I Hosted a Not So Pretty Watch Party, You Should Too!
I carefully arranged a selection of snacks on the table in front of me, eagerly awaiting the arrival of some of the women from my local moms’ group. One by one, they rang the doorbell, and instead of bringing wine or dessert as one might expect, each carried a favorite personal care product in her […]
A New Law Regulating the Cosmetics Industry Expands the FDA’s Power But Fails to Ban Toxic Chemicals in Beauty Products
The Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act empowers the FDA to recall harmful cosmetics. Advocates want to know why manufacturers still don’t have to prove their products are safe before they’re sold to millions of consumers.
Black Women Face Disproportionate Risks From Largely Unregulated Toxic Substances in Beauty and Personal Care Products
The FDA has finally proposed a ban on formaldehyde in hair straighteners, and new regulations on the cosmetics industry take effect next month. But one activist called them “a floor, not a ceiling.”
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) […]
