Author: socialmission

In December 2022, the Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act (MoCRA) was signed into law. Marking the first significant update to federal cosmetics laws since President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act into law in 1938, MoCRA strengthens the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) ability to regulate personal care products. 

Major provisions include:   

• Mandatory Facility Registration: Facilities, both domestic and abroad, that manufacture or process cosmetics for U.S. distribution must register with the FDA. 
• Product Listing: Manufacturers are required to list each cosmetic product, including information about the product’s ingredients, with the FDA.  
• Good Manufacturing Practice Requirements: MoCRA directs the FDA to establish good manufacturing practice regulations consistent with national and international standards. 
• Adverse Event Reporting: Cosmetic companies are required to maintain records of health-related adverse events associated with the use of a product for six years and must report any serious adverse events to the FDA within 15 days of learning about the issue.  
• Safety Substantiation: MoCRA creates requirements for safety substantiation to be on file which will force many brands to articulate what ingredients are safe.  
• Enforcement: MoCRA provides new enforcement powers to the FDA. First, if the FDA determines that a cosmetic manufactured by a facility has a reasonable probability of causing serious adverse health consequences, and other products manufactured by the facility may be similarly affected, the FDA may suspend that facility’s registration. Second, the FDA now has the authority to access records relating to a cosmetic if it believes that a product or its ingredients present a threat of serious adverse health consequences. Third, the FDA may mandate recalls if it determines there is a reasonable probability that exposure to a product will cause serious adverse health consequences. 

While we are proud of the work our community did to get MoCRA enacted, Beautycounter calls on Congress to do more 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 that Beautycounter strongly supports, which would significantly strengthen federal cosmetics laws:  

• 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.  

Beautycounter’s mission has always been to get safer products into the hands of everyone—and we thank our community for joining our movement. Collectively, we have sent over 240,000 emails, made over 16,000 calls, and held over 2,500 meetings with lawmakers and our work is not yet done. Join us in our advocacy by clicking here if you live in the U.S. or clicking here if you live in Canada.  

This week, California Assembly Bill 496 (AB-496) became law, marking the passage of the 15^th piece of legislation Beautycounter has influenced—and our fourth bill this year alone. 

Authored by Assembly Member Laura Friedman and sponsored by our nonprofit partner, Environmental Working Group, AB-496 will prohibit the manufacturing and selling of cosmetics that contain certain ingredients in the State of California, beginning on January 1, 2027. See the full list of banned ingredients below.  

Consumers often assume that personal-care products available on store shelves do not contain ingredients of concern, but this is not the case in the U.S. Research has raised concerns about ingredients used in everyday personal-care products, including shampoo, lotion, deodorant, and makeup.  

Researchers have found dangerous levels of mercury in skin lightening creams; they’ve linked ingredients in hair dyes and straighteners to uterine cancer; and they’ve traced fragrances in soaps and shampoos to fertility issues.  

Several other studies, including a study published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology have shown that people of color are disproportionately exposed to harmful chemicals through beauty and personal-care products. AB-496 addresses some of the toxic culprits, such as cyclotetrasiloxane, found in personal care products used by women of color. While not a solve-all, removing these harmful substances from cosmetics is one meaningful step closer to a safer and more equitable future.  

In 2020, California banned 24 chemicals from personal-care products with the landmark Toxic-Free Cosmetics Act. In 2022, the state passed legislation to ban Per- and Polyfluorinated Substances (PFAS) from cosmetics. By banning the following additional harmful or questionable ingredients from personal-care products through AB-496, California is building on its legacy as a leader for consumer safety: 

List of Ingredients Banned by AB-496 

1. Lily aldehyde  

2. Acetaldehyde  

3. Cyclohexylamine  

4. Cyclotetrasiloxane  

5. Phytonadione  

6. Sodium perborate  

7. Styrene  

8. Trichloroacetic acid  

9. Tricresyl phosphate  

10. Vinyl acetate  

11. 2-Chloracetamide  

12. Allyl isothiocyanate  

13. Anthraquinone  

14. Malachite green  

15. Oil from the seeds of Laurus nobilis L.  

16. Pyrogallol  

17. C.I. Disperse Blue 1  

18. Trisodium nitrilotriacetate  

19. A set of boron substances  

20. C.I. Disperse Blue 3  

21. Basic Green 1  

22. Basic Blue 7  

23. 3(or5)-((4-(benzylmethylamino)phenyl)azo)-1,2-(or1,4)-dimethyl-1H-1,2,4-triazolium and its salts  

