A service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine 
National Institutes of Health
Cosmetics
Cosmetics are products you apply to your body to clean it, make it more attractive or change the way it looks. They include
- Hair dyes
- Makeup
- Perfumes
- Skin-care creams
Products such as dandruff shampoo, fluoride toothpaste and antiperspirant deodorant are both cosmetics and drugs. A good way to tell if you're buying a cosmetic that is also a drug is to see if the first ingredient listed is an "active ingredient." The active ingredient is the chemical that makes the product effective, and the manufacturer must have proof that it's safe for its intended use. To find out all the ingredients in a cosmetic you use, check the container. Manufacturers are required to list them. Labels such as "natural" and "hypoallergenic" have no official meaning. Companies can use them to mean whatever they want.
Food and Drug Administration
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Start Here
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Cosmetics
(Food and Drug Administration)
- Also available in Spanish
- Cosmetics and Your Health(Dept. of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health) - PDF
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Cosmetics
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Overviews
- Cosmeceuticals(American Academy of Dermatology)
- Cosmetics(Food and Drug Administration)
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Household Products Database: Personal Care(National Library of Medicine)
- How to Choose the Best Skin Care Products(American Society for Dermatologic Surgery)
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Latest News
- Study Ties Chemicals in Beauty Products to Women's Diabetes Risk(07/13/2012, HealthDay)
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Specific Conditions
- Alpha Hydroxy Acids in Cosmetics(Food and Drug Administration)
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Hair Dye and Hair Relaxers(Food and Drug Administration)
- PDF
- Also available in Spanish
- How Safe Are Color Additives?(Food and Drug Administration)
- Kohl, Kajal, Al-Kahl, or Surma: By Any Name, a Source of Lead Poisoning(Food and Drug Administration)
- Lipstick and Lead: Questions and Answers(Food and Drug Administration)
- Mercury Poisoning Linked to Skin Products(Food and Drug Administration)
- Moisturizers: Options for Softer Skin(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Nail Care Products(Food and Drug Administration)
- Novelty Makeup(Food and Drug Administration)
- Organic Cosmetics(Food and Drug Administration)
- Removing Hair Safely(Food and Drug Administration)
- Sunless Tanners and Bronzers(Food and Drug Administration)
- Tattoos and Permanent Makeup(Food and Drug Administration)
- Also available in Spanish
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Related Issues
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Antiperspirants/Deodorants and Breast Cancer(National Cancer Institute)
- Also available in Spanish
- Bad Reaction to Cosmetics?(Food and Drug Administration)
- Camouflage Cosmetics(Skin Cancer Foundation)
- Contact Lenses and Cosmetics(American Optometric Association)
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Decorative Contact Lenses: Is Your Vision Worth It?
(Food and Drug Administration)
- Is It Really FDA Approved?(Food and Drug Administration)
- Talc in Cosmetics(Food and Drug Administration)
- Use Eye Cosmetics Safely(Food and Drug Administration)
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Antiperspirants/Deodorants and Breast Cancer
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Health Check Tools
- True or False: How Smart Are You about Cosmetics?(Food and Drug Administration)
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Videos
- Ensuring That Cosmetics Used in the United States Are Safe(Food and Drug Administration)
- Identifying Recalled Products(Food and Drug Administration)
- Reporting Problems to FDA(Food and Drug Administration)
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Research
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Researchers Gain New Insights into How High Retinoic Acid Levels Affect Skin Development(National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases)
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Researchers Gain New Insights into How High Retinoic Acid Levels Affect Skin Development
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Journal Articles
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
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Organizations
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Law and Policy
- Cosmetic Labeling & Label Claims(Food and Drug Administration)
- FDA Authority Over Cosmetics(Food and Drug Administration)
- How FDA Evaluates Regulated Products(Food and Drug Administration)
- Is It a Cosmetic, a Drug, or Both? (or Is It Soap?)(Food and Drug Administration)
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Teenagers
- Makeup(Dept. of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health)
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