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Sensible-Scents Hazardous Chemical & MSDS Information
So what is all this fuss about Hazardous Ingredients & MSDS? After all, most fragrance we use are body-safe and that means they've been tested, right? The FDA does tightly regulate that, don't they?. Well, surprisingly - they don't! The Cosmetic division of the FDA does the least amount of regualtion and requires the least amount of testing. Under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic (FD&C) Act, cosmetics and their ingredients are not required to undergo approval before they are sold to the public. Generally, FDA regulates these products after they have been released to the marketplace. This means that manufacturers may use any ingredient or raw material, except for color additives and a few prohibited substances, to market a product without a government review or approval. It's usually only after reports of problems from consumers that the FDA looks at the possibility that a product may have a problem or not perform as stated. Okay - but the hazardous ingredients must just be in the FO in minuscule amounts, right? First of all, OSHA doesn't require an ingredient be reported on an MSDS unless it contains at least 1% of the ingredient.(Title 29 CFR Section ..1910.1200(d)(5)(ii) "If a mixture has not been tested as a whole to determine whether the mixture is a health hazard, the mixture shall be assumed to present the same health hazards as do the components which comprise one percent (by weight or volume) or greater of the mixture, except that the mixture shall be assumed to present a carcinogenic hazard if it contains a component in concentrations of 0.1 percent or greater which is considered to be a carcinogen under paragraph (d)(4) of this section)" Still 1% doesn't sound awful, does it? Except that's only the minimum standard. Many FO's have considerably more in them! Okay, but my FO supplier would tell me if an FO I order has a hazardous ingredient, wouldn't they? I'm sure they would, if they knew. But after more then a decade as a manufacturer of bath & body products, and 8 years as a chandler, I'm still amazed at the number of suppliers that simply don't know the regulations of MSDS's. Years ago many gave up the idea of M&P soap because we had spent 6 months fighting with suppliers for MSDS/Ingredient info on the stuff. Some FO suppliers simply don't know they are suppose to be getting a MSDS for every oil they order from the manufacturer, and passing them on to their customers. To further compound the problem many manufacturers don't automatically send them, as required by law. Simply stated, you have the right to know what's in the FO's you handle! Even if you are a small manufacturer, you're handling many times the amounts of FO that is in the end consumer article. If you employ people that handle these ingredients you're required by law to have them available to your employees. Make sure you get an MSDS for every FO you order.  Home
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April 25,2003
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