24. Basic Violet 4  

25. Basic Blue 3  

26. Basic Blue 9 

We applaud our Brand Advocates across California who sent hundreds of emails to their state legislators urging them to support AB-496. At Beautycounter, our mission is to get safer products into the hands of everyone, and a vital part of delivering on this mission includes lobbying our lawmakers to pass health-protective laws. 

Regardless of where you live, we invite you to 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 support the Safer Beauty Bil Package.  

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

*Standard data rates may apply. 

October is known as Breast Cancer Awareness Month, but at Beautycounter, we like to refer to it as Breast Cancer Prevention Month. For decades, October has signified the month to promote awareness of breast cancer, yet: 

• 1 in 8 women in the U.S. will still be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime. 
• Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among U.S. women. 
• About 30% of all newly diagnosed cancers in women each year are breast cancer. 
• Black women experience the highest death rate from breast cancer; they have a higher chance of developing breast cancer before the age of 40 compared to white women; and at every age, Black women are more likely to die from breast cancer than any other race or ethnic group. 

That’s why we believe in the importance of shifting conversation from awareness to prevention. 

The personal-care products industry in the U.S. and Canada is severely underregulated, and unfortunately, some chemicals commonly used to make personal-care products have been linked to breast cancer. While some of these chemicals are listed on ingredient labels, others are not because they are present as contaminants or are hidden behind the word “fragrance.” The cumulative impact of our exposure to these unsafe chemicals, carcinogens and endocrine disruptors among them, is concerning. That’s why we at Beautycounter are doing our part to get safer products into the hands of everyone. Here’s how: 

Formulating Products Free of 2,800+ Harmful or Questionable Ingredients  

At Beautycounter, we believe that harmful or questionable ingredients have no place in personal-care products. That’s why The Never List™ is made up of more than 2,800 questionable or harmful ingredients, including the chemicals listed below, that we never use to formulate our products. This list includes the nearly 1,700 chemicals banned or restricted in personal-care products by the European Union, plus additional chemicals screened by Beautycounter and found not to pass our rigorous safety standard. 

Some chemicals commonly found in personal-care products—but never used to formulate Beautycounter products—that have been linked to breast cancer include:  

Phthalates 

Phthalates are a group of hormone-disrupting chemicals found in cosmetics like nail polish and fragrance used in cleansers, lotions, shampoo, or otherwise. Phthalate exposure is linked to early puberty in girls, a risk factor for later-life breast cancer. Some phthalates also act as weak estrogens in cell-based chemical testing methods. 

Parabens 

Parabens are a group of compounds widely used as preservatives in creams, lotions, ointments, makeup, and other cosmetics. They are readily absorbed through the skin. Some parabens are known hormone disruptors (e.g., methylparaben, ethylparaben, and butylparaben).   

Sunscreens (UV filters) 

Several UV filters used in cosmetics may have hormone-disrupting properties, including oxybenzone and octinoxate. These chemicals are used in a variety of personal-care products such as shampoos, sunscreens, lipstick, nail polish, and skin creams.  

Triclosan  

Triclosan is used to limit the growth of bacteria and mold in personal-care products. The chemical, which is classified as a pesticide, can affect the body’s hormone systems. Triclosan can raise estrogen and progesterone secretion and promote development of hormone-dependent growths, including breast and ovarian cancers. Studies have also shown that triclosan affects thyroid hormones, which regulate metabolism.  

Advocating for Health-Protective Legislation  

We advocate at the federal and state levels for health-protective legislation that bans harmful or questionable ingredients, such as phthalates and parabens, from personal-care products. At the federal level, the Beautycounter community is working to drive support for the Safer Beauty Bill Package, a suite of four bills that 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. To take part in our advocacy, text RAISEUPBEAUTY to 52886* to reach out to your Members of Congress and urge them to support the Safer Beauty Bill Package today.  

