Do You Know What’s Really in Your “Signature Scent?”: Why Fragrance Disclosure Should be Mandatory
Perfume, cologne, and body sprays are one of those little joys of life that can brighten a day with just one spray. However, what are these delicious smells made of? Your signature scent likely isn’t made with all-natural vanilla, mint straight from the ground, and other pure fragrances. Instead, fragrances are often comprised of toxic […]
Toxic Chemicals in Personal Care Products: The Need for the Toxic Free Beauty Act
It’s no secret that the beauty industry is a multi-billion dollar business. However, what is often unknown to consumers is the number of toxic chemicals in personal care products and cosmetics. While we all want to look and feel our best, using products laden with toxic chemicals will only do more harm than good in […]
Clearya: Shop Nontoxic Cosmetics & Personal Care
What is Clearya? Clearya is a free (love it) browser extension and mobile app that automatically scans the products you’re considering purchasing for harmful toxins, allergens, and more. It can be added to Google Chrome for desktop browsing or downloaded on the Apple app store or Google Play for mobile devices. Clearya is designed to […]
Brazilian Keratin Hair Straighteners
Introduction Some women with curly hair would do anything for straight hair; but when offered the choice between formaldehyde and frizz, which would you choose? Lots of products on the market and in salons are promising just that – fuss-free straight hair that lasts for months. While that may sound appealing at first, you likely […]
Historic Federal Safer Beauty Bill Package Has Been Introduced In Congress
Leading U.S. NGOs and cosmetic companies have collaborated on a comprehensive package of federal bills that will make beauty and personal care products safer for all.
New Federal Bill Package Will Make Safer Beauty Available to All
This suite of federal safer beauty bills addresses gaping holes in cosmetic safety by banning the worst chemicals; requiring fragrance disclosure; protecting women of color and salon workers; and creating supply chain transparency.
Cars Aren’t the Only Thing Polluting Our Air
Governor Newsom made history today, by signing the Cosmetic Fragrance and Flavor Ingredient Right to Know Act of 2020 (SB312-Leyva) into law, making California the first government in the world to require the public disclosure of hazardous fragrance and flavor ingredients.
California First State To Ban 24 Toxic Chemicals in Personal Care Products and Cosmetics
In a major victory for the movement for safer cosmetics, California Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed the Toxic-Free Cosmetics Act, Assembly Bill 2762, into law. This is the nation’s first state-level ban of 24 toxic ingredients, including mercury and formaldehyde, from the beauty and personal care products Californians use every day.
Women’s and Salon Worker Health Organizations Applaud California’s Policymakers in Passing Vital Ingredient Disclosure Legislation
SB 312 exposes chemicals of concerns hiding in the fragrance and flavors used in personal care, beauty and professional salon products — and empowers people with information necessary to protect their health
BCPP joins 183 NGOs from 51 countries to demand Johnson & Johnson halt global sales of popular talc-based baby powder
Today more than 170 groups from 51 countries are calling on Johnson & Johnson to immediately halt sales of their talc-based Johnson’s Baby Powder worldwide.
California Assembly approves Toxic-Free Cosmetics Act in historic bipartisan vote
California Assembly approves Toxic-Free Cosmetics Act in historic bipartisan voteBill, which now heads to Senate, would ban a dozen highly toxic chemicals from personal care products
Big win for public health: Johnson & Johnson to stop selling iconic baby powder in the U.S. & Canada due to asbestos contamination, but more needed
In a stunning victory for public health, Johnson & Johnson announced it will stop selling its iconic baby powder in the U.S and Canada. J&J’s surprise move came in response to both a decline in sales and growing consumer outrage over the asbestos-ovarian cancer link and the documented presence of asbestos in some J&J baby […]
The Dirty Truth
With escalating concerns about the chemicals in everyday beauty products, a battle is raging online, and now, in DC. Martha McCully investigates.
Toxic-Free Cosmetics Act Would Ban Cosmetics With Chemicals Linked to Cancer or Reproductive Harm
Yesterday, the California Assembly reintroduced the Toxic-Free Cosmetics Act (A.B. 2762). This important bill seeks to ban 12 extremely hazardous ingredients from beauty and personal care products sold in California including mercury, 4 types of formaldehyde, 2 phenylenediamine chemicals found in hair dye and some of the worst phthalates, parabens and PFAS “forever” chemicals. All […]
Supporters rally for the Toxic Free Cosmetics Act which would protect public health from lead, asbestos and other toxic chemicals in beauty products
Supporters gathered at the State Capitol today to urge the California Assembly to pass the Toxic Free Cosmetics Act (AB 495). If passed, the law, which will face its first key vote tomorrow, would ban such toxic ingredients as lead, mercury and formaldehyde from the beauty and bodycare products Californians use every day.
