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Deadly Cosmetic Myths and the Lies of "Clean Beauty" Marketing ☠️🧪

Mina Le・27 minutes read

The video discusses clean beauty and harmful chemicals in beauty products, with a focus on deceptive marketing strategies. The text explores the historical context of toxic beauty products and the evolution of regulations to improve consumer safety in cosmetics.

Insights

  • Historical beauty products often contained toxic substances, such as Aqua Tofana, a poison disguised as a cosmetic, showcasing the deceptive practices that have existed in the beauty industry for centuries.
  • The evolution of clean beauty reflects a movement towards transparency in ingredients and wellness benefits, influenced by historical events like the FDA's scrutiny of harmful products and the rise of clean consumerism in response to environmental concerns, with a focus on ingredient-led marketing to meet consumer demands for purity and efficacy.

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Recent questions

  • What is clean beauty?

    Clean beauty emphasizes purity and transparency in ingredients.

  • Who is Giulia Tofana?

    Giulia Tofana was an Italian alchemist.

  • What was the FDA's response to unsafe products?

    The FDA established regulations to address harmful products.

  • Why did the clean consumerism movement arise?

    Clean consumerism emerged due to environmental concerns.

  • What is the Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act of 2022?

    The Act expands the FDA's authority over cosmetic products.

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Summary

00:00

"History of Toxic Beauty Products Revealed"

  • The video discusses clean beauty, highlighting the presence of harmful chemicals in beauty products and the deceptive marketing strategies of the beauty industry.
  • Bellesa, a sexual wellness company, collaborates with the video creator to offer a giveaway including toys like the Pebble and Demi Wand.
  • Giulia Tofana, an Italian alchemist, sold Aqua Tofana, a poison disguised as a cosmetic, to help women discreetly eliminate their husbands.
  • Aqua Tofana's symptoms included stomach and throat pains, vomiting, thirst, and dysentery, with arsenic, antimony, lead, and mercuric chloride as possible ingredients.
  • Clean beauty is defined as a movement emphasizing purity and transparency in ingredients, wellness benefits, and enhancing natural features.
  • Historical beauty products contained toxic ingredients like quick-lime, nitre, and orpiment, causing skin burns, eye damage, and organ failure.
  • The FDA's establishment in 1906 followed public outrage over unsanitary practices in food production, as exposed by Upton Sinclair's book "The Jungle."
  • Arthur Kallet and F.J. Schlink's book "100,000,000 Guinea Pigs" criticized American producers for using the population as test subjects, leading to FDA scrutiny of faulty products.
  • The FDA exhibit showcased harmful products like Lash Lure and Koremlu, with the latter causing severe health issues including neuromuscular damage, blindness, and permanent hair loss.
  • Koremlu, a popular hair removal product, contained thallium acetate, resulting in devastating consequences for users, such as loss of teeth, eyesight, mobility, and employment.

12:00

Evolution of Clean Beauty Industry

  • In 1938, the Food Drug and Cosmetic Act was passed by Congress, but cosmetic manufacturers were not required to evaluate ingredient safety until after products caused harm.
  • The 1938 law excluded soaps and cold tar dyes, like the one causing Lash Lure injuries, only mandating a warning label for coal tar dye products.
  • Throughout the 20th century, few amendments were made to improve consumer safety in cosmetics.
  • Mid-century brands like Avon produced makeup with asbestos, a carcinogen linked to cancer, prompting the clean consumerism movement in the 1960s.
  • Clean consumerism arose due to environmental concerns sparked by Rachel Carson's "Silent Spring," leading to regulations like the Clean Air Act and the creation of the EPA.
  • The Cosmetic Ingredient Review was established in 1976 to address the lack of government regulation in cosmetics, but lacked authority to remove unsafe products from the market.
  • Companies began marketing clean and green products, promising self-regulation when government oversight was lacking.
  • Some groups, like hippies and feminists, rejected mainstream beauty products, opting for DIY natural beauty alternatives.
  • The beauty industry shifted to synthetic ingredients due to cost and complexity issues with natural ingredients, leading to the rise of clean cosmetics marketing.
  • Bobbi Brown's transition from makeup to wellness products reflects a broader industry trend towards incorporating skincare elements and promoting clean beauty, influenced by Gwyneth Paltrow's goop empire.

24:40

"Ingredient-led revolution in skincare products"

  • Many companies claim their products are free from parabens but use methylisothiazolinone, associated with allergic reactions.
  • The rise of the ingredient-led revolution sees consumers focusing on specific product ingredients.
  • Ingredient-led marketing promotes products as clean and pure, emphasizing trendy active ingredients like niacinamide.
  • Misunderstandings exist around skincare ingredients, like vitamin C needing a low pH for effectiveness.
  • Expensive products often sell well due to their price, despite lacking essential skincare components.
  • The Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act of 2022 expands the FDA's authority to regulate cosmetic products.
  • The Act requires registration of facilities, submission of product and ingredient lists, and imposes new labeling requirements.
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