Clearing Up Cosmetic Confusion

FDA Consumer, July, 2001 by John Henkel

Ever wonder what is meant by terms like "dermatologist tested" on cosmetic labels? Want the lowdown on ingredients in hair dye or mascara? How about sunscreens? The Food and Drug Administration's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition can answer these questions and more on a new Web site loaded with useful background on all kinds of cosmetics. The site, at www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/ cos-toc.html, has special sections on color additives, hair spray, nail products, soap, and thigh creams. While on the site, take an interactive quiz to gauge your cosmetics smarts, then print out a "diploma." If the quiz whets your appetite for more, there's an extensive question and answer page that discusses aromatherapy, alpha hydroxy acids, tattoos, and other topics. The site also has features for kids and teens, along with a page on cosmetic use for cancer patients.

John Henkel is a member of FDA's website management staff.