‘Clean’ or ‘natural’ beauty products aren’t always safe, experts say
Excerpt from the Washington Post October, 2019 | By Carolyn Crist “Arbitrary descriptions of products as “clean” or “natural” are not regulated, and many of these products contain high concentrations of ingredients that can cause irritation and allergies, the authors write in an editorial in JAMA Dermatology.
New Federal Bill Seeks to Be the First and Only National Law to Ban Cancer Causing Chemicals in Beauty and Personal Care Products
This legislation will also be the first to focus on the environmental injustice of beauty and require disclosure of fragrances in cosmetic products.
What’s in your kids’ makeup? Asbestos recalls prompt regulation questions
Excerpt from the Guardian June 2019 | By Lauren Zanolli Health advocates and the FDA say the extent of contamination of the cancer-causing material in cosmetics remains unknown, with no laws requiring testing “It is appalling that it’s perfectly legal to sell kids makeup in this country contaminated with asbestos – a known human carcinogen,” […]
Why Smelling Good Comes With A Price? Experts Reveal
Excerpt from International Business Times By Ilin Mathew Personal care products are currently made using more than 4,000 chemicals, but few of these names ever make it to the ingredients list on the label. Fragrance formulations are protected from disclosure to anyone, including manufacturers and regulators. It is because they are considered a “trade secret”. The only […]
US cosmetics are full of chemicals banned by Europe – why?
Excerpt from The Guardian By Oliver Milman A brief but telling piece of legislation was put forward in Connecticut in January. Just three lines in length, the bill calls for any cosmetics in the state to “meet the chemical safety standards established by the European Union”. The move, unlikely to be made law, is the latest signal […]
Clean cosmetics: The science behind the trend
Excerpt from Harvard Health Publishing | Harvard Medical School March 4, 2019 | By Molly Wanner, MD, Contributor, and Neera Nathan, MD, MSHS, Contributor “The clean cosmetics movement seems to have arisen from frustration over regulatory oversight of cosmetics and personal care products (lotions, toothpastes, shampoos, etc). The FDA passed the Federal Food, Drug and […]
Johnson & Johnson isn’t the only one who uses talc. Is it time to ditch all powdered makeup?
December 2018 “Rather than issue a recall, Johnson & Johnson instead reportedly hid the unfavorable tests from the the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and consumers. The company later convinced the FDA to let the makeup industry police its own products for traces of asbestos.”
The truth about talc, parabens and 8 other controversial makeup ingredients
November 2018 “To cut through the confusion, USA TODAY has reviewed what regulators and clean beauty activists say about 10 controversial ingredients.”
6 dubious clean beauty claims from Goop and Beautycounter, decoded
The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics was instrumental in bringing attention to the issue of lead in lipstick.
Landmark Report Reveals Secret Fragrance Chemicals in Beauty, Personal Care, and Cleaning Products Linked to Harm to Human Health & Environment
Today Breast Cancer Prevention Partners (BCPP) released a landmark report — Right to Know: Exposing Toxic Fragrance Chemicals in Beauty, Personal Care and Cleaning Products. The report exposes the presence of harmful fragrance chemicals linked to cancer, hormone disruption, reproductive harm, and respiratory toxicity that did not appear on the label.
Proctor and Gamble Announces New Fragrance Ingredient Disclosure Policy
Proctor and Gamble officially joined the race to the top for fragrance ingredientdisclosure. The multinational giant announced an ambitious, new fragrance transparency policy for itsconsumer product portfolio, including beauty and cleaning products. By 2019, P&G pledged to begindisclosing the “secret” fragrance ingredients in over 2000 of its beauty, fabric, home and femininehygiene products in the […]
BCPP Petitions FDA to Ban Lead Acetate from Hair Dye
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. —Breast Cancer Prevention Partners (BCPP), Environmental Working Group (EWG), National Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Earthjustice, Center for Environmental Healthy, Healthy Homes Collaborative, Health Justice Project of Loyola University Chicago School of Law, Improving Kids’ Environment, Consumers Union, Howard Mielke, and Environmental Defense Fund are calling on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) […]
How safe are our cosmetics?
