New York – On Sunday, Sen. Chuck Schumer warned New Yorkers about the dangers behind Halloween makeup made in China since they may contain chromium, nickel, lead, and cobalt which are considered toxic ingredients that cause skin allergies.
Schumer stated in a press conference, “Parents are totally clueless as to what they’re putting on their child’s face. If they see it on the shelf they think it’s safe, but it’s not. When you buy makeup for your kids, make sure it doesn’t say made in China.”
The senator is asking the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to tighten regulations when it comes to face makeup. These harmful ingredients are not listed on the packages and the cosmetics containing them are often labeled as “hypoallergenic” even when the levels found were far above the safety recommendations. Rubie’s Costume Company, Wet N’ Wild Fantasy Makers, and Fun World face paints are some of the examples that were mentioned by the senator.
Even though it may come as a surprise, the US has not banned from the market cosmetics that contain lead, while Canada and Europe have. When it comes to cosmetics, most of the products imported from China are not ensured safe by the FDA itself since they can only be regulated by China.
An approximate amount of 423 billion dollars is exported to the US every year by China. Peter Ford informed, on The Christian Science Monitor’s, that a wave of contaminated merchandise was exported by China to the US. Things like pet food that was contaminated with hazardous waste, lead paint in toys, and toxic toothpaste were reported by Ford in 2007.
According to the NY Daily News, Schumer stated, “The U.S. is simply not doing enough to protect our children from these harmful ingredients, and that’s a scary thought.”
Senator Chuck Schumer has sent a letter to the Food and Drug Administration asking them to create stricter regulations by forcing companies to shown and label toxic ingredients on their packing.
Source: Christian Science Monitor