Congress has taken some steps to make cosmetics safer, but it’s far from enough to protect Americans from the dangerous chemicals in personal care products. Action Alert! The facts speak for themselves. One study found that 45 percent of women who used makeup regularly had skin disease related to cosmetics. An Australian consumer protection agency found that cosmetics were responsible for a third of the complaints it received, causing skin infections, bacterial conjunctivitis, folliculitis, corneal ulcers, and anaphylactic shocks. In fact, cosmetics account for 10 percent of allergic reactions in the US. Read more.