Summary: About 33 million women use hair dyes to temporarily or permanently change their hair color. There is increasing evidence that some colors used in coal tar hair dyes, the dyes most commonly used, carry a significant risk of cancer to users. Several studies have demonstrated that coal tar hair dye ingredients are absorbed through the skin and scalp. Coal tar hair dyes whose labeling contains a prescribed statutory warning concerning possible skin irritation and blindness are exempt from adulteration provisions of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. Congress should repeal the exemptions for coal tar hair dyes. Other cosmetic products may pose significant hazards to consumers. About 100 ingredients listed in the Cosmetic, Toiletry, and Fragrance Association's Cosmetic Ingredient Dictionary are suspected carcinogens. Products such as bubble baths, shampoos, and feminine sprays have been associated with consumer complaints. Hairsprays have been shown to cause a lung disease which may lead toward lung malignancy, and there have been reports of vision loss resulting from the use of microbially-contaminated eye makeup. Although the Food and Drug Administration has established regulations designed to improve its control over cosmetics, the effectiveness of many of its regulatory efforts has been limited.
