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cosmetic chemical exposure

Photo courtesy Hazardous Waste Management Program

What personal care product and cosmetics are safe?

County health officials say teens, tween, kids, pregnant people face higher risk from chemicals

How many personal care products do you or your tweens and teens use every day? From toothpaste to makeup and shampoo, the number can add up fast. This is a concern because some cosmetics and personal care products contain dangerous chemicals that can harm our health.

To reduce exposure to these chemicals, Washington state is taking action. A new law passed last year aims to improve the safety of cosmetics in the state.

The editors at Public Health Insider, a publication of Public Health ā€” Seattle and King County (PHSKC) sat down with Dr. Shirlee Tan, Senior Toxicologist for theĀ  PHSKC Environmental Health Services Division, and Dr. Katie Fellows, Environmental Scientist on the Hazardous Waste Management Programā€™s Research Team, to share some background on this issue, what the new law does, and how to choose safer products.

Public Health Insider (PHI): Letā€™s start with some background ā€“ why are chemicals in personal care products a problem?

Dr. Tan: Weā€™re concerned because many chemicals commonly found in these products can harm our health. This includes lead, formaldehyde, PFAS (also known asĀ ā€œforever chemicalsā€) and phthalates.

Thereā€™s a big range of potential health impacts from these chemicals, like allergic reactions, cancer, and harm to brain development, the reproductive system, and the immune system. Since many factors impact how chemicals harm our health, itā€™s hard to know who will get sick, how sick they will get, and when itā€™ll happen.

The products also arenā€™t just a problem for our health. The chemicals harm the environment when we dispose of the products and when we wash them down the drain.

PHI: This issue impacts everyone, but who is at highest risk?

Dr. Fellows: Some people are more at risk because their bodies are more sensitive to the impacts of the chemicals ā€“ like kids, teens, and pregnant people. Kids and teensā€™ bodies are still developing, so even low levels of chemical exposure can lead to long-term health problems.

Others are at higher risk because they are exposed to a higher quantity of products, like people who work in beauty salons. Teens also use more products, on average, than other age groups, especially colognes and perfumes.

Women of color are disproportionately exposed to harmful chemicals in cosmetics. This stems from product marketing that isnā€™t equitable and a lack of safer alternatives. Many other factors also impact product choice and usage at the individual level.

One initiative, the Hazardous Waste Management Program, has worked on is a partnership with people in the Afghan community in King County and University of Washington researchers to study lead exposure from eyeliners. Weā€™ve found that traditional eyeliners, which are used in traditional and religious practices, often contain very high levels of lead ā€“ up to 84% in some cases. This is particularly problematic when infants and children are exposed to the eyeliners because lead damages the developing brain and nervous system. Weā€™re working with our partners to identify culturally-appropriate alternatives to protect these families from lead exposure.

PHI: What is Washington state doing to protect us?

Dr. Tan: Toxic-Free Cosmetics ActĀ is a new law in Washington state that bans cosmetics and personal care products that contain certain toxic chemicals. This includes the chemicals weā€™ve already discussed (lead, formaldehyde, phthalates, and PFAS), and others that are known to harm health.

Recognizing that this is a big step, the law includes support for small businesses like local companies that produce cosmetics and beauty salons.

PHI: What changes can we expect to see on store shelves?

Dr. Fellows: The law goes into effect on January 1, 2025. Retailers in Washington state will not be able to purchase products containing chemicals included under the law and will have until January 2026 to sell their existing stock of products.

This means that any products that are sold or used by businesses (like beauty salons) in Washington from 2026 onward should be free from the toxic chemicals included in the law. The law covers online retailers just like brick-and-mortar businesses, so it applies to online shopping as well. However, itā€™s always a good idea to ask a company if they can confirm the item is free of chemicals included in the law when considering a product for purchase.

PHI: What steps can we take to choose safer products?

Dr. Tan: Knowing people are juggling a lot when theyā€™re making purchasing decisions, here are some simple tips for choosing safer personal care products and cosmetics:

  • Check labels for harmful ingredients or use an app that does the work. If youā€™re looking at labels yourself, you can check the product ingredients against a list of harmful chemicals commonly found in products, like the one developed by Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. If possible, avoid products that contain those ingredients. Alternatively, you could use an app or website that has already done the work to identify harmful ingredients in specific products and recommend safer alternatives, likeĀ Skin Deep,Ā Think Dirty,Ā Clearya, orĀ Mamavation.
  • Watch out for waterproof and long-lasting products. These products often contain PFAS because these chemicals are really good at making things waterproof.
  • Be aware that products marketed as ā€œorganicā€ and ā€œnaturalā€ are not necessarily safe from chemicals. The best way to know if a product is safe is to look at the ingredients and explore whether it has been reviewed by a third party that can verify it does not contain harmful chemicals (such as Made Safe or Environmental Working Group).
  • Choose nail and hair salons that are aware of and knowledgeable about safer cosmetics or willing to use safer products that you bring with you to the beauty specialist.
  • Explore new approaches to your daily cosmetics routine by swapping out your products for safer ones and limiting the products you use.

If you want to learn more, take a look at the Hazardous Waste Management Programā€™s tips for finding safer cosmetics.

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About the Author

Public Health Insider / Public Health ā€” Seattle and King County