United States cosmetic ingredient labeling.

United States federal regulations require ingredient listing on cosmetics labeled after November 30, 1976. Standardized ingredient nomenclature from a reference text will be utilized to minimize confusion which might arise if various synonyms for chemical names were used. This new information on cosmetics labeling will assist physicians in the diagnosis of cosmetic-related dermatoses. It should facilitate the patch testing procedure by enabling the dermatologist to focus attention on suspect ingredients early in the evaluation. Once the identify of offending ingredients in a cosmetic has been determined for a particular patient, the individual will have the opportunity to avoid those ingredients and related ingredients in future purchases of cosmetics.