XIoaping Zhao
ENGL191
4/29/2011
Final paper: Cosmetics
In these days, more and more people start to use cosmetics to help them looks more beautiful or keep them have a nice out looking. With the development of our technology, not aging becomes a possible thing. When we work hard make money and have status to get a better life. We also need to keep ourselves health and pretty. In my final paper I will introduce what are cosmetics in three ways. They are: the definitions and limitations of cosmetics; the skin care products; the trends in cosmetics.
First of all, I want to introduce the definitions and limitations of cosmetics. The word “cosmetics,” to the average user, means preparations for beautifying the complexion, skin, hair, etc, and whereas this definition will serve generally, a little examination of the word will indicate that a more precise definition is necessary.
As is well known the word “cosmetic” itself is derived from the glorious word “cosmos”, which in Webster’s New International Dictionary, Merriam edition (1), is defined as “the universe conceived as an orderly and harmonious system; contrasted with chaos,” and the derivative “cosmetic” is defined as “any external application intended to beautify and improve the complexion, skin or hair.”
“Although cosmetics for the purpose of beautifying, perfuming, cleansing, or rituals have
existed since the origin of civilization, only in the 20th century has great progress been made in
the diversification of products and functions and in the safety and protection of the consumer.
Before 1938, cosmetics were not regulated as drugs, and cosmetology could often be considered as a way to sell dreams rather than objective efficacy; safety for consumers was also sometimes precarious. Subsequently, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), through the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, regulated cosmetics that were required to be safe for the consumer.
With industrialization, many new ingredients from several industries (oleo- and petrochemical, food, etc.) were used in preparation of cosmetics, offering a list of new functions and forms. For a better control of these ingredients, U.S. laws required ingredient classification and product labeling since 1966. In Europe, the Council Directive 76/768/EEC of 27 July 1976 on the approximation of the laws of the member states relating to cosmetic products (“Cosmetics Directive”) was adopted in 1976 to ensure the free circulation of cosmetic products and improve the safety of cosmetic products by placing the responsibility of the product on the cosmetic manufacturer.
In 1991, the Cosmetics Directive was amended for the sixth time and prohibited the marketing of cosmetic products containing ingredients or combinations of ingredients tested on animals, as of 1998.
With the seventh amendment of the European Cosmetic Directive in 2003, a testing ban on finished cosmetic products was applied after 11 September 2004, whereas the testing ban on ingredients or combination of ingredients will be applied as soon as alternative methods are validated and adopted, with a maximum deadline of 11 March 2009, irrespective of the availability of alternative non–animal tests. For some endpoints (repeated-dose toxicity, reproductive toxicity, and toxicokinetics), a maximum deadline of 11 March 2013 was set up.
With regard to products, the latest innovation in the field of cosmetics is the development of active cosmetics (cosmeceuticals in the United States). Currently, cosmetics intend not only to improve the appearance or odor of the consumer but also to benefit their target, whether it is the skin, hair, nail, mucous membrane, or tooth. With this functional approach, products became diversified and started to claim a multitude of biologic actions. The cosmetic market then greatly extended with millions of consumers worldwide. The competitive environment pushed manufacturers to promise more to the consumers and to develop cosmetic products of better quality and higher efficacy. Today, many cosmetic products aim at hydrating the skin, reducing or slowing the signs of aged skin, and protecting the skin barrier and the skin in its entity against the multitude of daily environmental aggressions. For cosmetic products to support these activities, raw materials became more efficacious, safe, bioavailable, and innovative, while remaining affordable. With the continuous improvement of basic sciences and the development of new sciences, new sources for pure raw material have been found. Raw materials are not only produced from natural sources and are highly purified, but they can also be specifically synthesized or even produced from genetically manipulated microorganisms. However, the
availability and use of these sophisticated and active ingredients are not always sufficient for them to be optimally delivered to their targets and to sustain their activity. The cosmetic vehicle is also crucial to obtain this effect, and the role of the formulator is to combine the right ingredient into the appropriate vehicle. Cosmetology has thus become a science in its own, and the cosmetologist is not only a formulator chemist anymore but also a real-life science scientist who needs to fully understand the interaction of his or her products and ingredients with their targets to deliver the promised benefits.”(2)
In the second part, I will talk about the skin care products. A variety of skin care products exist in today’s marketplace. They fulfill a variety of functions by either acting directly on the skin (e.g., moisturizers) or being a cosmetically elegant vehicle for the delivery of specific active ingredients (e.g., sunscreens or antipuretic or antiacne medicaments). In general, these products are categorized in the United States into three functional groups:
Drugs: To prevent or ameliorate diseases by altering the structure and/or function of the body.
