The Story of Cosmetics, released on July 21st, 2010, examines the pervasive use of toxic chemicals in our everyday personal care products, from lipstick to baby shampoo. Produced with Free Range Studios and hosted by Annie Leonard, the seven-minute film by The Story of Stuff Project reveals the implications for consumer and worker health and the environment, and outlines ways we can move the industry away from hazardous chemicals and towards safer alternatives.

The film concludes with a call for viewers to support legislation aimed at ensuring the safety of cosmetics and personal care products.

It's true! Dozens of children's bath products were found to contain chemicals that cause cancer in lab animals and are classified as probable human carcinogens. The companies argue that each product contains just low levels of these toxins – but there shouldn't be any carcinogens in baby shampoo at all. Period. The good news is many companies have already figured out how to make excellent products without the toxic chemicals. To learn more check out: www.safecosmetics.org/toxictub

The term 'pinkwashing' describes the activities of companies and groups that position themselves as leaders in the struggle to eradicate breast cancer -- often labeling products with the iconic pink ribbon -- while engaging in practices that may be contributing to rising rates of the disease. So not cool!

Despite their reputation as champions for women's health, Estee Lauder, Revlon and Avon could all be called pinkwashers! Despite their high-profile breast cancer charity events, all three companies continue to use chemicals linked to cancer and other chemicals linked to harm.

In the 1950s government subsidies helped companies figure out how to process oil byproducts into synthetic chemicals and resins to make all sorts of wonder (what's-in-it) products from plastics to make-up. Billions of tons of synthetic substances that never existed in nature before were released into the environment with little understanding of their impacts on people, wildlife or the broader ecosystem.

Now, mountains of scientific evidence implicate chemical exposures in modern-day health afflictions such as breast cancer, testicular cancer, childhood cancers, learning disabilities, autism, asthma, infertility, birth defects, Attention Deficit Disorder and other diseases that have been rising in recent decades. That doesn't exactly sound like better living now does it?

There are a few things wrong with the industry's "low toxic doses are OK" argument. First, low doses are adding up; the average woman is exposed to over a hundred cosmetic chemicals a day, and many of these toxic exposures have similar mechanisms of action in the body (i.e., dozens of chemicals that act like estrogen).

Secondly, low doses DO matter: even the tiniest amounts of some substances can cause harm (think lead paint chips); and some chemicals are more problematic at lower doses than higher ones.

Third, chemical risk assessments typically study just one chemical at a time, rather than considering the potential for enhanced toxicity of chemical mixtures – even though evidence suggests that some chemicals can exponentially increase each other's health impacts.

There is scandalously little research available about the health impacts on highly-exposed hair and nail salon workers. But what we do know is cause for concern: nail salon workers are exposed to many problematic chemicals and these exposures often occur in poorly ventilated spaces, mainly to women of childbearing age, who are especially vulnerable to toxic exposures. Occupational health research suggests adverse effects on attention and information processing, as well as increased occupational asthma. learn more

Hair salon environments are also a health concern. An increasing number of studies of humans link long-time hair dye use with cancer, including bladder cancer, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and multiple myeloma. Learn More.

While we can't shop our way out of this problem, there are great resources online to help us make sense of confusing product labels. One of the best is the Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep database at www.cosmeticsdatabase.com, which ranks products for toxicity on a scale of 1-10. Another great resources is www.goodguide.com. But the most important thing you can do right now to protect yourself and your family from toxic personal care products is to get involved in the mobilization to pass the Safe Cosmetics Act of 2010.

We need federal legislation that protects consumers, workers and the environment from hazardous chemicals in personal care products. For the first time in more than 70 years, the U.S. Congress is considering legislation that will move the cosmetics industry toward safer chemicals and products. But it will take a major mobilization of women, parents, workers and everyone who is affected by this problem from across the political spectrum to pass this landmark legislation. That means you! Take action at Safe Cosmetics.