Not Your Mother’s Cosmetics

Product Liability in the all-natural line of skin care products

Not that long ago chemicals and petroleum led the way in skin and hair care. Most included petrochemical emulsifiers, polymer beadlets and synthetic glidants as some of the primary ingredients being used.

However, today, we see natural ingredients starting to take center stage and the chemical ingredients fading fast.

Even established companies such as Estee Lauder and L’Oreal work hard at changing their image. They use more pure-plant extracts and botanical concentrates in their products. All-natural products made from shea butter, kigelia, unroasted green coffee, kola nut rooibos tea, roselle, essential oils and exotic mushrooms are now commonly showing up in cosmetics, skin creams and hair care products.

Apparently, most companies buying these products from around the world seem determined not to repeat the mistakes of the past. They are requiring sourcing that follow rigid protocol of ethical trade and environmental conservation.  Hopefully, the results of these efforts will mean ethical treatment of workers, safer products, less hazardous waste, and a healthier environment.

It’s important to warn consumers that “all natural” implies the products are harmless. Some will trigger allergic reactions.  There are opinions that products that use fragrances and emulsifiers should be avoided, as should products containing the chemicals methychloroisothiazolinone and methylisothiazolinone.

However, a silver lining for companies selling and distributing cosmetics and other topical products exists! Allergic reactions are typically not severe and rarely result in product lawsuits. Many product liability lawsuits are not about the ingredients listed on the labels; they are very often about products that have ingredients that are not listed on the product labels.