Cosmetics: To beautify and improve the feeling or sensory aspects of normal and/or nondiseased skin. Dry skin would be included in this category.
Cosmeceuticals: An intermediate classification for cosmetic products that may enhance the function of the skin. Currently, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not
recognize this category (3).
Last but not least, I want to state the trends in cosmetics. The regulatory environment for cosmetics in the U.S.A. is rapidly evolving. This is not due to changes in the U.S. regulatory framework for cosmetics; rather it is the effect of globalization. Globalization impacts cosmetic regulation in two, somewhat related, ways. Firstly, as manufacturers of both cosmetic raw materials and finished products try to sell their goods in multiple markets, they must abide by the regulations in each market. The U.S. is just one of the major markets in which companies sell their products. Other large, key markets include the European Union (EU), Japan, and China. The framework developed by the EU is becoming the model towards which many other countries and regions are gravitating. Thus, if an ingredient or product is to be compliant on a global, rather than on a national or even regional basis, it must take account of EU requirements.
Secondly, another impact of globalization is rapid communication. News stories about issues and problems are rapidly transmitted between countries and regions. Unfortunately, the Internet does not assess the accuracy or validity of the information. Furthermore, interested parties such as nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and activists in different countries rapidly communicate with and learn from each other and determine what works and what does not. The NGOs have been very effective at molding public opinion, especially in Europe, and building coalitions that can change the regulatory environment at the legislative level. The U.S. cosmetics industry through its trade association, the Personal Care Products Council (PCPC), is working to meet these challenges. The PCPC is working in parallel with trade associations in other regions, such as Colipa in Europe, to provide a balancing opinion as well as to influence the legislative and regulatory processes. This will become an even more
important initiative in the future, if the U.S. cosmetic industry is to remain innovative and, to a
large degree, self-regulating.
Although the legal framework for cosmetic regulation has not significantly changed in the U.S.
for 70 years, in practice, the U.S. regulatory environment is evolving rapidly. With globalization of raw materials and cosmetic formulas, the U.S. cosmetic industry is impacted by regulatory regimes from the different regions in which the ingredients and products are sold. This is especially true for the framework developed in the EU, which appears to be becoming the international benchmark. Many countries and regions are following the EU’s model, or at minimum, incorporating some of the EU’s approaches in their regulatory framework. Therefore, it is important for U.S. companies and industry to work closely with, and support their EU counterparts, as the Europeans try to influence their legislative and regulatory processes.
Green and other activist groups have been more politically influential in Europe than they are in the U.S. However, in the last few years, the U.S. NGOs have become more vocal and successful in influencing public opinion and legislators. This resulted in the passage of the California Safe Cosmetics Act (2005). The U.S. personal-care industry has not been willing to cede the “court of public opinion” to the activists. The PCPC (industry association) has developed a website (www.cosmeticsinfo.org) to provide accurate information to the public, and especially to the press. Additionally, the PCPC is working to make the product safety assurance process more transparent, through the introduction of the Consumer Commitment Code. In contrast, the FDA is not changing its approach; instead it is using the current regulatory structure to respond to scientific advances such as nanotechnology and to pressure
from the activist NGOs. (4)
In sum, I have introduced what are cosmetics in three ways. They are: the definitions and limitations of cosmetics; the skin care products; the trends in cosmetics. We have a really nice life at these times. That is a really good time to start learning about the cosmetics. Let’s begging to take action to use and know more about it.
References :
1. Webster’s New International Dictionary of the English Language , 2nd ed, G.&C. Merriam Co, Springfield, Mass. 1944.
2. Cosmetics science and technology, 3rd ed, B&P. Marianne Mahieu Informa Healthcare USA, Inc. 2009.
3. Skin Care Products, Howard Epstein. EMD Chemicals Inc., Gibbstown, New Jersey, U.S.A
4. Trends in Cosmetic Regulations in the U.S.A. F. Anthony Simion Kao Brands Company, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.A.
