Mercury in mascara? Minnesota bans it

[Guest guest]

Mercury in mascara? Minnesota bans it

Preservative in cosmetics can cause neurological damage

The Associated Press

updated 8:54 a.m. CT, Fri., Dec. 14, 2007

ST. PAUL, Minn. - The quest for thicker lashes and defined eyes

should get safer in Minnesota on Jan. 1, when a state law banning

mercury from mascara, eye liners and skin-lightening creams takes

effect.

Minnesota apparently is the first state in the nation to ban

intentionally added mercury in cosmetics, giving it a tougher

standard than the federal government.

Retailers who knowingly sell mercury-containing cosmetics in

Minnesota could face fines of as much as $700. Penalties could reach

$10,000 for manufacturers who fail to disclose mercury on product

labels, according to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.

" Mercury does cause neurological damage to people even in tiny

quantities, " said Sen. Marty, the Democrat from Roseville who

sponsored the ban. " Every source of mercury adds to it. We wanted to

make sure it wasn't here. "

Most makeup manufacturers have phased out the use of mercury, but

it's still added legally to some eye products as a preservative and

germ-killer, said , chief scientist with the Personal Care

Products Council in Washington. That group doesn't track mercury in

beauty products and favors a national approach to regulating

cosmetics, instead of laws that vary from state to state.

Federal law allows eye products to contain up to 65 parts per million

of mercury. The exposure a person would get from a product used in

small quantities around the eyes would not cause a problem,

said.

" It's added at very low levels, and for good reason, " he said.

Not on the label

No other state has specifically gone after mercury in cosmetics, said

Malkan with the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics in Berkeley, Calif.

Connecticut, Rhode Island and Louisiana ban products containing more

than low levels of mercury, with some exceptions. New York and

Illinois prohibit consumer products with mercury, such as figurines,

toys and jewelry.

" Personal care products contain many problematic chemicals, " Malkan

said. " Many ingredients aren't listed on the labels. "

Minnesota's cosmetics provision is part of a larger ban targeting

better-known sources of mercury, such as thermostats, barometers,

industrial switches and medical devices. The law also covers

toiletries, fragrances and over-the-counter drugs such as eye drops,

nasal sprays, hemorrhoid treatments and antiseptics.

State pollution regulators said they don't know how many beauty

products containing mercury are sold in Minnesota.

The new law is intended as a warning to cosmetics manufacturers not

to use mercury, said Gilkeson, with the state Pollution Control

Agency's toxics reduction program. Enforcement will happen mainly

when consumers complain.

Using eye makeup with mercury is unlikely to cause immediate health

problems, but mercury accumulates in the body, so consumers should

avoid exposure whenever possible, said Carl Herbrandson, a

toxicologist with the state Health Department.

" Mercury is bad, basically in all forms that get into the body, "

Herbrandson said.

Mercury can retard brain development in children and fetuses, who are

most vulnerable to the metal's toxic effects. But it can also cause

neurological symptoms in adults.

Mercury fumes can collect inside a jar of skin cream or a tube of

mascara, and a person could inhale them when the container is opened,

Herbrandson said.

Imported skin-lightening creams and soaps with high levels of mercury

have been found in other states; they are illegal under federal law.

Herbrandson said skin products with mercury are more dangerous than

mercury-containing eye makeup because people apply larger quantities

to their bodies.

Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This

material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22258423/

--------------------------------------------------------

Sheri Nakken, former R.N., MA, Hahnemannian Homeopath

Vaccination Information & Choice Network, Nevada City CA & Wales UK

Vaccines - http://www.wellwithin1.com/vaccine.htm Vaccine Dangers &

Childhood Disease & Homeopathy Email classes start in March

[Guest guest]

Anyone know what cosmetic brands/products still have mercury? Any

major ones?

