I accepted a long time ago that no bottle, compact, or spray with its glorious concoction of magical elements is going to turn me into some gorgeous babe, but I recognized that products could enhance my appearance, so I used them religiously. Now that I am older, I am getting stubborn, or perhaps just lazy in the pursuit of beauty. On any given day, it is anyone’s guess whether I will slap on the old war paint or even use some moisturizer. I may have skin like an old rhino and pores the size of Montana, but I really can’t be bothered.

Don’t get me wrong, I have just as much product as the next gal. I consider it my consumer duty to keep the economy healthy by regularly purchasing quantities of beauty products that I then toss in to makeup bags, purses, drawers, and cabinets where they sit rarely, and sometimes never, used.

When a friend mentioned to me that I should write a blog about cosmetics and beauty products, I decided to take inventory of my beauty stash. Holy cow! I have acquired so much stuff over the years! It is embarrassing to tell you this, but I have makeup and other products that date back to the 90′s.

Most women know that makeup should not be kept for that long, but how many of us keep informed about other aspects of the cosmetics industry? Do you know what is in your beauty products? Do you ever look at product labels? To be honest, I don’t.

As I began to delve into information about makeup and other beauty products, I realized that there are many information resources in the federal government that pertain to cosmetics and other beauty products. Here are a few:

• Cosmetics Consumer Information for Women
• Cosmetic Labeling Guide
• Food and Drug Administration Cosmetics Section
• Hair Dye and Hair Relaxers
• Household Products Database
• MedlinePlus Cosmetics Section
• Your Guide to Reporting Problems to FDA

I learned from reading this information that I need to throw out my old beauty products. I also need to pay more attention to what I am purchasing, and just because something is more expensive doesn’t mean that it is, in fact, better. Hope you find these resources useful too. See ya next week.

Original blog at blog.usa.gov By: Ginger | October 09, 2009