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Hey everybody, it's Marielle.
We're going to start this episode in 1933 when a new mascara and eyebrow dye came on the market called lashlore.
The advertisements promised women that they would radiate personality when they used this product.
But lashlore contained a chemical dye that blinded several women and led to another's death.
That was at a time before the Food and Drug Administration had the power to ban dangerous chemicals in cosmetics and personal care products.
Partly because of lashlore, Congress eventually passed a law, the Federal Food,
Drug and Cosmetic act, and that gave the FDA the ability to regulate cosmetics.
So problem solved, right?
Not exactly.
On the one hand, our laws are stricter than they were in 1933.
If another product like Lashlore came onto the market, something that made people go blind,
the FDA would have the power to ban it and most likely would do that.
But in reporting this episode,
we were surprised to find out there's still a lot the FDA can't and doesn't do when it comes to the safety of personal care products.
When the FDA approves drugs, it looks at safety and efficacy,