WASHINGTON – The following is a statement from Scott Faber, EWG’s senior vice president for government affairs, on cosmetic reform provisions for the Food and Drug Administration in S. 4348, the Food and Drug Administration Safety and Landmark Advancements, or FDASLA, Act:
EWG welcomes the cosmetic reforms included in S. 4348, and thanks Sens. Patty Murray and Richard Burr for making cosmetics reform a priority.
While more is needed to ensure the safety of chemicals in cosmetics, EWG is grateful that many of the reforms sought by Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Susan Collins are included in S. 4348, including reforms that will require companies to substantiate the safety of their products.
Companies will also be required to test cosmetics made with talc for asbestos and be required to use state-of-the-art testing methods. The FDA will be given other basic oversight powers for cosmetics that the agency has for other product categories, including the power to order recalls and review company safety records for chemicals of concern. Cosmetics companies will have to register with the FDA, report products and ingredients, adopt good manufacturing practices, and report serious adverse events.
Consumers, not just the FDA, will have more information when purchasing cosmetics, since fragrance allergens will now be on product labels.
Although the FDA can review safety records for chemicals of concern, it is not required to do so, and industry fees are not provided to fund the FDA’s oversight activities. So we are grateful Sens. Murray and Burr have preserved the ability of the states to ban or restrict toxic chemicals, as several states have recently done. We look forward to working with House and Senate leaders to ensure these and other critical state powers are preserved.
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The Environmental Working Group is a nonprofit, non-partisan organization that empowers people to live healthier lives in a healthier environment. Through research, advocacy and unique education tools, EWG drives consumer choice and civic action.
