Press Releases - Women's Voices for the Earth

Nail Polishes Test Positive for Toxic Chemicals Despite Label Claims

11 Apr 2012

Consumers and nail salon workers can’t trust labels, highlighting the need for meaningful regulation of cosmetics See if your favorite polish contains toxic chemicals. For Immediate Release: April 11, 2012 (Sacramento, CA) California Environmental Protection Agency’s Department of Toxic Substances Control announced yesterday that some nail care products typically found in many of California’s estimated 48,000 nail salons and sold directly to consumers contain high levels of hazardous chemicals despite their labels claiming otherwise. These chemicals, dibutyl phthalate and toluene, have been linked to birth defects, asthma and other chronic health conditions. Dibutyl phthalate was banned from cosmetics in Europe...

Industry Influence Dominates Historic Hearing on Toxic Cosmetics

28 Mar 2012

Regulatory Fight Could Turn Ugly as Congress Seeks to Overhaul Cosmetics Regulations For Immediate Release: March 28, 2012 Contact: Stacy Malkan, stacy@safecosmetics.org, 202-321-6963; Stephenie Hendricks, stephdh@earthlink.net, 415-299-9510 (Washington DC) In response to public pressure from recent scandals including mercury in face cream, lead in lipstick and formaldehyde in hair products, the House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee yesterday convened the first Congressional hearing in 30 years on the safety of cosmetics and personal care products. The hearing was weighted in favor of industry, which represented four of the six witnesses who testified. No witnesses representing health impacted salon workers or...

Toxic Chemicals in Cosmetics: Congress to Investigate

22 Mar 2012

Mercury, Lead, Formaldehyde Found in Many Body-Care Products Congressional Hearing March 27 with Energy & Commerce Committee For Immediate Release: March 22, 2011 Contact: Stacy Malkan, 202-321-6963, stacy@safecosmetics.org Stephenie Hendricks, stephdh@earthlink.net Shannon Coughlin, 415-346-8223 x14, scoughlin@breastcancerfund.org (Washington, DC) In the wake of recent scandals involving mercury in face cream, formaldehyde in hair products and lead in lipstick, the House Energy and Commerce Committee has called the first official Congressional hearing on cosmetics safety in more than 30 years. The hearing will take place March 27. “It’s time for Congress to overhaul the 1938 cosmetic regulations that are utterly failing to...

Toxics Linked to Hormone Disruption and Asthma Found In Consumer Products

08 Mar 2012

New Peer Reviewed Study Analyzed Broadest Range of Products Ever Tested Public Health Advocates Support Full Ingredient Labeling and New Safety Rules For immediate release: March 8th, 2012 BOSTON – Toxic chemicals linked to the rising rates of endocrine disruption related disease on the rise were found in a broad array of consumer products and reported in a peer reviewed article in Environmental Health Perspectives today. The Silent Spring Institute tested 213 consumer products, including cleaning products, cosmetics, sunscreens, shower curtains, air fresheners, drier sheets, and other household goods made by Colgate, Unilever, S.C. Johnson, Johnson and Johnson, Procter &...

Hundreds of Lipsticks Contaminated with Lead, Reports New FDA Study

27 Feb 2012

Levels up to twice as high as previously reported; L’Oreal worst offender For Immediate Release: February 7th, 2012 (Washington, DC) — A new analysis of lead in lipstick conducted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration reveals that the problem of lead in lipstick is worse and more widespread than previously reported. The new study found lead in 400 lipsticks tested by the agency, at widely varying levels of up to 7.19 parts per million (ppm) — more than twice the levels reported in a previous FDA study. Yesterday, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics sent FDA a letter asking them...

SC Johnson Becomes First Mainstream Company to List Ingredients On All Cleaning Product Labels

01 Feb 2012

Date: Jan. 31, 2012 RACINE, Wis. – In an unprecedented move, SC Johnson & Son has become the first major cleaning product manufacturer to announce that it will disclose ingredients in cleaning products directly on the label. Beginning later this year, consumers will start to see all ingredients, except fragrances, on the product’s label. SC Johnson, makers of Windex®, Glade® and Pledge®, has said their goal is to help families learn more about the ingredients that are in the products they use in their homes every day. “We want all of our ingredients to be transparent, so consumers can make...