As a mother of four daughters, it has always been my mission to lead them on a path that will positively impact their health. Being a mom is no easy task! Knowing that I will not always be able to make choices for them, I want to normalize clean living and show them how to make informed decisions as consumers.
Learn why we need U.S. federally mandated fragrance ingredient transparency in this congressional staff briefing hosted by Breast Cancer Prevention Partners, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, and the American Sustainable Business Council.
Today, I’m going to chat about education and our top tips! When you start to look at toxic products in your household, it’s sometimes overwhelming, but BCPP has some easy recommendations to follow.
Most people assume the Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates beauty and personal care products in the same way it does food and drugs to protect consumer health and safety. You might be surprised to hear that this could not be farther from the truth: Cosmetics are one of the least regulated consumer products on the market today.
Scents are important. Probably more important than you (or most) think. Especially when it comes to memory, sensations, and even the bonding experience between baby and mother. We are triggered by the past and introduced to the new, but what exactly is at the heart of these olfactory (smell) experiences? Often, toxic chemicals!
California bill SB 574 would have been the first bill in the world to force companies to publicly disclose the fragrance and flavor chemicals in their beauty and personal care products. Though it did not pass in 2019, a new federal bill, the Safe Cosmetics and Personal Care Act of 2019 introduced by Rep. Jan Schakowsky, would require full fragrance and flavor ingredient disclosure on a company’s website and disclosure of a product’s toxic fragrance and flavor ingredients on the product label. One bill after another, we’re stopping at nothing to move the needle toward cosmetics safety, transparency, and full ingredient disclosure.
This is Lucy. Lucy represents thousands of little girls of color in the U.S. who are unjustly exposed to toxic chemicals, like formaldehyde, in their hair products. We know that black women are…
Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) introduced a landmark bill today—the Safe Cosmetics and Personal Care Products Act of 2019—the only federal cosmetic safety legislation that would immediately ban more than a dozen of the worst toxic chemicals from cosmetics, fund research into safer alternatives, address the over-exposure of communities of color to toxic chemicals, require full fragrance ingredient disclosure, and ban most animal testing.
We tested 32 of the most popular beauty products from around the country to find out what exactly is hiding in these products. Grab a beauty product of yours, flip it around, and look at the label. Most likely you will see “fragrance” or “parfum.” Did you know that dozens, sometimes even hundreds, of chemicals can hide under that one little word on beauty, personal care products, and cleaning products? And that scent could lead to serious health consequences.
When I was invited by BCPP to pledge support for SB574, I expected to be part of a large group where we would collectively pledge our support. Easy. I can show up and do that. After arriving in California’s state capitol, I quickly discovered I would have the opportunity to share my personal story first-hand with legislative staffers. My very personal story shared publicly in ways I never imagined. Flooded with emotion, life since my daughter’s birth flashed before me and it felt like a full circle was completing itself.
