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cover art for Ep. 474: How Cosmetics Are Regulated, with Kelly Bonner

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Ep. 474: How Cosmetics Are Regulated, with Kelly Bonner

As an advisor to numerous clients in the beauty industry, trial attorney Kelly Bonner plays a part in America’s complex system of cosmetics regulation—and she’s here to tell us about it. What does “natural” mean when it comes to hair care? Is topical collagen improving skin the way customers think it is? These are just some of the questions currently up for debate in the courts, as Kelly explains. Plus, she tells us how beauty brands test for safety and try to ensure their marketing doesn’t mislead customers; what you can do if you’re unhappy with a product’s performance; how the regulation of cosmetics differs around the world; and the reason the F.D.A. once used a traveling sideshow (called The American Chamber of Horrors!) to advocate for consumer-safety laws in the early 20th century.


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