Ever scan the ingredient list of your favorite personal care products like shampoos or lotions and think, what are these complicated chemicals? And are any of them bad for me? We definitely have. And our colleagues at NPR's Life Kit did one step better: They parlayed their anxiety spiral into a helpful guide on the safety of personal care products. So today, Gina talks to Life Kit's Marielle Segarra about some of the top chemicals of concern, including parabens and phthalates.Click here to hear the full Life Kit guide — including how to audit your go-to products.Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at plus.npr.org/shortwave.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
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You're listening to Shortwave from NPR. Hey, Shore Wavers. Regina Barber here with Life Kit host, Mariel Sagada. Hey, Mariel. Hey, Gina. Okay, so, Mariel, recently on Life Kit, you've been reporting on the safety of personal care products.
We have, and we found that the story goes back at least to 1933. Yeah. When this new mascara and eyebrow dye came on the market in America, it was called Lashlore. And the advertisements told women, you know, that they would radiate personality when they use this product.
Who wouldn't want that?
Right. Yeah. But unfortunately, Lashlore contained a chemical dye that blinded several women and it led to another one's death. And that was at a time before the Food and Drug Administration had the power to ban dangerous chemicals. in cosmetics and personal care products.
So partly because of Lashlore, Congress eventually passed a law called the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, and that gave the FDA the ability to regulate cosmetics. But I'm guessing that didn't, like, totally solve everything, right? No, it did not. Because on the one hand, our laws are stricter than they were in 1933.
Like, if another product like Lashlore came on the market, something that made people go blind... The FDA would have the power to ban it and most likely would do that. But when we were reporting this episode, we were surprised to find out there's still a lot the FDA can't and doesn't do when it comes to personal care product safety. Like what? Like what are the limits?
Yeah, well, when the FDA approves drugs, it looks at safety and efficacy. And it does that before a drug can ever be sold to Americans.
But when I talked to Linda Katz, she's a doctor and former director of the Office of Cosmetics and Colors at the FDA, she said that for cosmetics, which include not just makeup, but shampoo, body wash, hairspray, lotion, anything designed to cleanse, beautify, or alter your appearance.
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