Lynn native Africa-bound to push for safe cosmetics

LYNN – The last time author Stacy Malkan visited Lynn ? the city where she was raised and educated ? two chain-store pharmacies were on her list of stops. She wanted to show a reporter the dangerous ingredients contained in many women’s fragrances and cosmetics.Author of the 2007 book “Not Just a Pretty Face: The Ugly Side of the Beauty Industry,” Malkan’s travels to raise awareness are taking her to distant shores, most recently to South Africa. Later this month she will deliver a talk there, entitled “The Role of Cosmetics in Cancer.”Malkan, who lives in Berkeley, Calif., will address the Cancer Society of South Africa (CANSA) in Johannesburg during the Women’s Health Conference and again in Cape Town at the CANSA Science & Resource Center.The former Boston Street resident and 1986 Classical High School graduate is also taking action through the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, a coalition of non-profit health and environmental groups she co-founded in 2004.On July 20, the Safe Cosmetics Act of 2010 was introduced to the U.S. Congress. If enacted, the legislation would overhaul the 70-year-old cosmetics regulations and give the U.S. Food and Drug Administration the authority to require safety assessments of cosmetic ingredients. The law would also phase out the most harmful chemicals and require full labeling of the ingredients in personal care products.”The beauty industry needs a makeover. For the first time in 70 years, we will have a real chance to pass national legislation that would eliminate chemicals linked to cancer and birth defects from the products women, men and children put on their bodies on a daily basis,” said Malkan, recalling her days as a 16-year-old Classical High cheerleader who often visited the cosmetics aisles at the local Osco pharmacy. “Back then, I was probably using more than 20 products a day on my hair and skin, containing over 200 different chemicals, many of them toxic.”The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics also launched a new 7-minute film, “The Story of Cosmetics ? the Ugly Truth of Toxics In, Toxics Out,” which has been viewed online by over 300,000 people since it was released July 21, according to Malkan.The film examines the pervasive use of toxic chemicals in everyday personal care products, from lipstick to baby shampoo. Produced by Free Range Studios and hosted by Annie Leonard ? creator of the viral video hit “The Story of Stuff” ? it reveals the implications for consumer and worker health and the environment, and outlines ways to move the $50 billion beauty industry away from hazardous chemicals and towards safer alternatives. The film can be viewed for free at www.storyofcosmetics.org.Malkan, the daughter of Lynn residents Jim and Diane Roche, said her teenage years marked a time of “big hair” and heavy use of products like Aqua Net hairspray and Clairol Herbal Essence shampoo. These days, terms like organic and natural can be found on many beauty products, but more often than not, toxic would be a more appropriate label, she said.