,” which stands in stark contrast to the 110 pages of federal law on food and drugs.
The main law overseeing this industry, the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, was passed in 1938 and is woefully out of date. This is primarily focused on preventing adulterated or incorrectly branded products, rather than monitoring hazardous ingredients.
What’s even more concerning is that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not have the authority to withdraw dangerous products from the market. “We have faith that that doesn’t happen when we use baby shampoo or soap that someone, somewhere, has confirmed is OK for our children,” Rep. Jan Schakowsky says in the film.3
Toxic Ingredients and Conflicts of Interest Rocking the Beauty Industry
In the absence of strong government oversight, the industry has been self-regulating through organizations such as the Personal Care Products Council (PCPC) and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Panel. However, these groups are funded by the cosmetics industry itself, raising serious questions about conflicts of interest. Ken Cook, Chairman of the Environmental Working Group (EWG), says:4
“PCPC and CIR are not government agencies, but it was very difficult to convince reporters that that was true. We ended up having to send them to the websites of agencies that do regulation, and they realized that they are not regulators. They are government agencies and have some sort of recognition from the government. It was a place where I received a , and it belonged to the cosmetics industry trade association.
The cosmetics industry provided funding, and employees were also selected from the cosmetics industry. “These are the people who evaluate the quality of ingredients in personal care products.”
This documentary highlights several points related to chemicals commonly found in personal care products.
• Phthalates — These chemicals, often used in perfumes, have been linked to reproductive problems.5 Birth defects and hormonal disorders. Surprisingly, one study found phthalates in 75% of products tested, but they weren’t listed on the label.6
• Parabens — Parabens, which are used as preservatives, have estrogen-like properties that increase the risk of breast cancer.
• Formaldehyde — Formaldehyde, found in some hair straightening products at levels higher than those used for preservatives, is a known carcinogen.
• Methylchloroisothiazolinone (MCI) and methylisothiazolinone (MI) — These preservatives found in controversial WEN hair products can cause serious allergic reactions and hair loss at high concentrations.
There’s also the “flavor loophole,” which allows companies to hide hundreds of ingredients under the single term “flavor” or “perfume” on product labels. Stacy Malkan, co-founder of the Safe Cosmetics Campaign and co-director of US Right to Know, says in the film:7
“The perfume secrecy loophole is because companies don’t want their competitors to know how they make perfume by claiming it’s a trade secret. But that’s such an outdated argument because perfume can be reverse-engineered and we have to find out And any company can, and certainly does, do that for its competitors.
So the only people who don’t know what’s in perfume are consumers who apply it to their bodies not only through perfume but also through all kinds of products such as shampoo, deodorant, lotion, and baby products. “It’s everywhere.”
tragic and real consequences
This documentary shares the heartbreaking stories of individuals whose health has been seriously harmed by seemingly harmless personal care products.
• Eliana Lawrence – Eliana lost all her hair when she was 9 years old after using WEN Cleansing Conditioner. Five years later, she still has bald patches and has become very sensitive to many products.
• Hannah Posier — A young social media influencer with hair that epitomizes her image experienced massive hair loss after using a hair relaxer product. She recalls the experience this way:8
“I was in the shower and I turned around and I felt water splashing on my head, and I tried to wash it off and my hair started getting really clumpy and it started falling out, and I felt like my hair was falling out and flowing, and I could hear it splashing in the water. .”
The battle for safer cosmetics regulations
Clearly, the current regulatory framework for personal care products in the United States is woefully inadequate. The European Union has banned 1,400 chemicals from use in cosmetics, Canada has banned 600, but the United States has banned only 11 since 1938.9
“There is more and more science every day linking chemicals in these products to cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and autism. That’s what’s scary to me,” points out Bruce Jensen, CEO of Pure Haven.10 But even when consumers try to make informed choices, they face significant obstacles in finding safer cosmetics and personal care products.
• Greenwashing — Many products use misleading terms and packaging to make them appear safer or more natural than they actually are.
