The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health cautions consumers concerning more than 900 harmful chemicals found in everyday personal health care products. These chemicals are said to be "dangerous to your health and well being". (par. 1) These chemicals, in addition to others, are used by consumers everyday. Consumers assume that the products containing these chemicals are safe and effective. According to the FDA "It is against the law to distribute cosmetics that contain poisonous or harmful substances that might injure users under normal conditions" (Regulating par 3). However, the FDA fails to define what "normal conditions" are or should be. Therefore, the interpretation of "normal conditions" is left up to manufacturers of cosmetics and the consumers of cosmetic products. Interpreting what "normal conditions" actually are when using cosmetics may never be fully answered. In a cosmetic market that is virtually unregulated and full of uncertainty, consumers are led to believe that the uses of health care products are 100% harmless. However researchers and physicians believe that cosmetic products contain chemically harmful ingredients that can cause advers

It is clearly shown by the lack of action by the FDA that nothing, as of right now, is going to be done to stop cosmetic manufacturers from using known harmful chemicals in their products. Consumers will be left to believe their cosmetic products are safe for them and the lack of regulations imposed by the FDA on cosmetic manufacturers will continue to escalate consumers' beliefs that these products are safe.

As of now the FDA has no control over the production process of cosmetics. One of the only types of control the FDA has is that they are "able to regulate cosmetics after products are released to the marketplace" (Authority par. 1). If the FDA believes a product to be harmful and has received complaints about it, the FDA can take action to remove the product. If the FDA wants to take action in removing a product from the shelves it "must first prove in a court of law that the product may be injurious to users, improperly labeled, or otherwise violates the law" (Authority par. 4). All the laws and regulations are setup so that it is as hard as possible for the FDA to have any type of control over a market that already lacks significant regulation.

Consumers live in a society that is very image oriented. "Whatever it takes to look good" can be found as the motto of many consumers. Manufacturers know that those people who look and smell good are automatically assumed to be in a higher social class by their peers. Manufacturers prey on those conceptions that consumers have about themselves and others in order to line their pockets

Health care products are very complex in their nature. These products contain many ingredients that are each responsible for doing a different job. Many consumers would like to believe that the products they purchase for health care are just simply made up of one or two ingredients, but that is not the case. Every product placed on the market today is a complex chemical formula made up of anywhere from four to two hundred different chemicals.

Detergents are a major part of the chemical make up of cosmetics. These chemicals are responsible for the cleaning of body parts. One of the most widely used cleaning chemicals in cosmetics is sodium lauryl sulfate. According to Dr. Sepp, sodium lauryl sulfate is "used as a cleansing agent in all sorts of personal care products. It appears in ... - any product that requires suds" (par. 1). Sodium lauryl sulfate is used for two reasons: "it is very effective and also very cheap" (par. 1). Cosmetics will always need detergents, but should they always be the cheapest?

In an ever changing industry, cosmetic companies need to find a way to achieve desired effects as cheaply as possible. If a cosmetic company can continually find ways to manufacture goods at a lower cost, the company can increase its profits in a very competitive market. Natural or organic chemicals prove to be rather expensive and limited in quantity, so cosmetic companies turn to synthetic chemicals that produce the same desired effects, cost half as much, and can be easily diluted.

Some common words found in the essay are:
United America, Conclusion Consumers, CHEMICALS Health, Dr Sepp, Sufate SLS, Gina Antczac, DEA DEA, Concerns Effects, Olive Naturals, According FDA, care products, health care, health care products, cosmetic products, harmful chemicals, personal health, cosmetic manufacturers, personal health care, synthetic chemical, personal care, personal care products, chemical found, par 1, sodium lauryl sulfate, cause adverse effects,
Approximate Word count = 3061
Approximate Pages = 12 (250 words per page double spaced)