Is it true that the cosmetics industry is not regulated by any organization when it comes to chemicals?

I'm in retail for many cosmetic brands. No one regulates the contents of these products? If not, what should I look out for and what do these chemicals affect?Is it true that the cosmetics industry is not regulated by any organization when it comes to chemicals?
That's a huge question, believe it or not. The ingredients of cosmetics are usually chemical compounds that have already been tested and that there is extensive data about (if it's dangerous, etc.) - but no, every cosmetic product is not checked by the FDA, since it isn't being ingested. That's why animal testing is performed by many cosmetics and personal care product companies, because there's no other way to predict what a product could do to you. The ingredients in current cosmetics usually aren't revolutionary or brand new, so you can feel pretty safe using what's on the market today.





This website is actually a really great resource and may be a jumping point for you to figure out some of the compounds you might want to keep an eye out for: http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/index.p鈥?/a>





I stick with Origins because I feel more comfortable with the purity of their products so I don't know firsthand about particular chemicals (though there are hundreds and I don't know that anyone who wasn't in the industry would have a clue), but from personal knowledge, I know that anything with the word phthalate you might want to stay away from; in nailpolish, toluene and formaldehyde are toxic and you should use them with LOTS of ventilation.