Even Less Than Cosmetic Changes

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"While U.S. regulators tend to wait for clear evidence of problems, the [European Union] has been moving aggressively to remove chemicals with the potential for trouble." Case in point: phthalates, a class of chemicals found in many cosmetics, which have been linked in animal experiments to "adverse reproductive effects." The industry group the Cosmetics, Toiletry and Fragrance Association dismissed calls to stop using phthalates, claiming "this is more a matter of politics than of science." The U.S. Food and Drug Administration takes its lead on such matters from the Cosmetic Ingredient Review panel, which is "funded by the industry trade group." The head of the Environmental Working Group remarked: "It's not just the fox guarding the henhouse, it's the fox designing and building the henhouse."