CNN takes a look at the cosmetics we use and whether their ingredients are safe. Source: CNN
Toxic Chemicals Found in Kids’ Makeup Products- What Will You Shop for This Halloween?
New report by the Breast Cancer Prevention Partners shows you should be worried about more than checking your children’s Halloween candy this year. For Immediate Release: October 13, 2016Contact: Erika Wilhelm, (415) 321-2920, erika@bcpp.org SAN FRANCISCO – Findings from the new report published today show potentially harmful chemicals could be in the products marketed to your kids. […]
The Ugly Truth About Makeup
Janet Nudelman, Director of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, speaks to Al Jazeera about the toxic ingredients in cosmetics.
Chemical linked to breast cancer found in popular anti-aging skin care products
New report from Breast Cancer Fund’s Campaign for Safe Cosmetics reveals toxic contaminants in L’Oréal Garnier and P&G Cover Girl products. For Immediate Release: October 14, 2015Contact: Erika Wilhelm, (415) 321-2920 SAN FRANCISCO – Newly published test results show that a toxic contaminant linked to cancer known as perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) was found in anti-aging products from […]
Historic Federal Cosmetic Safety Legislation Could Finally Protect Consumers from Dangerous Chemicals in Personal Care Products
For the first time in more than 75 years, Congress is poised to close the gaping holes in the outdated federal law that allows the use of chemicals linked to cancer, birth defects, learning disabilities and other illnesses and chronic diseases in the personal care products we slather on our children and on our bodies […]
Perfect Nails, Poisoned Workers
Some ingredients used in nail products have been tied to cancer, miscarriages, lung diseases and other ailments. The industry has long fought regulations. by Sarah Maslin NirMay 8, 2015 Each time a customer pulled open the glass door at the nail shop in Ridgewood, Queens, where Nancy Otavalo worked, a cheerful chorus would ring out […]
The Human Experiment
What if the greatest chemical disaster of our time wasn’t an oil spill or a nuclear meltdown, but instead, constant, low-level chemical exposures affecting every person on the planet? The Sean Penn film “The Human Experiment” lifts the veil on the shocking reality that thousands of untested chemicals are in our everyday products, our homes […]
Under pressure: campaigns that persuaded companies to change the world
by Marc Gunther Hard-hitting activist campaigns against big corporations have become part of the sustainability landscape. Some change the world. Some change little. Telling the difference between one and the other isn’t easy. Consider this example of a victory that is less than it seemed at the time: when the Breast Cancer Fund accused Revlon of using […]
The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics Stands its Ground
The Campaign’s director of science responds to “misinformation” charges by L’Oreal and the Personal Care Products Council For Immediate Release: Thursday, January 15, 2015Contact: Margie Kelly, 541.222.9699, mkelly@breastcancerfund.org SAN FRANCISCO—The director of science for the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics issued the following response to L’Oreal USA, which is claiming via Twitter that the Campaign’s “Cosmetics […]
Revlon Eliminating Toxic Chemicals From Cosmetics
For Immediate Release: Monday, December 22, 2014 After defending its use of carcinogens, Revlon reformulates to stake a claim in the growing safe cosmetics market SAN FRANCISCO – Revlon just got a makeover. Cosmetics giant Revlon has overhauled its ingredients list, vowing to eliminate some of the most toxic cosmetic chemicals from its makeup, mascaras and […]
L’Oreal Eye Makeup, Kids’ Shampoo Contain Cancer-Causing Chemicals
For Immediate Release: December 10, 2014 SAN FRANCISCO – L’Oreal USA, which has built its brand on glamour and global beauty, sells cosmetics made with chemicals linked to cancer, including eye makeup, children’s shampoos, nail polish, and more, according to research conducted by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. In a letter to L’Oreal USA President and […]
Campaign For Safe Cosmetics Tells Procter & Gamble To Make Cosmetics Without Cancer
For Immediate Release: October 1, 2014 Popular P&G cosmetics contain carcinogens, including Cover Girl, Max Factor, Olay, and a Pantene hair product with a pink ribbon supporting breast cancer awareness SAN FRANCISCO – Cancer-causing chemicals are present in many different types and brands of cosmetics and personal care products found on store shelves across America, according […]
First-Ever Legal Agreements Seek To End Use Of Cancer-Causing Chemical In Shampoos
