Does the Environmental Working Group have any credibility?

Question

I agree that most cosmetics are dangerous to some degree because there are no regulations, but this seems a bit alarmist.

http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/

Answer 1

It certainly strikes me as a legitimate concern that, due to the lack of regulations, cosmetic products could be dangerous. However, if there were a significant danger from any particular product, it's likely that people would already have been harmed, leading to news stories, lawsuits, and perhaps a recall. That said, if you have concerns about a specific product, a website like this seems to be a good resource.

As with any private organization, you should take all statements with a grain of salt. Just remember that even well-meaning organizations are usually biased. In this case, the EWG believes that the environment and the health of Americans are in danger. Thus, they are more likely to interpret data as supporting this premise. I'd urge you to take information you get from EWG sources, and continue to do further research into it.

Answer 2

http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0geu7TpE_RGcrAAsFFXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTE5MXN1NzFsBHNlYwNzcgRwb3MDMQRjb2xvA2FjMgR2dGlkA0gwMjFfMTg4BGwDV1Mx/SIG=117o4bjib/EXP=1190487401/**http%3a//www.ewg.org/
http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0geu7TpE_RGcrAAtFFXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTE5MmhicmZvBHNlYwNzcgRwb3MDMwRjb2xvA2FjMgR2dGlkA0gwMjFfMTg4BGwDV1Mx/SIG=12c6ms5ir/EXP=1190487401/**http%3a//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_Working_Group