Canada's cosmetic regulations could use a make-over

Health Canada is responsible for regulating cosmetics under the Food and Drug Act and the Cosmetic Regulations.

The Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA) provides Health Canada and Environment Canada additional authority to regulate chemical ingredients that meet the legal definition of "toxic". ⁱ

What's inside?

Companies are required to notify the Minister of Health of the ingredients, and their concentrations, contained in any cosmetic sold in Canada — but not until 10 days after the product hits the market.

Many chemical ingredients in cosmetics have never been tested for their effects on human health and the environment. Health Canada and Environment Canada are slowly working their way through the assessment of some 4,000 existing substances — including chemicals used in cosmetics — that have been categorized as potentially posing a risk to human health or the environment. Assessment of cosmetic ingredients is often frustrated by a lack of data on exposure and long-term health effects. Moreover, of the handful of chemicals assessed to date and deemed to be toxic, those used in cosmetics generally remain unregulated, with Health Canada opting instead to place them on the Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist.

http://www.davidsuzuki.org/issues/health/science/toxics/canadas-cosmetic-regulations-could-use-a-make-over/