Last week was an exciting week in helping us all live cleaner, easier and safer.
ICYMI, a new bill, “The Personal Care Products Safety Act” was re-introduced that would help regulate the beauty industry, since the last law was passed back in 1938. Coincidentally, it was the same time that the FDA found that makeup sold in popular tween stores, Claire’s and Justice, contain asbestos (?!?!), and I also had the wonderful opportunity to meet with my local official, Rep. Josh Gottheimer to ask that he make ingredient safety of our personal care products a priority.
Cue the thunderous round of applause and welcome sign from the Universe.
Sponsored by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine), the Personal Care Products Safety Act would enforce transparency on ingredient lists across the entire cosmetic industry, giving the FDA the power to ensure safety and enforce clarity across a largely unregulated industry. This Act will also ensure that a minimum of five ingredients found in personal care products are tested per year to determine their safety and appropriate use.
Is this perfect and enough? NO, but let’s celebrate that we are taking tremendous strides to ensure safer products for everyone.
And, these first five set to be reviewed are big, important offenders, linked to everything from short-term effects like headaches and shortness of breath to long-term effects such as hormone disruption, infertility and cancer:
- Diazolidinyl urea, which is used as a preservative in a wide range of products including deodorant, shampoo, conditioner, bubble bath and lotion.
- Diethyl phthalate, which is used as a binding agent in some fragrances and cosmetics.
- Methylene glycol/formaldehyde, which is used in hair treatments.
- Propyl paraben, which is used as a preservative in a wide range of products including shampoo, conditioner and lotion.
- Quaternium-15, which is used as a preservative in a wide range of products including shampoo, shaving cream, skin creams and cleansers.
While we wait for this to become law hopefully sooner rather than later, take a minute to better protect yourself and check that the ingredients of the products you’re using now will help, not potentially harm you. I’m proud to support and align with Beautycounter, as we continue to lead this conversation, demand better and make public safety a priority.
If you’d like to read the full release about this The Personal Care Products Safety Act, in addition to the excerpts included above, check out the full release here.
Living Cleaner, Easier & Safer 