Powder me toxic

In Wednesday's About Face, I lamented about the number of loose and pressed powders I saw in both GoodGuide and the Skin Deep databases that had decent ratings, despite containing what I know to be a not-so-nice ingredient: titanium dioxide.

Here's what EWG says about the chemical. The organization concedes that it's classified as a possible human carcinogen (for inhalation and products that may be aerosolized), according to the California Environmental Protection Agency.

I knew this already, but for a pretty random reason. Last year I bought a set of dry pastels that were labelled for California's Prop 65, which requires disclosure of carcinogenic ingredients. The sticker read "This product contains a chemical known to the state of California to cause cancer." Yaaaaaay. 

It was so disconcerting that I wrote about it on the blog (read the original post here.) After looking into it further, I learned that this popular sunscreen ingredient is in fact pretty hazardous when inhaled. Dry pastels create a lot of dust, so pastel painting requires real attention to ventilation.

Then, a few weeks ago when I was cleaning out some old cosmetics, I found this Lancome powder:


It was this battery-powered applicator for loose powder. Because some people are too damn lazy to pat the powder on themselves. I think I used it once. I remember it feeling fine, but I've never been an all-over makeup person. Back to debating whether or not I should keep it. That SPF 21 caught my eye, so I looked at the back of the box, and sure enough: 

Titanium dioxide. In a loose powder. That's being applied to the immediate area around my nose and mouth. 

So let me get this straight. If I use this product as intended, I'm exposing myself to a known carcinogen? NO. THANK. YOU.

EWG currently lists more than 13,000 products -- all cosmetics or personal products -- containing titanium dioxide in its Skin Deep database. How many of these cosmetics carry a Prop 65 label? NONE. How many of you would buy cosmetics that were labelled for containing cancer-causing chemicals?

I'm more than annoyed by the inconsistency in consumer protection. How much do the cosmetic companies pay to make sure things like slide through? Who's asleep at the wheel over at the FDA? Where's the outrage?

And that, my friends, is how we're wrapping up this week at SMACK! Know your ingredients and, as I wrote back in September, check your labels. Every. Time.

-- Jazzy