Myth vs. Fact: Ingredient Safety, Transparency and Regulation
We know that safety is a critical consideration when consumers purchase products, and accurate, transparent information about cosmetics and personal care products and their ingredients is essential for making informed decisions.
Myths vs. Facts
MYTH 1: “Cosmetics contain dangerous chemicals that are largely unregulated.”
FACT: Cosmetic ingredients are regulated under multiple federal laws, strengthened significantly by the Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act (MoCRA).
- MoCRA enhanced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) authority—requiring facility registration, product listing, adverse event reporting, and recall authority.
- Products must be substantiated for safety for consumer use under labeled conditions.
Bottom line: Cosmetics sold in the U.S. must be safe, and FDA has expanded oversight tools to ensure that.
MYTH 2: “Products that contain chemicals like PFAS are dangerous to consumers.”
FACT: According to the December 2025 FDA Report on the “Use of PFAS in Cosmetic Products and Associated Risks,” PFAS are used in only 1,744 of the 730,000 products in their database.
FDA’s reviews evaluate ingredients at real-world use levels and have found no health risks, including chronic health conditions such as asthma, hormone disruption, neurodevelopmental problems, infertility, or cancer, related to PFAS at product use concentrations.
Bottom line: The cosmetics and personal care products industry supported phasing out the intentional use of PFAS as of 2025, per California law.
MYTH 3: “Companies are allowed to hide ingredients from consumers.”
FACT: Ingredient labeling is mandated by federal law, and MoCRA adds additional reporting requirements. Many states have been regulating ingredients in cosmetics and other consumer products for decades.
The federal Food, Drug, & Cosmetic Act provides strict requirements on cosmetic labeling. Cosmetic ingredients must be listed on product labels according to the Code of Federal Regulations. This includes the International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients (INCI) naming system. The uniqueness of a fragrance is in its ingredients, except for fragrance components that are protected as proprietary formulations, which are subject to safety review.
MoCRA also requires product listing with FDA, ingredient disclosure beyond labels, and safety records accessible to FDA upon request.
Bottom line: Ingredient transparency is mandated by law and strengthened by federal requirements.
MYTH 4: “If lab tests detect trace contaminants, the product is unsafe.”
FACT: Traces do not indicate harm, and strict safety margins account for impurity limits.
FDA has long-established science-based limits for certain trace substances, including heavy metals, in cosmetics and personal care products. These safeguards recognize that under certain circumstances, some trace substances, at levels that do not pose risk, will exist in certain products. Trace substances are not intentionally added ingredients in a product formula but can be unintentionally present in a product as a byproduct in the manufacturing process or as a trace substance in a naturally-derived ingredient.
Bottom line: PCPC and our member companies are committed to continuous improvement of best practices to reduce unintended trace substances in finished cosmetic products. Globally aligned policies that reduce exposure while recognizing technical feasibility are critical for continued consumer access to a wide variety of safe products.
MYTH 5: “FDA has no power to act if products are unsafe.”
FACT: In addition to FDA’s existing authority, FDA has the authority to mandate recalls and provide other adverse events under MoCRA.
MoCRA gives FDA expanded authority to access company records, including safety substantiation data, as well as to mandate recalls, enforce labeling and manufacturing requirements, and require serious adverse event reporting.
Bottom line: FDA holds substantial enforcement power to protect consumers.
