Cosmetics is house old now, it is not just associated with glitz and glamour, it is there everywhere and growing rapidly. From students to cine stars, cosmetics are becoming a bare minimum requirement for families and celebrities alike. Little spoken are the effects of these cosmetics on the health and lives of people. There is an important reason why the health effects of cosmetics are not spoken much. It is a multi billion dollar industry and the cosmetics lobby is a strong one. Let us take a sneak peek into the cosmetics industry before we dwell on the ill effects of cosmetics.

The cosmetic industry The cosmetic industry is one of the biggest in the world, there are forbes billionaires like Lilliane Bettencourt who owns L’Oreal brand. The cosmetic industry is valued at $260 billion and while that of India is about $4.6 billion. The cosmetic industry has recorded rapid growth in India with growth rates expected to touch 20 per cent.

What are the harmful effects? All the cosmetic products contain chemicals, some of those are harmless but a lot of those are dangerous on the short term and mostly on the long term. Long term effects includes cancer and subsequent death. Let us look at some of the commonly used cosmetic products, the harmful chemicals in it and the effects of the same.

1.) Shampoos have an average 15 chemicals in it and the most dangerous of them is Soium lauryl sulphate. The chemical could potentially cause neurological damage in fetus and other effects include eye irritation and damage.

2.) Eye shadows have an average of 30 chemicals in them and the most dangerous is polythylene tetrophilathalate. The chemical can cause cancer, infertility, hormonal damage and damage to organs.

Deodorant, perfumes and body lotions all have chemicals that can cause hormone disruption, whilst lipstick and nail varnishes have chemicals that cause cancer.

The Logical Indian appeals to the community members to spread the word regarding cosmetics and the harmful effects cosmetics can have on men, women and children. Let the usage be kept minimal for a long life. We appeal the government to raise awareness regarding cosmetics also we appeal to them to bring about legislations that would warn consumers of potential harmful effects when the cosmetics are used. If cigarette packets could be made to do it, cosmetic should also be made to do.