Campaign for Safe Cosmetics
Have you heard of the campaign for safe cosmetics?
https://www.breastcancerfund.org/site/pp.asp?c=kwKXLdPaE&b=70918
The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics is a coalition of public health, educational, religious, labor, women’s, environmental and consumer groups. The mission of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics is to protect the health of consumers and workers by requiring the health and beauty industry to phase out the use of chemicals that are known or suspected to cause cancer, genetic mutation or reproductive harm.
Founding organizational members of the campaign include The Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow, Breast Cancer Fund, Commonweal, Environmental Working Group, Friends of the Earth, Health Care Without Harm, National Black Environmental Justice Network, National Environmental Trust and Women’s Voices for the Earth. Visit the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics official Web site for more information at www.safecosmetics.org.
The information below really surprised me. It might surprise you too!
Why is the Breast Cancer Fund Involved in a Safe Cosmetics Campaign?
According to 2000 FDA statistics, 89% of the 10,500 ingredients used in personal care products have not been evaluated for safety by the Food and Drug Administration, the Industry-appointed Cosmetic Ingredient Review panel, or anyone else. In fact, according to Skin Deep, a report released by the Environmental Working Group, one of every 100 products on the market contains ingredients certified by government authorities as known or probable human carcinogens, including shampoos, lotions, make-up foundations, and lip balms.
At the same time that untested chemicals have been steadily introduced into our environment, breast cancer incidence has dramatically risen. In the 1940s, a woman’s lifetime risk was 1 in 22; last year it was 1 in 8. Today, it is 1 in 7. In recent years, an expanding body of evidence has linked the pollutants and man-made chemicals in our environment to breast cancer and other diseases.
Cosmetics and Breast Carcinogens
It is particularly egregious that, in this time of a growing breast cancer epidemic, products marketed specifically to women of child-bearing age contain breast carcinogens – especially products that we regularly slather on our faces and bodies.
In the United States, however, major loopholes in federal law allow the $20 billion a year cosmetics industry to put unlimited amounts of chemicals that have been linked to cancer and reproductive harm into personal care products. In fact, the FDA does not review what goes into cosmetics before they are marketed, cannot compel companies to provide health effects data and cannot recall personal care products.
The cosmetics industry uses more than 5,000 chemicals in its products, in everything from lipstick and lotion to shampoo, shaving cream and eyebrow removers. Many of these substances used as surfactants, emulsifiers, foaming agents, preservatives, plasticizers, dyes and abrasives are also used in industrial manufacturing processes to grease gears, clean industrial equipment, stabilize pesticides and soften plastics. What effectively scours a garage floor may not be the best choice for a facial cleanser.
Where can known and suspected breast carcinogens and reproductive toxins be found?
Lead acetate – a known carcinogen and reproductive toxin – can be purchased at the local pharmacy in Grecian Formula 16.
Dibutyl Phthalate – a reproductive toxin used in perfumes, hair spray and deodorant – impairs fertility and causes developmental toxicity in male offspring.
Acrylamide, a known carcinogen, mutagen and reproductive toxin, is regularly used in manufacturing hair products, hand and body lotions, and sun tan crèmes.
Ethylene Oxide – a known breast carcinogen – is commonly used to manufacture popular brands of shampoo.
Known and probable breast carcinogens have no place in cosmetics and personal care products. Yet despite growing concern from consumers, the U.S. government does not systematically assess the safety of personal care products and major U.S. companies continue to market cosmetics with known and suspected carcinogens, mutagens and reproductive toxins.
Now is the time raise awareness in the U.S. and demand corporate accountability, regulatory and statutory action to get cancer-causing chemicals out of cosmetics!
The EU Cosmetics Directive
In January 2003, the European Union amended the cosmetics directive (76/768/EEC) to ban the use of chemicals that are known or strongly suspected of causing cancer, mutation or birth defects. The amendment bans carcinogens, reproductive toxins and mutagens from cosmetics, and companies are required to remove these chemicals from cosmetic products sold in the EU by September 2004. Since the EU directive requires that all cosmetic products containing toxic chemicals be reformulated for the EU market, The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics is asking U.S. companies to make those reformulated products readily available in every market they serve – both domestically and globally.
The Compact for the Production of Safe Health and Beauty Products
In spring 2004, the founding members of The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics and more than 50 other organizations signed a letter asking over 250 cosmetics companies to sign the “Compact for the Global Production of Safe Health and Beauty Products.” The Compact includes a pledge that states all of the cosmetics and personal care products made by their company – anywhere in the world – will meet the standards and deadlines set by the European Union Directive 76/768/EEC and thus be free of chemicals that are known or strongly suspected of causing cancer, mutation or birth defects. In addition, the Compact asks companies to agree to implement “substitution plans” that replace hazardous materials with safer alternatives within three years.
As of August 2006, over 425 companies have signed the Compact!
