Plot

"Pretty Toxic" is a documentary about the toxic chemicals used by the $500 billion beauty industry-and the healthy price consumers pay to be pretty.

There are over 57,000 chemicals in personal care products on the market today-and practically all of those products have not been independently tested for safety before hitting store shelves. The average woman uses at least 12 products daily that contain 168 unique ingredients; many of these chemicals are known carcinogens, endocrine disruptors, and neurotoxins.

"Pretty Toxic" explores what's inside beauty and personal care products and brings clarity to widespread confusion that drives consumers to make spending decisions based on misunderstanding, marketing gimmicks and fear. Despite its booming growth, the beauty and personal care products industry in the U.S. is virtually unregulated. Unlike most consumables, personal care products are governed by the Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act, adopted in 1938, which requires no government review of products before they go to market, nor can the FDA recall products even if there's a known harm to humans and the environment. Instead, the Act puts companies in charge of ensuring consumer safety, in essence, allowing companies to self-police.

"Pretty Toxic" pulls the audience in on this timely topic-the desire to be attractive and the lure of products that promise to deliver on those objectives. This story exposes the companies that wield power, influence and inform, and the many people whose jobs concern the welfare of consumers.

The story involves the filmmaker, Jennifer B. White and her personal journey as she takes stock of the vast array of products she's been using over her lifetime that have contributed to significant health problems she still struggles with today. After more than four years of interviews with industry leaders, senior chemists, heads of NGOs, legislators, scientists, and women from around the country who recount their stories of health problems, recovery, activism, and what they learned along the way, their tales unfold in this film, along with White's, as part of the narrative.