• Complex ingredient list — The INCI (International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients) system used for labeling makes it difficult for consumers to understand what is in a product.
• Lack of premarket testing — Unlike pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and personal care products do not require safety testing before hitting store shelves.
There are two bills in Congress aimed at improving cosmetics safety regulations. The Personal Care Product Safety Act, supported by Senator Feinstein and major beauty companies, proposes some changes but does not go far enough to protect consumers. On the other hand, Schakowsky’s Safe Cosmetics and Personal Care Products Act of 2019 provides stronger protections.
Schakowsky’s bill would immediately ban 12 chemicals of concern and direct the FDA to evaluate the safety of 300 cosmetic ingredients within the first two years. In contrast, the Feinstein bill would evaluate only five to 10 ingredients per year. It is clear that while legislation is important, these efforts are often undermined by industry influence.
Environmental Impact of Personal Care Products
The chemicals in the personal care products we use not only affect our bodies, but also have a significant impact on the environment. When these products are washed down the drain, they enter the water system and persist through treatment.
A representative example is sunscreen. “It is estimated that 14,000 tons of sunscreen enters the ocean each year, which means that 82,000 chemicals from personal care products could be contaminating our oceans,” the documentary says.11
This pollution is having a devastating impact on marine ecosystems, especially coral reefs. Hawaii has taken the bold step of banning sunscreens containing oxybenzone and octinoxate, chemicals known to harm coral reefs. This is a model that other regions should follow.
But one obstacle is the fact that even chemists typically don’t know whether the products they make are toxic. Renowned chemist John Warner, who founded Warner Babcock Green Chemistry, highlighted serious gaps in chemistry education.12
“Never in my life have I ever taken a class, never had a seminar, never discussed how to look at a molecule and interpret whether it is exposed (harmful) to humans or the environment.”
This lack of training means that many chemists who make the products do not have the tools to assess potential harm. Warner’s efforts to integrate green chemistry principles into training are critical to creating safer products in the future.
Empowering consumers through information
Systemic change is needed, but consumers are not powerless. Tools like the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep database and apps like Think Dirty allow shoppers to make more informed choices. As Cook explains, “The biggest change is that we now have the ability to actually communicate and configure features to people that we didn’t have before, and people are starting to make decisions one product, one category at a time.”13
As the demand for safer products grows, truly natural and organic beauty companies have emerged that are leading the way in not only making safer products, but also advocating for stricter regulations. Meanwhile, the problem of harmful cosmetics makes us reconsider our ideas about beauty.
This documentary raises important questions about the personal and environmental costs of adhering to certain beauty standards. True beauty doesn’t come with toxic side effects. It’s about becoming your best self, which includes prioritizing your health and the health of the planet.
Moving Forward: A Call to Action
The current state of the personal care industry is very concerning. The lack of meaningful regulation and the health risks posed by many common ingredients combine to create a perfect storm that harms consumers.
It is clear that the laws governing this industry need comprehensive reform. But in the meantime, we encourage you to learn more about the products you use every day. If possible, choose products with simpler, more recognizable ingredients.
Remember, what you put on your body is just as important as what you put on it. By making more conscious choices about your personal care products, you can reduce your exposure to harmful chemicals and protect your long-term health. You can also take the following actions to further foster meaningful change:
1. Educate ourselves — Use resources like EWG’s Skin Deep database to make informed choices about the products we use.
2. Vote with our dollars — Support companies that prioritize ingredient safety and transparency.
3. Advocate for better chemistry education — Encourage universities to include green chemistry principles in their curricula.
4. Consider your environmental impact — Choose products that are safe for us and the planet.
5. Rethink your standards of beauty — Challenge social norms that prioritize appearance over health.
As Warner points out, “Fear motivates communication, but it doesn’t solve the problem. If there is no hope of solving the problem…”14 Let’s move beyond fear and take action. By working together—consumers, businesses, legislators, scientists, and others—we can create a safer, healthier future for ourselves and our planet. It’s time to clean up our act and embrace a new definition of beauty that values health, sustainability, and authenticity above all else.