Increasing Our Impact Through Partnerships + Giving  

Beyond our rigorous safety program and unparalleled advocacy, we are proud to support the important work of Breast Cancer Prevention Partners (BCPP)—a leading advocacy organization focused on the prevention of breast cancer—through multiple forms of partnership. BCPP takes a science-based approach to advocacy—publishing research papers, fighting for legislative reform, and teaching the public about breast cancer’s avoidable causes.  

In 2020, Beautycounter and BCPP led efforts to pass two pieces of legislation in California to protect public health, and in 2023, worked together on the reintroduction of the Safer Beauty Bill Package in Washington, D.C. This fall, you can find Beautycounter featured in BCPP’s Breast Cancer Prevention Month Gift Guide. 

Whether you or your loved ones have been impacted by breast cancer, we encourage you to consider supporting BCPP with a contribution this Breast Cancer Prevention Month. Your donation will help BCPP elevate the science, educate, and mobilize the public, push for health-protective laws, and save lives, one day at a time.  

*Standard data rates may apply. 

This week, the Oregon Toxic Free Cosmetics Act (SB 546) was signed into law, marking the passage of the 14th piece of legislation Beautycounter has influenced.  

This landmark legislation will change how personal-care products are sold in Oregon and will significantly boost consumer safety. 

Key provisions in the bill include:  

• Beginning January 1, 2027, manufacturers may not manufacture, sell or distribute cosmetics that contain any of the following intentionally added chemicals: Ortho-phthalates; Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS); Formaldehyde and formaldehyde releasing agents; Methylene glycol; Mercury and mercury compounds; Triclosan; m-Phenylenediamine and its salts; o-Phenylenediamine and its salts; and lead or lead compounds at 10 parts per million or above.  
• The Oregon Health Authority shall maintain a list of high priority chemicals of concern used in cosmetic products and limits for each of those chemicals.  
• Manufacturers of a cosmetic product sold in Oregon that contains a chemical included on the list above shall publicly disclose chemical ingredients on the company’s website as an accessible way for consumers to make educated purchasing decisions. 

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. This legislation is particularly important as it addresses the disproportionate health risks faced by women of color. By removing these harmful substances from cosmetics, we are working towards a more equitable and safer future for Oregonians. 

We applaud our Brand Advocates in Oregon who sent nearly 1,000 emails to their state lawmakers urging them to support the Toxic Free Cosmetics Act. At Beautycounter, 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 legislation.

While this victory is a step in the right direction and absolutely should be celebrated, we still have a long way to go to ensure that all consumers across North America are protected. 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 to urge them to support the Safer Beauty Bill Package.  

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

*Standard data rates may apply. 

It’s that time of year when we share third-party heavy metal testing results for some of our most popular products—another way we’re putting transparency into action. 

As we’ve previously shared (see here and here), the raw materials we allow in our formulations and packaging are a cornerstone of our precautionary approach to formulating safer, high-performance products.

Heavy metals are naturally occurring elements (arsenic, cadmium, lead, etc.). They are plentiful within the earth’s crust, and as such can sometimes tag along with mined raw materials that are used in color cosmetics, like pigments, clays, and micas. And so, unfortunately, they can appear in beauty products like color cosmetics that can contain mined ingredients—like mica, iron oxides, and titanium dioxide—to help define shades. 

Heavy metals can be harmful to our health depending on various factors, such as the extent and timing of exposure, in addition to other considerations. We tackle this issue head-on with a combined approach with our state-of-the art, in-house lab, and third-party validation of various results during the year. The table below summarizes recent third-party heavy metal testing results from 2022 (see here). Results from previous years are available here and here.

Stay tuned for our 2023 results!

