Cosmetic Safety

Many people believe that the Food and Drug Administration regulates cosmetics the same way it does food and drugs to ensure safety. The average person – men as well as women – uses 10 personal care products daily. We also use them on our children in the form of shampoos and lotions. In reality, cosmetics and other personal care products are one of the least regulated consumer products on the market today and the existing law has not been updated since 1938. This is why I introduced the Safe Cosmetics Act which calls for removal of ingredients in cosmetics that are carcinogens or cause birth defects, gives the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authority to recall dangerous cosmetic products, and requires disclosure of all ingredients on a label so that customers know what they are purchasing. The $50 billion cosmetics industry uses roughly 12,500 unique chemical ingredients in personal care products—the vast majority of which have never been assessed for safety by any publicly accountable body. The Safe Cosmetics Act would require manufacturing and personal care product companies to register with the FDA and pay a registration fee to help pay for oversight of the industry.  The legislation includes provisions designed to ease any potential burdens on small cosmetic manufacturers. Americans are often left in the dark about harmful mystery ingredients in personal care products; consumers deserve confidence that the products that they use will not hurt them.

Legislation I've Introduced

Safe Cosmetics Act – The Safe Cosmetics Act would phase out the use of dangerous chemicals, including carcinogens and reproductive toxins, from use in personal care products. 

Resources

Environmental Working Group

Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep Cosmetics Database 

Breast Cancer Fund

Campaign for Safe Cosmetics

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