For Immediate Release: May 5th, 2014 OAKLAND, CA–The Center for Environmental Health (CEH) announced today it has reached the first-ever legal agreements with major companies, including Colgate Palmolive, Saks Inc., Walgreens and 23 others requiring the companies to end their use of the cancer-causing chemical cocamide DEA in shampoos and other personal care products. But […]
Avon Phases Out Toxic Triclosan From Cosmetics
For Immediate Release: April 1, 2014 SAN FRANCISCO—Facing pressure from shareholders and consumers who want safer cosmetics, Avon announced today it will phase out the toxic chemical triclosan from its beauty and personal care products. The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics congratulated Avon, while pushing the company to take further actions to improve the safety of its cosmetics. […]
FDA Rejects Cosmetics Industry’s Draft Legislation
For Immediate Release: March 6, 2014 SAN FRANCISCO—Michael Taylor of the Food and Drug Administration issued a scathing letter today expressing his “profound disappointment” with draft legislation the agency received from the Personal Care Products Council (PCPC) and the Independent Cosmetic Manufacturers and Distributors (ICMD)—two cosmetics industry trade associations—outlining their vision of federal cosmetics regulatory reform. […]
Tribute to Horst Rechelbacher, the Father of Safe Cosmetics, by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics and the Breast Cancer Fund
For Immediate Release: February 20, 2014 SAN FRANCISCO – The Breast Cancer Fund and the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics extend our deepest, most heartfelt condolences to Horst Rechelbacher’s entire family for the loss of such an important role model and great man. As the founder of the plant-based cosmetic companies Aveda Corporation and Intelligent Nutrients, Horst […]
No More Tears: Johnson & Johnson takes first step in removal of questionable chemicals from products
“A lot of companies say they’re going to do something, but in this case Johnson & Johnson actually did what they were going to do,” said Janet Nudelman, director of program and policy at the Breast Cancer Fund and the co-founder of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, which pushed Johnson & Johnson on the chemicals.
New Study Finds Exposure to Toxic Phthalates in Decline; Consumer Demand for Safe Cosmetics a Factor
For Immediate Release: January 15th, 2014 SAN FRANCISCO—Exposure to certain toxic phthalates has substantially decreased in the American population according to a study led by researchers at UC San Francisco and published today in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives. Study authors suggest that the decrease may be due to a federal ban on phthalates in toys, […]
Women take on the cosmetics industry
by Heather Somerville, San Jose Mercury News October 9th, 2013 It began more than a decade ago with four women who wondered whether the hair spray, perfume and shampoo they were using every day were safe. Their quest to find an answer led them to their neighborhood drugstores, where they spent hours reading the labels […]
Campaign gets companies to make safer cosmetics
by Linda A. Johnson, The Associated Press November 30th, 2011 TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — More than 400 companies selling cosmetic and other personal care products have removed potentially hazardous chemicals from them, after a seven-year campaign by a large coalition of consumer, health and environmental groups. The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics said Wednesday that those […]
Brazilian Blowout blowup
By Sandy Bauers, Inquirer GreenSpace Columnist Tuesday, November 9, 2010 The quest for beauty is often fraught with compromises. There’s lead in some lipsticks. And how many of our cosmetics are tested on animals? The latest controversy is over a popular hair treatment called the Brazilian blowout, which is a professional smoothing treatment that eliminates […]
Perfume protest: Teens storm “toxic” Abercrombie & Fitch
by Allie Townsend Oct. 04, 2010 Ridiculous teen franchise finally protested for being ridiculous? Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Last week, teen activists protested the chain store’s practice of pumping the air full of its cologne, which they claim contains harmful chemicals responsible for killing, yes, sperm. Once the enigma of cool, Abercrombie has […]
Cleaning up baby products
by Abby Ellin, New York Times May 27th, 2009 In March, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics reported finding formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane, a trace contaminant of some chemicals used in cosmetics, detergents and shampoos, in 55 children’s personal-care products. The chemicals are listed as probable human carcinogens by the Environmental Protection Agency. Seventeen of them — […]