Average Heavy Metals Concentrations and Limits (ppm)

Heavy Metal	Average Beautycounter Concentrations 2020 (ppm)[1]	Average Beautycounter Concentrations 2021 (ppm)[2]	Average Beautycounter Concentrations 2022 (ppm)[3]	FDA Regulatory Cosmetic Product Limits (ppm)[4]
Arsenic	0.1	0.016	0.017	None
Antimony	0.2	0.152	0.151	None
Cadmium	0.02	0.003	0.002	None
Lead (lip)	0.2	0.025	0.021	10.0 (all products)
Lead (non-lip)	0.6	0.237	0.122	10.0 (all products)
Mercury	0.01	—[5]	0.001	1

---

[1] Based on third-party testing data for Beautycounter color cosmetic products made and tested in 2020.

[2] Based on third-party testing data for Beautycounter color cosmetic products made and tested in 2021.

[3] Based on third-party testing data for Beautycounter color cosmetic products made and tested in 2022.

[4] See here: https://www.fda.gov/cosmetics/potential-contaminants-cosmetics/fdas-testing-cosmetics-arsenic-cadmium-chromium-cobalt-lead-mercury-and-nickel-content

[5] All third-party testing resulted in “non-detect” findings for mercury except for one product that yielded a value of 0.001 ppm.

It’s the moment we’ve been waiting for: this week, The Strengthening Environmental Protection for a Healthier Canada Act (Bill S-5) received Royal Assent, marking the 13^th piece of legislation *and* the first Canadian bill we’ve influenced.    

WHAT THIS BILL MEANS 

Bill S-5 modernizes the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA), Canada’s cornerstone environmental law. It’s the first significant update to CEPA in over two decades—an important milestone in better protecting people and the planet from pollution and harmful chemicals. 

Supported by our nonprofit partner, Environmental Defence, important provisions of Bill S-5 include:  

• Recognizing the right to a healthy environment for the first time under federal law in Canada. Under this legislation, the government must uphold principles of environmental justice and ensure that environmental protections cannot be rolled back. It also requires the federal government to consider the impacts of harmful chemicals and their effects on vulnerable populations. 
• Introducing updates for the control of harmful substances and dangerous chemicals, including requiring that priority be given to prohibiting the most hazardous substances. Bill S-5 updates the framework for assessing and managing harmful substances and improves transparency and accountability.  

WHY IT’S A WIN  

CEPA provides the legislative framework for protecting human health and the environment from pollution and harmful substances—this includes air and water quality, harmful ingredients in consumer products, climate action, and plastic pollution. CEPA benefits majorly from Bill S-5, which recognizes the right to a healthy environment and updates Canada’s legislative framework for assessing and managing toxic substances. 

BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE 

Environment and Climate Change Minister of Canada Steven Guilbeault has indicated that he intends to introduce a second CEPA modernization bill. We look forward to working with the federal government to continue to strengthen health-protective laws. There is always more to accomplish when it comes to getting clean and safer products into the hands of everyone, including: 

• Mandatory product labeling of potentially harmful substances in cosmetics: To be effective, labeling requirements must be applied to substances that have been identified as potentially harmful. This approach has been implemented for several years in Europe and several states in the US, including California. We need to harmonize the Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist with substances banned in the European Union, along with requiring complete disclosure for products. 
• Closing the fragrance loophole: Companies are not required to disclose ingredients used for a particular scent, meaning ingredients listed simply as “parfum” or “fragrance” may contain dozens of chemicals of concern. We urge the federal government to close this “fragrance loophole” to deter companies from using potentially harmful synthetic ingredients in the first place. We’re also advocating for fragrance hazard labelling requirements for fragrance formulas that include carcinogens and irritants, regardless of package size. 
• Tightening the rules for transparency: Businesses can claim that specific ingredients and information, such as scientific studies on chemicals, constitute “confidential business information” (CBI), thereby preventing public access to information on the chemicals used in consumer products. This places business interests over the health of people in Canada—and their right to know the health and environmental risks of what they are exposed to.  

Since Beautycounter was founded 10 years ago, our community has influenced 13 laws in the US and Canada. 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 underregulated. That’s how we raise up beauty—together, for everyone.  

Please join us in our advocacy work by taking action below:  

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

If you live in the US: Click here to contact your Members of Congress and urge them to strengthen personal-care product laws today. 

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 List^TM , 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.