The Story of Cosmetics: The Scary Truth of Hidden Toxic Chemicals

Did you ever stop to consider what is in all those products that we slather on our skin? What is that fragrance? How do I pronounce many of the ingredients listed, let alone know what they contain? Where are the results from third party testing proving these ingredients are safe for human use?

The Story of Cosmetics was created by The Story of Stuff Project with free range studios and in conjunction with The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. This video examines from start to finish the pervasive use of potentially toxic chemicals in everyday personal care products– products we use because most of us believe that somebody – somebody like our government regulatory bodies – has decided that the products and their ingredients are safe. But that isn’t the case – the FDA only bans 9 ingredients in personal care products and regulates colorants. Other than that, cosmetic companies are pretty much free to use what they want. Compare this to the European Union, which has banned or limited more than 1,100 ingredients in cosmetic products.

It continues by examining health implications of the decision of major manufacturers to use these ingredients in our everyday products, while telling us they are safe even though 99% have never been tested.




Learn more about The Story of Cosmetics in their FAQ at http://storyofstuff.org/pdfs/cosmetics/SoCos_faqs.pdf