Cosmetics companies and health and consumer advocates are coming together to support the Personal Care Products Safety Act, which would strengthen federal regulations that have remained largely unchanged for more than 75 years.
Cosmetics are a $60 billion-a-year business, and no other products are so widely used by American consumers with such few safeguards. The bipartisan bill, introduced by Sens. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., and Susan Collins, R-Maine, would require companies to ensure products are safe before placing them on the market and give the Food and Drug Administration the tools it needs to protect the public.
Through years of discussion and negotiation, the bill has gained the support of major cosmetics companies such as Johnson & Johnson and Procter & Gamble, as well as influential health and consumer organizations such as the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, the Endocrine Society and the March of Dimes. (See the complete list of supporters below.)
The legislation would give the FDA the same tools for ensuring the safety of personal care products as it now uses to regulate food and drugs. Each year, the agency would do a safety review of five ingredients and contaminants. Companies also would be required to register their manufacturing facilities and disclose the ingredients they use to the FDA.
The bill would require cosmetics companies to report adverse health incidents and give the FDA authority to recall dangerous products. It also would require specific labeling and warnings for products with ingredients that could pose problems for some consumers. The regulatory program would be funded by user fees from companies, totaling about $20 million a year.
Since June 2015, nearly 100,000 EWG supporters have signed petitions or emailed Congress in support of safer cosmetics. Consumers deserve to know the products they use every day are safe.
If you haven’t done so already, please take a minute now to contact your senators and urge them to add their names to this critical piece of legislation. It's fast, easy and will help us all have safer products.
Supporting Organizations (as of 9/4/18)
Companies*
- Amyris (Biossance)
- Au Naturale
- Babo Botanicals
- Beautycounter
- California Baby
- Coalition of Handcrafted Entrepreneurs
- Cote
- Earth Mama Organics
- Éclair Naturals
- The Estee Lauder Companies
- (25 brands including Estée Lauder, Clinique, Origins, Tommy Hilfiger, MAC, La Mer, Bobbi Brown, Donna Karan, Aveda, Michael Kors)
- EO Products
- Goddess Garden Organics
- Handcrafted Soap & Cosmetic Guild
- Handmade Cosmetic Alliance
- Herban Lifestyle
- Hint
- The Honest Company
- Johnson & Johnson
- (7 brands including Neutrogena, Aveeno, Clean & Clear, Lubriderm, Johnson’s baby products)
- Juice Beauty
- L’Oreal
- (30 brands including L’Oréal Paris, Lancome, Giorgio Armani, Yves Saint Laurent, Kiehl’s, Essie, Garnier, Maybelline-New York, Vichy, La Roche-Posay, The Body Shop, Redken)
- Made Of
- Makes 3 Organics
- Milk + Honey
- MyChelle Dermaceuticals
- OSEA
- Peet Rivko
- Procter & Gamble
- (12 brands including Pantene, Head & Shoulders, Herbal Essences, Secret, Ivory, Olay, Aussie, Old Spice)
- Rahua
- Revlon
- (5 brands including Revlon, American Crew, Elizabeth Arden, Almay, Mitchum)
- Seventh Generation
- Silk Therapeutics
- SkinOwl
- S.W. Basics
- Tenoverten
- Unilever
- (20+ brands include Dove, Tresemme, Lever, St. Ives, Noxzema, Nexxus, Pond’s, Suave, Sunsilk, Vaseline, Degree, Axe)
- Vapour Organic Beauty
Health and Consumer Organizations
- American Academy of Pediatrics
- American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association
- American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists
- American Pediatric Society
- American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network
- The Beautywell Project
- Caregiver Action Network
- Endocrine Society
- Environmental Working Group
- The Gerontological Society of America
- Good Housekeeping Institute
- HealthyWomen
- March of Dimes
- National Alliance for Hispanic Health
- National Psoriasis Foundation
- National Women’s Health Network
- The Natural Advisory Council
- Society for Women’s Health Research
- Veterans Health Council
- Vietnam Veterans of America
- Wellness Warrior
* Brands listed are just a sample from supporting companies. This list does not include all brands made by each company.
(Post updated on April 11, 2018)
