The Center for Product Safety and Effectiveness is an independent, nonprofit organization working for consumers and the public interest. The Beauty Care Industry published information about toxic ingredients in skincare, hair care, cosmetics, perfumes, nail polish and other beauty care products is both lacking or intentionally misleading and confusing.
Product manufacturers, special interest groups and strong lobbying groups have kept the FDA from having the authority to ban ingredients that have been found to be dangerous and have been banned in other major Countries.
Through the research, public education and information we provide access to we serve as a counterweight to the powerful Beauty Care industry and their special interests that often threaten the health, safety, or well-being of consumers.
Online Sites That Help
You Stay Safe
We recommend the websites below, (listed (from highest rated), that help consumers address this growing safety problem. The range of services they provide are varied and we provide an overview of their overall service next to our review.
| Click Site Name For Access & Details Rating From Highest to Lowest |
Ingredient Accuracy | Mobile Phone App | Customized Allergy ingredient Check | Ingredient Information Provided | Safe & Effective Alternate Product Recommendations | Customized Recommendations Based on Personal Information | Price Savings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All ingredients from brand label or website | Both Free Mobile Phone App and Online Ingredient Checker | Yes -You enter your ingredient allergies and system identifies if your product has that ingredient even under its alias names | Countries where banned or restricted Health problems and reasons Skin or Hair Problems and reasons Benefits of each ingredient |
1
Yes – Based on replacing the specific product found unsafe,
2
Recommended Safe & Effective product for each product type requested.
|
Yes – After you enter your personal information | Yes – Enter products you’re using or plan to purchase and they show you where to receive up to a 50% discount | |
|
2
|
Some product ingredients from brand label or website Some product ingredients from sources unknown |
Both Free Mobile Phone App and Online Ingredient Checker | No | Overall Rating of ingredients from 1-2 low hazard to 3-6 moderate hazard, to 7-10 high hazard | No – Just a general List of safer products | No – Just a general list of products with safer ingredients. | No |
| Some product ingredients from brand label or brand website Some product ingredients submitted by users or other non-brand websites Some product ingredients from sources unknown |
No | No | Information from users regarding Safety rating 1-10, Irritation Rating 0-5, Acne rating 0-5. |
No | No | No |
Staying Safe On Your Own Is Difficult
In addition to combinations of ingredients taking an unseen and creeping toll on your long-term physical and mental health, many of the popular products have been found to cause acne,
premature skin aging, hair thinning and loss, or other skin and hair concerns.
Staying safe is difficult because there are so many harmful Ingredients and the same ingredient is often hidden on product labels by dozens of not commonly known names. Arsenic, for example, is labeled under an unknown name like Atomic Number 33, Fowler’s Solution, Numéro Atomique 33, Solution de Fowler, and many others.
Even products labeled “Organic”, “Green” “Nontoxic”, or “Natural “can be unsafe and include ingredients like lead, mercury, formaldehyde, and many other harmful ingredients that are legally considered “Natural.” And this is true for both budget and the most expensive luxury brands.