Press Releases - Women's Voices for the Earth

Report Exposes Failures of Fragrance Industry’s Self-Regulated Safety Policies

05 Nov 2015

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 11.5.2015 – An exclusive report by national women’s health non-profit, Women’s Voices for the Earth (WVE), is a first of its kind expose’ on the failings of the fragrance industry’s self-regulated safety program. The term “fragrance” actually represents a chemical cocktail that can be made up of hundreds of ingredients. Fragrances are found in thousands of consumer products, yet there is little regulatory oversight of the safety of those ingredients. The current system for fragrance safety is run entirely by the industry’s own International Fragrance Association (IFRA) and their research arm, the Research Institute for Fragrance Materials...

Women Move Procter and Gamble, Kimberly Clark to Disclose Secret Ingredients

22 Oct 2015

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 10.22.15 – In response to consumer demands, two corporate giants have begun increasing the transparency of ingredients in feminine care products, giving women in the US more information than ever before on what’s in tampons and pads. Within a single week, two of the world’s largest manufacturers of feminine care products – Procter and Gamble (makers of Always and Tampax) and Kimberly Clark (makers of U by Kotex) – started to publicly release information regarding the ingredients found in their pads and tampons. “This is a big step forward,” said Erin Switalski, Executive Director of national women’s...

Women’s Health Rally to Bring Concerns Regarding Toxic Chemicals in Feminine Care Products Directly to Procter & Gamble’s Shareholders

07 Oct 2015

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – On October 13, national women’s health non-profit, Women’s Voices for the Earth (WVE), is headed to Cincinnati, Ohio to host a women’s health rally outside of Procter and Gamble’s shareholder meeting to escalate their request that P&G list all ingredients and remove toxic chemicals from its feminine care products. In 2014, WVE commissioned laboratory testing of the popular pad brand, Always, and found the tested products emit toxic chemicals including carcinogens, and reproductive and developmental toxins. None of these chemicals are disclosed on the product by the manufacturer. “It’s been nearly two years since we first...

Colorants in Feminine Washes May Be Violating FDA Use Restrictions

18 Aug 2015

‘For External Use Only’ – This language-loophole on feminine care product labels may be putting women’s health at risk MISSOULA, MT — Today, national women’s health non-profit, Women’s Voices for the Earth (WVE), filed a citizen’s petition to the FDA regarding clear safety guidelines on the use of colorants in feminine care products. The petition argues that colorants found in some feminine washes come in contact with vaginal mucous membranes –violating the FDA’s use restrictions, and may adversely affect the health of women using these products. WVE’s research identified several feminine wash products currently on the market that contain the...

Amendments Needed to Strengthen the Personal Care Products Safety Act

09 Jul 2015

Congress takes action on cosmetics, but major flaw in bill must be addressed to ensure salon worker and consumer safety Women’s Voices for the Earth is pleased Senators Feinstein and Collins have introduced the Personal Care Products Safety Act (S. 1014). The bill presents a real opportunity to protect salon workers and consumers from harmful exposure to toxic chemicals in cosmetics. Consumers are exposed to a host of chemicals from everyday use of products, and salon workers are disproportionately impacted by exposure to chemicals like formaldehyde, toluene and dibutyl phthalate (often found in nail polish, for example) because they work...

New Data Reveals Toxic Chemicals in Nail Products

21 May 2015

Research underscores the need for stronger regulations over ingredients used in salon products FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – May 21, 2015 National women’s health organization, Women’s Voices for the Earth (WVE), has unearthed new data on the use of toxic chemicals in nail products. The data was culled from the California Safe Cosmetics Database and reveals that at least a dozen toxic chemicals linked to cancer and reproductive harm are being used in nail products. The California Safe Cosmetics Database requires companies to report ingredients in their cosmetic products that are considered carcinogens or reproductive toxins under Proposition 65. The California...