Story of Cosmetic

I chose to watch “Story of Cosmetics.” The video talked about the toxins that are in our everyday cosmetic products, such as shampoo, lipstick, and lotion. The possible toxins include carcinogens, neurotoxins, and many other types. I learned that less than 20% of the ingredients in our cosmetics is inspected. The video also talked about how certain companies, such as Proctor and Gamble, label their products as herbal or natural even though there is no basis for their claims. I learned that in the regulation of the cosmetic ingredients, cosmetic companies make their own rules, which is obviously a huge conflict of interest. These toxic ingredients don't only affect the consumer but also the workers and community that is exposed in. What needs to happen is to introduce new laws to prevent the toxic ingredients from being in the product, which relates to the “precautionary principles”.

The video surprise me because I wasn’t aware of the lack of regulations that goes into my products that I used everyday. I will be more careful about what products I will use by reading the label and seeing what ingredients there are.  I can also look for products that are label safe. I hope that my awareness will eventually contribute to my safety and I can spread that awareness.