>

>

> Mercury in mascara? Minnesota bans it

> Preservative in cosmetics can cause neurological damage

>

> The Associated Press

> updated 8:54 a.m. CT, Fri., Dec. 14, 2007

> ST. PAUL, Minn. - The quest for thicker lashes and defined eyes

> should get safer in Minnesota on Jan. 1, when a state law banning

> mercury from mascara, eye liners and skin-lightening creams takes

> effect.

>

> Minnesota apparently is the first state in the nation to ban

> intentionally added mercury in cosmetics, giving it a tougher

> standard than the federal government.

>

> Retailers who knowingly sell mercury-containing cosmetics in

> Minnesota could face fines of as much as $700. Penalties could

reach

> $10,000 for manufacturers who fail to disclose mercury on product

> labels, according to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.

>

> " Mercury does cause neurological damage to people even in tiny

> quantities, " said Sen. Marty, the Democrat from Roseville who

> sponsored the ban. " Every source of mercury adds to it. We wanted

to

> make sure it wasn't here. "

>

> Most makeup manufacturers have phased out the use of mercury, but

> it's still added legally to some eye products as a preservative and

> germ-killer, said , chief scientist with the Personal

Care

> Products Council in Washington. That group doesn't track mercury in

> beauty products and favors a national approach to regulating

> cosmetics, instead of laws that vary from state to state.

>

> Federal law allows eye products to contain up to 65 parts per

million

> of mercury. The exposure a person would get from a product used in

> small quantities around the eyes would not cause a problem,

> said.

>

> " It's added at very low levels, and for good reason, " he said.

>

> Not on the label

> No other state has specifically gone after mercury in cosmetics,

said

> Malkan with the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics in Berkeley,

Calif.

> Connecticut, Rhode Island and Louisiana ban products containing

more

> than low levels of mercury, with some exceptions. New York and

> Illinois prohibit consumer products with mercury, such as

figurines,

> toys and jewelry.

>

> " Personal care products contain many problematic chemicals, " Malkan

> said. " Many ingredients aren't listed on the labels. "

>

> Minnesota's cosmetics provision is part of a larger ban targeting

> better-known sources of mercury, such as thermostats, barometers,

> industrial switches and medical devices. The law also covers

> toiletries, fragrances and over-the-counter drugs such as eye

drops,

> nasal sprays, hemorrhoid treatments and antiseptics.

>

> State pollution regulators said they don't know how many beauty

> products containing mercury are sold in Minnesota.

>

> The new law is intended as a warning to cosmetics manufacturers not

> to use mercury, said Gilkeson, with the state Pollution

Control

> Agency's toxics reduction program. Enforcement will happen mainly

> when consumers complain.

>

>

> Using eye makeup with mercury is unlikely to cause immediate health

> problems, but mercury accumulates in the body, so consumers should

> avoid exposure whenever possible, said Carl Herbrandson, a

> toxicologist with the state Health Department.

>

> " Mercury is bad, basically in all forms that get into the body, "

> Herbrandson said.

>

> Mercury can retard brain development in children and fetuses, who

are

> most vulnerable to the metal's toxic effects. But it can also cause

> neurological symptoms in adults.

>

> Mercury fumes can collect inside a jar of skin cream or a tube of

> mascara, and a person could inhale them when the container is

opened,

> Herbrandson said.

>

> Imported skin-lightening creams and soaps with high levels of

mercury

> have been found in other states; they are illegal under federal

law.

> Herbrandson said skin products with mercury are more dangerous than

> mercury-containing eye makeup because people apply larger

quantities

> to their bodies.

>

> Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This

> material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or

redistributed.

> URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22258423/

>

>

> --------------------------------------------------------

> Sheri Nakken, former R.N., MA, Hahnemannian Homeopath

> Vaccination Information & Choice Network, Nevada City CA & Wales UK

> Vaccines - http://www.wellwithin1.com/vaccine.htm Vaccine Dangers &

> Childhood Disease & Homeopathy Email classes start in March

>