The Time is Now for the Safe Cosmetics and Personal Care Products

1.
The time is NOW for the
Safe Cosmetics and Personal Care Products Act!!
Mercury in face cream, formaldehyde in hair products and baby shampoo,
lead in lipstick – the health hazards of toxic chemicals in cosmetics
have never been more obvious.
The problem: Did you know that American consumers use an average of 10 personal care products
each day, resulting in exposure to more than 100 synthetic chemicals, and potentially dozens of
hidden ingredients? Toxic cosmetic ingredients are ending up inside our bodies, our breast milk and
our babies, and these chemicals also go down the drain and pollute our waterways and drinking
water. Toxic exposures from personal care products add to our daily dose of hazardous chemicals
from air, water, food and other consumer products.
 Dozens of top‐selling children’s bath products are contaminated with the cancer‐causing chemicals
formaldehyde and 1,4 dioxane. But these chemicals are not listed on product labels.
www.safecosmetics.org/toxictub
 A new FDA study found lead in 400 lipsticks tested, with higher lead levels than ever reported in
some of the most popular brands. A new report for the US Centers for Disease Control states that
there is no safe level of lead exposure for children.
 A recent study of teenage girls found 16 hormone‐disrupting cosmetic chemicals in their blood and
urine. http://www.ewg.org/reports/teens
 As many as 70% of personal care products may contain phthalates, a set of
industrial chemicals linked to birth defects and infertility. Phthalates are
banned from children’s toys in the US, but are legally allowed in body‐care
products used by children and women of childbearing age.
http://safecosmetics.org/downloads/NotTooPretty_report.pdf
TURN OVER TO TAKE ACTION!

2.
TAKE ACTION FOR SAFE COSMETICS!
There is an urgent need for federal reform that protects consumers,
workers and the environment from harmful chemicals in cosmetics, and
shifts the beauty industry to safer chemicals and products.
Current law is woefully out of date: Existing law is more than 70 years old and gives the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) very little authority to regulate personal care products. Under the current system an
industry‐funded and self‐policing body, the Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Panel, reviews cosmetic
ingredients for safety. However, in the 33 years since its creation, CIR has evaluated less than 20 percent of
the 12,500 ingredients used in cosmetics—meaning that the vast majority have not been assessed for safety
by any public body.
The big cosmetics companies know change is in the air and are gearing up for a fight.
We need YOUR help to send the message that it’s time to stand up for our health by
supporting meaningful legislation that would get cancer‐causing chemicals and other
harmful ingredients out of the products we put on our bodies every day.
Reform is on the way! The good news is that US Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (D‐IL) and US Congressman
Ed Markey (D‐MA) have just introduced the Safe Cosmetics and Personal Care Products Act of 2013. The bill
gives the FDA the authority it needs to ensure that cosmetics do not contain hazardous ingredients.
Why New Jersey matters: New Jersey is home to some of the largest cosmetics manufacturers in the world.
Last year, US Congressman Lance (R‐NJ) introduced weak cosmetics legislation based on the personal care
product industry’s wish list. This year, let’s make sure that the New Jersey Congressional Delegation opposes
any bill that fails to protect the health of babies, pregnant women, teenagers and workers.
Please call YOUR Congressional Representative and urge support for federal legislation that:
 Phases out ingredients in personal care products linked to cancer, birth defects and reproductive or
developmental harm
 Improves the public’s right‐to‐know by closing loopholes that exempt “fragrance” ingredients and
salon products from labeling laws
 Requires safety assessment of all cosmetics ingredients
You can also go to the Safe Cosmetics Campaign “Take Action” page to send an email:
www.safecosmetics.org/takeaction
For more information: Sarada Tangirala (stangirala@breastcancerfund.org)
Cindy Luppi (cluppi@cleanwater.org)