The Food and Drugs Act defines a cosmetic as “any substance or mixture of substances for use in cleaning, improving or altering the complexion, skin, hair or teeth”, which includes both beauty products and grooming aids, such as soap, shampoo, cream and deodorant (Health Canada, “Cosmetics Legislation”). This means that cosmetics are something that we all use and come in contact with our bodies every single day. For this reason, it is important that we are aware of the ingredients in these cosmetic products and the effects they may have on our bodies. In Canada, there are many steps involved in the regulation of cosmetics and ensuring that these products that we use every day are safe.
The Food and Drugs Act and the Cosmetic Regulations outline the requirements that cosmetics sold in Canada must meet. They require that cosmetics sold in Canada be manufactured, prepared, preserved, packed and stored under sanitary conditions. The manufacturer must then notify Health Canada of its intended sale of their cosmetic in Canada and provide Health Canada with a list of the product’s ingredients in a Cosmetic Notification Form (Health Canada, “Cosmetics Legislation”). Health Canada then reviews the Cosmetic Notification Form to ensure that the product does not contain any ingredient found on the Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist (Bergeron 1). The Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist is a list of substances that are restricted or prohibited in cosmetics. If a cosmetic contains an ingredient that is listed on the Hotlist, the manufacturer will be told by Health Canada to “remove the ingredient from the formulation, reduce the concentration of the ingredient to an acceptable level, and/or provide evidence that the product is safe for its intended use”. If the manufacturer does not comply, the cosmetic will be found unacceptable for sale in Canada (Health Canada, “Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist”). The Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist currently contains over 500 ingredients that Health Canada has either banned or restricted the use of and is continually updated based on new scientific evidence of the risks posed by chemicals in cosmetics (Bergeron 1). Comparatively, the United States’ Food and Drug Administration has banned only 8 chemical ingredients from use in cosmetics, while the European Union has banned and restricted over 2000 chemicals. This difference is explained as the European Union will ban or restrict an ingredient if there is a known hazard associated with it (Melanson, “The Story of Cosmetics”), whereas Health Canada scientists will apply the principles of toxicology do determine how high the risk associated with an ingredient is. This means that even though a particular ingredient can be considered hazardous, Health Canada may consider it safe in low doses as the exposure to the ingredient through the use of the …show more content…
As of 2006, the Cosmetic Regulations require cosmetic manufacturers to state all ingredients on the label or outer packaging of their cosmetics, in accordance with the International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients (INCI) system for ingredient disclosure. This is done to enhance the safety of Canadians by making this information available to users and is the same system used in the United States, the European Union, and Japan (Bergeron1). These cosmetic companies must also comply with other labelling requirements, which include the identity of the product, the quantity in metric units of measurement, the name and address of the manufacturer or distributor, warning cautions, and directions for safe use of the product, all in both English and French (Health Canada, “Labelling of Cosmetics”). Cosmetic companies are also required to ensure that the claims on their product labels and advertising are accurate and not misleading (Government of Canada, “Cosmetic …show more content…
Health Canada ensures cosmetic manufacturers follow the requirements of the Food and Drugs Act and the Cosmetic Regulations, as well as ensuring no cosmetics are sold in Canada if they contain any of the unsafe ingredients found on the Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist. These cosmetic manufacturers are also required by law to list all ingredients on their product’s label and are not allowed to advertise these cosmetics in a way that is inaccurate or misleading. Additionally, unsafe ingredients and products are continually monitored with the Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist being updated and existing products in the market being controlled. Knowing this, we can reasonably be assured that the cosmetics we purchase in Canada have been substantially regulated and are safe for our
The Food and Drugs Act and the Cosmetic Regulations outline the requirements that cosmetics sold in Canada must meet. They require that cosmetics sold in Canada be manufactured, prepared, preserved, packed and stored under sanitary conditions. The manufacturer must then notify Health Canada of its intended sale of their cosmetic in Canada and provide Health Canada with a list of the product’s ingredients in a Cosmetic Notification Form (Health Canada, “Cosmetics Legislation”). Health Canada then reviews the Cosmetic Notification Form to ensure that the product does not contain any ingredient found on the Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist (Bergeron 1). The Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist is a list of substances that are restricted or prohibited in cosmetics. If a cosmetic contains an ingredient that is listed on the Hotlist, the manufacturer will be told by Health Canada to “remove the ingredient from the formulation, reduce the concentration of the ingredient to an acceptable level, and/or provide evidence that the product is safe for its intended use”. If the manufacturer does not comply, the cosmetic will be found unacceptable for sale in Canada (Health Canada, “Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist”). The Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist currently contains over 500 ingredients that Health Canada has either banned or restricted the use of and is continually updated based on new scientific evidence of the risks posed by chemicals in cosmetics (Bergeron 1). Comparatively, the United States’ Food and Drug Administration has banned only 8 chemical ingredients from use in cosmetics, while the European Union has banned and restricted over 2000 chemicals. This difference is explained as the European Union will ban or restrict an ingredient if there is a known hazard associated with it (Melanson, “The Story of Cosmetics”), whereas Health Canada scientists will apply the principles of toxicology do determine how high the risk associated with an ingredient is. This means that even though a particular ingredient can be considered hazardous, Health Canada may consider it safe in low doses as the exposure to the ingredient through the use of the …show more content…
As of 2006, the Cosmetic Regulations require cosmetic manufacturers to state all ingredients on the label or outer packaging of their cosmetics, in accordance with the International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients (INCI) system for ingredient disclosure. This is done to enhance the safety of Canadians by making this information available to users and is the same system used in the United States, the European Union, and Japan (Bergeron1). These cosmetic companies must also comply with other labelling requirements, which include the identity of the product, the quantity in metric units of measurement, the name and address of the manufacturer or distributor, warning cautions, and directions for safe use of the product, all in both English and French (Health Canada, “Labelling of Cosmetics”). Cosmetic companies are also required to ensure that the claims on their product labels and advertising are accurate and not misleading (Government of Canada, “Cosmetic …show more content…
Health Canada ensures cosmetic manufacturers follow the requirements of the Food and Drugs Act and the Cosmetic Regulations, as well as ensuring no cosmetics are sold in Canada if they contain any of the unsafe ingredients found on the Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist. These cosmetic manufacturers are also required by law to list all ingredients on their product’s label and are not allowed to advertise these cosmetics in a way that is inaccurate or misleading. Additionally, unsafe ingredients and products are continually monitored with the Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist being updated and existing products in the market being controlled. Knowing this, we can reasonably be assured that the cosmetics we purchase in Canada have been substantially regulated and are safe for our