Author: socialmission

Our Mission

The Safer Beauty Bill Package is Back. Here’s Everything You Need to Know (And How You Can Help).

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The Safer Beauty Bill Package is Back. Here’s Everything You Need to Know (And How You Can Help).

The Safer Beauty Bill Package, a package of four bills that will modernize federal personal-care product laws, was reintroduced in Congress this week. Led by Representative Schakowsky and championed by our nonprofit partner, Breast Cancer Prevention Partners, the bill package will make personal-care products safer for everyone by banning harmful chemicals, creating protections for women of color and salon workers, requiring fragrance disclosure, and making supply chain transparency the new industry standard. 

We need your voice in our movement. Text RAISEUPBEAUTY to 52886* or click here to contact your Members of Congress and urge them to support the Safer Beauty Bill Package and strengthen personal-care product laws now. 

While the passage of the Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act of 2022 (MoCRA) did indicate important progress for the industry, more needs to be done to achieve a truly health-protective safety standard for personal-care products. Congress must address critical gaps in personal-care product safety that impact everyone, especially women of color and professional salon workers. Cue the Safer Beauty Bill Package.   

The Safer Beauty Bill Package includes four bills: 

  • H.R. 3619 – The Toxic-Free Beauty Act (Reps. Schakowsky and Fletcher): Bans 11 harmful chemicals, including mercury, formaldehyde, parabens, and phthalates, from personal-care products. These chemicals are already banned in the European Union, California, and Maryland.  
  • H.R. 3620 – Cosmetic Safety Protections for Communities of Color and Professional Salon Workers (Reps. Schakowsky and Blunt Rochester): Funds research, resources, and the development of safer cosmetic ingredients to protect the health of women of color and salon workers, two vulnerable populations that are most at risk due to harmful chemicals in products marketed to them or commonly found in their workplaces. 
  • H.R. 3621 – Cosmetic Fragrance and Flavor Right to Know Act (Reps. Schakowsky and Matsui): Requires product labeling and website disclosures of secret, unlabeled, and sometimes harmful chemicals in our personal-care products.  
  • H.R. 3622 – Cosmetic Supply Chain Transparency Act (Rep. Schakowsky): Requires upstream suppliers of raw materials, ingredients and private label products to provide full ingredient disclosure and safety data to personal-care product brands.  

This past spring, Beautycounter was proud to work with Congress and lead a working group of mission-aligned brands to make updates and improvements to the Cosmetic Supply Chain Transparency Act. While companies like Beautycounter continuously work with our partners to increase supply chain transparency, many supply chain companies—including raw material and packaging suppliers—are not currently held accountable. Without stronger regulations, it can be challenging for brands to have full accountability for their supply chain. Congress has the opportunity to help by passing the Cosmetic Supply Chain Transparency Act, which would protect public health by increasing transparency along the supply chain. 

To learn why more regulation of the industry is vital, watch an interview with Dr. Ami Zota, Associate Professor in the Environmental Health Sciences department at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and Beautycounter Science Advisory Council Member, below:  

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Our Mission

Washington State’s Toxic-Free Cosmetics Act Signed into Law

by socialmission
Washington State’s Toxic-Free Cosmetics Act Signed into Law
Washington State Capitol Building

This week, the Washington State Toxic-Free Cosmetics Act (HB 1047) was signed into law, marking the passage of the 12th piece of legislation Beautycounter has influenced.  

Sponsored by State Representative Sharlett Mena and supported by our nonprofit partner, Toxic-Free Future, key provisions in the bill include:  

  • Restricting the manufacture, sale, and distribution of cosmetic products containing nine chemicals or classes of chemicals, including perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), formaldehyde, ortho-phthalates, triclosan and mercury, beginning January 1, 2025. 
  • Directing the Washington State Department of Ecology, in consultation with the Department of Health, to identify and assess the hazards of chemicals or chemical classes that can provide the same or similar function in cosmetic products.  
  • Directing the Washington State Department of Ecology to implement an initiative to support small businesses that manufacture cosmetic products in efforts to obtain voluntary environmental health certifications. 
  • Directing the Department of Ecology to implement an initiative to support independent cosmetologists and small businesses that provide cosmetology services, such as beauty salons, in efforts to transition to using safer cosmetic products.  

Beautycounter’s Chief Impact Officer, Jen Lee, provided powerful testimony to the Washington State Senate Environment, Energy and Technology Committee in support of the Toxic-Free Cosmetics Act in March 2023. Additionally, our community of advocates sent over 1,000 emails to their state legislators urging them to support and pass the bill.  

While Beautycounter bans all ingredients in the bill through The Never ListTM , and progress has been made through legislation like the Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act, the personal-care products industry still remains underregulated. This exposes consumers to potentially harmful ingredients that may be linked to a variety of concerns, like cancer, reproductive issues, liver damage, thyroid disease, asthma, skin irritation, and more.  

Studies have shown that women of color are disproportionately exposed to harmful chemicals in cosmetics. A recent study by the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology discusses the environmental justice impacts of beauty and states that people of color use more beauty products—and are disproportionately exposed to toxic chemicals as compared to white consumers—with Black consumers purchasing nine times more ethnic hair and beauty products than other groups. 

Since Beautycounter was founded 10 years ago, our community has influenced the passage of 12 laws at the federal and state levels. Our mission is to get safer products into the hands of everyone, and a vital part of delivering on this mission is calling on our lawmakers to pass health-protective laws in an industry that is largely underregulated. 

While this victory is a step in the right direction and absolutely should be celebrated, we still have a long way to go. Please join us in our advocacy work by taking action below:  

If you live in the U.S.: Text RAISEUPBEAUTY to 52886* or click here to contact your Members of Congress and urge them to strengthen personal-care product laws today.  

If you live in Canada: Click here to contact your Members of Parliament and urge them to strengthen personal-care product laws now.

California Residents: Click here to learn about California Assembly Bill 496 and urge your lawmakers to support the bill. 

New York Residents: Click here to learn about New York Senate Bill 4265 and urge your lawmakers to support the bill.   

Illinois Residents: Click here to learn about Illinois State House Bill 1282 and urge your lawmakers to support the bill.   

Oregon Residents: Click here to learn about Oregon State Senate Bill 546 and urge your lawmakers to support the bill.  

*Standard data rates may apply.