Washington, D.C. – The announcement by global cosmetics giant Revlon that it is removing some long-chain parabens and formaldehyde-releasing chemicals from its products is a step in the right direction, EWG Executive Director Heather White said today.
Last year, more than 100,000 supporters joined an EWG petition urging Revlon to remove these chemicals from its products. Long-chain parabens can act as estrogens and have been linked to endocrine disruption. Formaldehyde is a potent allergen that has been classified as a carcinogen.
“We are pleased that Revlon has acted to remove these toxic ingredients,” said White. “Long-chain parabens and formaldehyde-releasing chemicals have no place in everyday cosmetic products. We applaud Revlon for taking these important steps and hope that other companies will follow Revlon’s lead by reformulating their products to remove chemicals that have been linked to serious health problems.”
Revlon announced today that it has already removed isobutylparaben and isopropylparaben and is in the process of reformulating a product that contains butylparaben. In addition, the company said it has already removed the formaldehyde releaser DMDM hydantoin from its products and will soon remove quaternium-15 as well.
“The move by Revlon confirms that companies can produce cosmetics products without these troubling ingredients,” added White. “We applaud Revlon and urge it to continue to improve their products to meet the health needs of their customers. Today's news reflects real progress, but more reformulation and ongoing review of the science is needed.”
In addition, White praised Revlon for the company's commitment to meet the European Union’s allergen-labeling requirements for all Revlon products, including those marketed and sold in the United States.
“Few major American cosmetic makers have gone as far as Revlon to give their consumers this basic information,” White said. “We urge all companies to do the same and disclose the allergens contained in their products.”
White also applauded Revlon for releasing its ingredient policies and urged other cosmetic companies to follow Revlon’s example.
