Life Kit Episode Summary: "What's in Your Lotion? A Guide to Personal Care Product Safety"

Release Date: March 17, 2025
Host: Marielle Segarra
Podcast: Life Kit by NPR

Introduction: The Historical Context of Cosmetic Regulation

Marielle Segarra opens the episode by transporting listeners back to 1933, highlighting the tragic case of Lash Lure, a mascara and eyebrow dye that caused blindness and even death among users. This incident underscored the lack of regulatory oversight, prompting Congress to enact the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, empowering the FDA to regulate cosmetics. However, Segarra notes that despite these advancements, significant gaps remain in ensuring the safety of personal care products today.

Current Regulatory Framework: The FDA's Limited Authority

Dr. Linda Katz, former director of the Office of Cosmetics and Colors at the FDA, explains the agency's current stance:

"Your appearance, FDA regulates cosmetics all post market. We do not review any applications beforehand, and we evaluate post market for safety. We do not evaluate for efficacy." (02:02)

This means that unlike pharmaceuticals, cosmetics do not undergo pre-market safety evaluations by the FDA. Only a handful of chemicals, such as chloroform and mercury compounds, are banned or restricted, with most regulations dating back to the mid-20th century. Many contemporary ingredients like formaldehyde, phthalates, and parabens remain under scrutiny for their potential health impacts.

Ingredients of Concern: Understanding the Risks

Endocrine Disruptors and Carcinogens

Adena Janos, an epidemiologist at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health, emphasizes the dangers of certain chemicals:

"There are well known studies and lots of evidence that support that many of the personal care products that we use on our skin, in our hair, they contain endocrine disrupting chemicals. We're also seeing that there are some classes of personal care products that also can contain carcinogens." (03:06)

• Endocrine Disruptors: Chemicals that interfere with hormone functions, potentially leading to conditions like PCOS, uterine fibroids, and endometriosis.
• Carcinogens: Substances that can cause cancer, though establishing definitive links in humans remains challenging due to the complexity and long latency periods of cancer development.

Emily Barrett, an epidemiologist at Rutgers School of Public Health, elaborates on the difficulties in establishing causation:

"That's not necessarily something that you're going to detect right away... it's a lot trickier to connect the dots between the exposure and the outcome." (07:12)

Key Chemicals to Watch

1. Phthalates

   • Function: Used to make plastics more durable and as solvents in fragrances and colors.
   • Health Impact: Known hormone disruptors linked to preterm births and reproductive issues.
   • Advice: Avoid products listing "fragrance" and seek phthalate-free alternatives. (11:57)

2. Formaldehyde

   • Function: Preservative and used in hair straightening products.
   • Health Impact: Known carcinogen causing respiratory issues and cancer.
   • Regulatory Status: FDA planning to propose a ban, but it remains in products. (14:28)

3. 1,4 Dioxane

   • Function: A byproduct in the manufacturing of certain cosmetics.
   • Health Impact: Potential carcinogen, though present in trace amounts.
   • Advice: Look for products free from ingredients starting with "peg," "polyethylene," or similar prefixes. (14:40)

4. Parabens

   • Function: Preservatives that extend product shelf life.
   • Health Impact: Possible links to hormone disruption and breast cancer, though evidence is not conclusive. (15:48)
   • Advice: Check labels for "paraben-free" products. (16:09)

Disparities in Impact: The Unequal Burden

The episode sheds light on how certain demographics are disproportionately affected by harmful chemicals in personal care products. Emily Barrett highlights that Black women often have higher levels of phthalates due to products like hair relaxers and skin lightening creams, which are more likely to contain harmful chemicals:

"Black women are much more likely to deliver preterm... if we could lower black women's phthalate exposure to that of white women, we would see a reduction in preterm births." (18:36)

Melanie Benesh from the Environmental Working Group (EWG) stresses the lack of protection for consumers:

"Consumers deserve to have the peace of mind that they know that they're safe and that there is a government regulator that's looking out for them." (20:39)

Personal Steps for Safe Product Use: Takeaways and Actions

Takeaway 1: Proactive Learning and Choice

With the FDA's limited ability to ban harmful ingredients swiftly, individuals must take responsibility for understanding product labels and making informed choices.

Takeaway 2 & 3: Identifying Ingredients of Concern

Focus on avoiding products with undisclosed "fragrance" and known harmful chemicals like phthalates, formaldehyde, 1,4 dioxane, and parabens. Emily Barrett advises:

"One of my top recommendations for folks who are looking to potentially reduce their exposure would be to avoid products that have fragrance listed in the ingredients." (12:20)

Takeaway 4: Conducting a Personal Care Product Audit

Evaluate the number and types of personal care products used daily. Emily Barrett's study found the average woman uses about 19 products daily, each potentially containing multiple chemicals.

Takeaway 5: Reducing and Swapping Products

Gradually reduce the number of personal care products and replace them with safer alternatives. Utilize resources like the EWG's Skin Deep app or Yuca to check product safety ratings. Melanie Benesh recommends opting for EWG-verified products:

"Those products have really been vetted by our experts and they meet our safety criteria." (22:40)

Adena Janos emphasizes a gradual approach:

"It's really hard for people to just cold turkey give up all the products that they love... it's about making healthier choices." (21:16)

Marielle Segarra adds that not all natural or "green" products are inherently safe, warning against "greenwashing" where products are misleadingly marketed as safer.

Conclusion: Empowering Consumer Choice

The episode concludes by reiterating the importance of individual action in the face of regulatory limitations. By conducting personal audits, prioritizing essential products, and making informed swaps, consumers can mitigate health risks associated with personal care product ingredients.

Recap of Key Takeaways:

1. Safety Debate: Ongoing discussions about the safety of cosmetic ingredients necessitate personal vigilance.
2. Ingredient Awareness: Recognize and avoid harmful chemicals like phthalates, formaldehyde, 1,4 dioxane, and parabens.
3. Personal Audit: Assess and streamline your personal care products.
4. Smart Swaps: Replace harmful products with safer alternatives using trusted resources.
5. Sustainable Choices: Understand that gradual changes lead to long-term health benefits.

For more insights, explore other episodes of Life Kit covering topics like breast cancer detection and personal hygiene. Subscribe to the Life Kit newsletter at npr.org/LifeKitnewsletter and share your feedback or episode ideas by emailing us@lifekitpr.org.

Production Credits:
Produced by Claire Marie Schneider
Visuals Editor: Beck Harlan
Digital Editor: Malika Grebe
Supervising Editor: Meghan Keane
Executive Producer: Beth Donovan
Production Team: Andy Tagle, Margaret Serino, Sam Yellow Horse Kessler, Sylvie Douglas
Engineering Support: Arthur Laurent, Neal Rauch
Special Thanks to Carmel Roth