Any new drug must go through extensive testing before it is released to
the public.  One would think the same would be true for cosmetics, but
sadly, that is not true. Cosmetics and cosmetic ingredients are considered
unregulated. Unregulated is defined as not required to be tested or
approved by the FDA or any other government agency. When a cosmetic
company performs testing on it's own product, by law,
they need not release their findings or report any adverse reaction to the
government. What is most disturbing is that any testing done is done for
short term effects such as skin rashes or irritations. Long term effect
studies are usually not done.

Of the 90,000 chemicals introduced into the cosmetic industry
since the FDA was established, it is estimated that 80% have never
been tested. In fact, the FDA has only prohibited nine ingredients total
from being used in cosmetics. In 1976, under pressure from consumer
groups, the FDA passed the Toxic Substances Control Act, requiring
chemicals introduced after 1979 to be tested before being used in
cosmetics. All chemicals introduced before 1979 were “grandfathered”
or exempted.  Sadly these are the worst chemical or synthetic ingredients
in our beauty products today. Many are known carcinogens and
endocrine disrupters.

In 1980 the National Toxicology Program along with National Research
Council (NRC) and the National Academy of Sciences conducted a study
to determine if tests done on new ingredients are complete and through.
Their conclusion was that for the majority of substances, testing was
inadequate. The report concludes that of the thousands of chemicals
we use in our life daily, only a few have been subjected to extensive
toxicity testing and most have scarcely been tested at all.