The FDA has Wide-Ranging Authority to Regulate Cosmetics
Strong federal safety requirements govern cosmetics and personal care products sold in the U.S., and it is a federal crime to put an unsafe cosmetic product on the market. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Attorney General of the United States can take action against any company that markets an unsafe cosmetic product. The law provides severe penalties for personal care product manufacturers that do not meet these strict safety standards, including seizures, recalls, fines and bans.
The FDA has wide-ranging power to regulate cosmetics. In the past, it has exercised this power to limit or prohibit ingredients that it considers to be unsafe. Cosmetic and personal care companies work closely with the FDA to ensure that all cosmetic and personal care ingredients and products are safe.
As a result, cosmetic products are the safest category of products regulated by the FDA. Although there are over 11 billion cosmetic products sold annually in the U.S., there are very few reports of adverse reactions, and most of those are skin rashes or allergies.
