How many beauty products do you use in your skincare and makeup routine? According to The Telegraph, the average woman uses 16 — per day. It's no surprise, then, that the beauty industry is booming.
While these products may be selling at a steady pace — global sales should reach $130 billion by 2019 — that doesn't necessarily guarantee their safety. Believe it or not, cosmetics — including skincare products — are "very lightly regulated" by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), according to Fortune.
Although cosmetics are required to contain labels, companies can cry "trade secrets" to avoid having to share what they've used. Additionally, anyone who's anyone can sell these products. Steve Xu, a resident physician in the department of dermatology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, confirmed to Fortune that no documentation, pre-market approval, or registration is even required. Yikes!