When good emails go bad…

November 23rd, 2006 by Kelly Rusk

So a few months ago, my mom told me about this beauty bulletin email and how it had good tips and whatever, so I signed up for it.

Anyway, it’s not the greatest email I’ve ever seen, but it was short and sweet, well organized and had good subject lines, so they get some points. But, I was browsing my gmail and I discovered it’s no longer HTML - all text - and I can’t even bear to read it anymore…

I’ll show you what I mean, I won’t post the whole thing since it’s a mile long, but here’s the opening paragraph (!!!)…

Some regulations make sense and some are just, well, you wonder what they were thinking. In September 2006, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommended that products containing hydroquinone be sold only with a prescription due to their opinion that it poses certain health risks. There are some animal studies showing it may be a possible carcinogen, and studies from Africa have shown a risk of a skin disorder called ochronosis (Source: fda.gov/OHRMS/DOCKETS/98fr/E6-14263.htm). Hydroquinone-based products were banned in South Africa years ago where problems were most frequently seen. However, hydroquinone products in South Africa were also notorious for containing mercury and glucocorticoids, among other caustic contaminants, which were believed by many to be the cause of the disorders experienced (Source: British Journal of Dermatology, March 2003, pages 493-500).
More than 200 products containing hydroquinone are currently sold in the United States, and, according to Dr. Susan Taylor, founding director of the Skin of Color Center in New York City and assistant professor of dermatology at Columbia University, “Hydroquinone is the gold standard for treating pigmentation disorders and has been for many years. I consider it to be very safe and effective” (Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Wednesday, September 6, 2006). Currently, a product containing up to 2% hydroquinone may be sold over the counter, while a product containing more than 2% requires a prescription or can be purchased from a physician (Source: fda.gov).
As someone who sells skin-care products containing hydroquinone and who has researched the cosmetics industry for years, this proposed ban on hydroquinone does not make sense. I base that statement on abundant research from reputable sources that shows hydroquinone to be safe and extremely effective in the manner in which it is used in over-the-counter and prescription products (Sources: Cutis, August 2006, Supplemental pages 6-19; Journal of Cosmetic Laser Therapy, September 2006, pages 121-127; American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, July 2006, pages 223-230; and Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, May 2006, Supplemental, pages 272-281). Surprisingly, there is even research showing that workers who handle pure hydroquinone actually have lower incidences of cancer than the population as a whole (Source: Critical Reviews in Toxicology, May 1999, pages 283-330). Research to the contrary was done either using products contaminated with other ingredients or was performed on mice using high concentrations of hydroquinone–and that doesn’t equate to the levels of hydroquinone used in topical, over-the-counter skin-care products. Further evidence that this proposed ban doesn’t make sense comes from the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), who doesn’t agree with the FDA’s proposal–yet the AAD stands to gain the most if consumers can only obtain hydroquinone products with a dermatologist’s prescription.

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