Cosmetics and skin care products are some of the most widely purchased products within the United States. Consumers spend as much as $50 billion every single year on beauty products. Unfortunately, it turns out that some of the skin care and cosmetic products on the market could actually contain chemicals that are very harmful to health.
Although the skin care and cosmetics market are largely unregulated, manufacturers still have basic obligations to make sure their products are reasonably safe and to provide warnings about risks to users. Cosmetics manufacturers who fail to test products for safety and alert customers to dangers may find themselves being sued if products make people sick. Even the threat of litigation, however, does not appear to deter manufacturers from continuing to sell products that could cause harm. Now, lawmakers are finally considering taking legal action aimed at protecting people from the risks of their skin care and beauty products.
New Regulations Could Address Product Safety Risks in Cosmetics
CBS News reports a bipartisan group of lawmakers is pushing to increase the power of the Food and Drug Administration to regulate skin care products. One of the leaders of the effort to reform the cosmetics market, Senator Dianne Feinstein, believes a change to current rules is necessary because: “Our laws should provide for adequate testing of chemicals before they go into widely used products.” The need for effective laws is especially important because teenagers are heavy users of skincare and cosmetics products, and their developing bodies may be at even greater risk of harm due to chemicals in cosmetics.
Examples of chemicals which are cause for concern, and which are commonly found in cosmetics, include formaldehyde (used in nail polish, hair straighteners, and a wide variety of other common items), propylparaben, and lead acetate. These chemicals are known to cause cancer and other illnesses in other contexts. Under the current rules, there is little information about the impact the chemicals are having on cosmetics users.
The new law would give FDA the authority to test whether chemicals in common cosmetics products are limited to safe levels or whether there is too much of these dangerous chemicals. If the skin care and beauty items are found to contain dangerous levels of chemicals, FDA would be able to force a recall of products.
When products are recalled, not only are unsafe items removed from shelves, but notice of the recall also alerts users of the products that they have been exposed to something potentially dangerous. Illnesses like cancer are often difficult to trace back to a particular cause, and many people who use cosmetics may suffer from various ailments but may be unaware of the fact their beauty products could be the cause of their health issues.
When consumers are notified of a recall, they can determine if any health problems they are experiencing were caused by the product. If the consumer can prove causation, the consumer may be able to get help from a Boston defective products lawyer to pursue a case to get compensation for illnesses resulting from the cosmetic treatments.
If you are the victim of Massachusetts product liability, call Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers for a free and confidential appointment — (617) 777-7777.
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Vipodozi na bidhaa za kutunza ngozi ni baadhi ya bidhaa zinazonunuliwa sana nchini Marekani. Wateja hutumia zaidi ya $ 50 bilioni kila mwaka kwa bidhaa za urembo. Kwa bahati mbaya, baadhi ya bidhaa za utunzaji wa ngozi na vipodozi kwenye soko zinaweza kuwa na kemikali ambazo ni hatari sana kwa afya. Ingawa soko la huduma ya ngozi na vipodozi ni kubwa unregulated, wazalishaji bado kuwa na wajibu wa msingi wa kuhakikisha bidhaa zao ni salama na kutoa maonyo kuhusu hatari kwa watumiaji. Watengenezaji wa vipodozi ambao wanashindwa kupima usalama wa bidhaa zao na kuwaonya wateja juu ya hatari, wanaweza kujikuta wakishtakiwa ikiwa bidhaa hizo zinawafanya watu wagonjwa. Hata hivyo, hata tisho la kesi ya kisheria halionekani kuwazuia watengenezaji wa bidhaa kuendelea kuuza bidhaa zinazoweza kusababisha madhara. Wanachama wa bunge wa Marekani wamepanga kuchukua hatua za kisheria ili kuwalinda watu kutokana na hatari za bidhaa zao za utunzaji wa ngozi na uzuri. Sheria mpya zaweza kushughulikia hatari za usalama wa bidhaa katika vipodozi - CBS News ripoti kundi la wabunge wa vyama viwili linafanya juhudi za kuongeza nguvu ya Utawala wa Chakula na Dawa (FDA) kudhibiti bidhaa za utunzaji wa ngozi. "Mmoja wa viongozi wa juhudi za kurekebisha soko la vipodozi, Seneta Dianne Feinstein, anaamini mabadiliko ya sheria za sasa ni muhimu kwa sababu: ""Sheria zetu zinapaswa kutoa upimaji wa kutosha wa kemikali kabla ya kwenda katika bidhaa zinazotumiwa sana."" uhitaji wa sheria bora ni muhimu hasa kwa sababu vijana ni watumiaji mkubwa wa huduma za ngozi na vipodozi, na miili yao inayoendelea inaweza kuwa na hatari kubwa ya madhara kutokana na kemikali katika vipodozi." "Mfano wa kemikali ambazo ni sababu ya wasiwasi, na ambazo hupatikana kwa kawaida katika vipodozi, ni pamoja na formaldehyde (inatumiwa katika rangi ya kucha, hair straighteners, na aina mbalimbali za vitu vingine vya kawaida), propylparaben, na aseti ya risasi.""" Kemikali hizo zinajulikana kusababisha kansa na magonjwa mengine katika mazingira mengine. Kwa mujibu wa sheria za sasa, kuna habari kidogo kuhusu athari za kemikali hizo kwa watumiaji wa vipodozi. Sheria hiyo mpya inatoa mamlaka kwa FDA kupima kama kemikali katika bidhaa za kawaida za vipodozi zimepunguzwa kwa viwango salama au kama kuna kiasi kikubwa cha kemikali hizi hatari. Ikiwa bidhaa za utunzaji wa ngozi na urembo zitagunduliwa kuwa na viwango hatari vya kemikali, FDA itaweza kulazimisha kurejeshwa kwa bidhaa. Wakati bidhaa zinapokumbukwa, sio tu vitu visivyo salama huondolewa kwenye rafu, lakini taarifa ya kukumbukwa pia huwaonya watumiaji wa bidhaa kwamba wamewekwa wazi kwa kitu kinachoweza kuwa hatari. Mara nyingi ni vigumu kufuatilia magonjwa kama vile kansa kwa sababu fulani, na watu wengi wanaotumia vipodozi wanaweza kuwa na magonjwa mbalimbali lakini wanaweza kuwa hawajui ukweli kwamba bidhaa zao za urembo zinaweza kuwa chanzo cha matatizo yao ya afya. Wakati watumiaji wanapoarifiwa juu ya kukumbukwa, wanaweza kuamua ikiwa matatizo yoyote ya afya wanayoyapata yalisababishwa na bidhaa. Ikiwa mteja anaweza kuthibitisha sababu, anaweza kupata msaada kutoka kwa wakili wa bidhaa zenye kasoro wa Boston ili kufuatilia kesi ili kupata fidia kwa magonjwa yanayotokana na matibabu ya urembo. Ikiwa wewe ni mhasiriwa wa dhima ya bidhaa ya Massachusetts, piga simu Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers kwa ajili ya uteuzi wa bure na wa siri <unk> (617) 7777-7777. Utafiti wa Upasuaji wa Kinywa cha Mguu wa Mwili wa Mwili wa Mwili wa Mwili wa Mwili wa Mwili wa Mwili wa Mwili wa Mwili wa Mwili wa Mwili wa Mwili wa Mwili wa Mwili wa Mwili wa Mwili wa Mwili wa Mwili wa Mwili wa Mwili wa Mwili wa Mwili wa Mwili wa Mwili