The Canary Report

U.S. senator responds to a canary by talking in circles

Posted on Dec 22, 2009 by Susie Collins in Blog, Products, Susie Collins

“Many consumers are concerned that the cosmetics industry is using chemicals in its products that are linked to cancer and other health problems,” answers Sen. Tom Carper to a canary constituent’s pleas for action. But what are lawmakers actually doing about it?

Canary Report community member Linda Delp asked me to share this with you. It’s a letter to her from her state of Delaware’s senator, Tom Carper. “The letter just shows how they talk in circles don’t you think?” says Linda. “I have so many letters from him and Senator Biden, it just gets exhausting.”

December 22, 2009

Dear Mrs. Delp:

Thank you for contacting me to express your support for legislation to strengthen oversight and regulation of the cosmetics industry. I appreciate hearing from you about this important matter.

As you know, many consumers are concerned that the cosmetics industry is using chemicals in its products that are linked to cancer and other health problems. A class of industrial chemicals, phthates, are commonly used as fragrances in shampoo and lotion, but have been shown to lead to birth defects, asthma, and impaired development. Under current law, manufacturers are not required to list the individual ingredients of fragrance on labels, which limits consumers’ ability to avoid potentially hazardous chemicals.

As you also may know, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is the federal agency that regulates cosmetic safety. However, the FDA has different legal authority over cosmetic products than it does over drugs, food, and medicine. Unlike these products, cosmetics are not subject to a FDA premarket approval process. Instead, cosmetic firms are responsible for ensuring the safety of their products and ingredients before marketing. If infractions of safety regulations or consumer complaints arise, the FDA can take regulatory action. For more information concerning the FDA’s regulation of cosmetics, please visit http://www.fda.gov/Cosmetics/default.htm.

With that said, I have heard from a number of constituents who believe that current regulation of cosmetics under the FDA are inadequate. While there is no current legislation that would provide the FDA with stricter oversight of cosmetics, I will be sure to share your comments with my colleagues on the Senate Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over this matter. Thank you again for contacting my office. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future about this or other matters of importance to you.

With best personal regards, I am

Sincerely,

Tom Carper
United States Senator

To send another message please visit my website at http://carper.senate.gov/contact and fill out the webform for a prompt response. Thank you.

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