Press Releases - Women's Voices for the Earth

Women’s Health Organization Calls for The Clorox Company to Quit Toxic ‘Quats’ in Disinfecting Products

14 Nov 2018

Environmental health non-profit, Women’s Voices for the Earth (WVE), is raising concerns about the use of antibacterial chemicals commonly found in disinfecting products like wipes, sprays, and all-purpose cleaners. Registered as pesticides with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), ammonium quaternary compounds — or “quats” — are linked to adverse health effects including asthma, dermatitis, reproductive harm, and the spread of antimicrobial resistance bacteria, often referred to as “super-bugs”. As a major manufacturer of disinfecting products, WVE is calling on The Clorox Company to be a leader in product safety and eliminate quats from their products.

New Data Reveals One-Third of All Fragrance Chemicals Linked to Human, Environmental Harm

26 Sep 2018

New data compiled by environmental health non-profit, Women’s Voices for the Earth (WVE), reveals that a third of all fragrance chemicals currently in use are either known to be toxic, or considered potentially toxic by scientists around the world. This data fully compliments a report released today by Breast Cancer Prevention Partners (BCPP), which tested household products and clearly revealed the presence of harmful fragrance chemicals linked to cancer, hormone disruption, reproductive harm, and respiratory toxicity that do not appear on the label.

CA Governor Signs Historic Law Requiring Ingredient Disclosure in Professional Salon Products

17 Sep 2018

In a major victory for worker and consumer right to know, Governor Brown signed into law a ground-breaking bill that requires manufacturers to disclose ingredients on the labels of professional cosmetics. Until now, only retail cosmetics manufacturers were required to list product ingredients. This same transparency was not required of professional cosmetics, even if products contained ingredients linked to severe health concerns like cancer, birth defects, and respiratory issues. Introduced by Assembly Member Ash Kalra (D-San Jose), AB 2775 is the first such law to take effect in the nation.

Women Rally at Prestige Brands Headquarters to Protest Body Shaming and Toxic Chemicals in Summer’s Eve Products

02 Aug 2018

Women’s rights activists are gathering in Tarrytown, New York, to hold a demonstration and press conference outside of Prestige Brands headquarters to protest against manipulative marketing, toxic products, and poor ingredient disclosure that puts women’s health at risk. Led by national women’s health non-profit, Women’s Voices for the Earth (WVE), and joined by Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal, a leader in menstrual equity policy — the event aims to send the makers of the iconic Summer’s Eve brand a strong message: products the company claims are for “feminine cleansing” are actually harmful and promote body-shaming stigmas.

New Tampon Testing Reveals Undisclosed Carcinogens and Reproductive Toxins

05 Jun 2018

National women’s health nonprofit, Women’s Voices for the Earth (WVE), has released independent product-testing results that reveal undisclosed toxic chemicals in tampons. The results of the testing detected carbon disulfide, a known reproductive toxin, in all four brands of tampons that contain rayon. Carbon disulfide is a chemical that is predominantly used in the manufacture of rayon; it was not detected in the all-cotton tampons that were tested.

Report Exposes Industry-Funded Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Panel’s Failure to Protect the Public and Manufacturers

24 Apr 2018

An exclusive report exposes the dangers both the public and manufacturers face in relying on the Cosmetics Ingredient Review (CIR) panel to provide adequate safety assessments of ingredients used in cosmetics. The CIR is a program of the Personal Care Products Council (PCPC), a trade organization representing manufacturers of the $62 billion cosmetics industry. The CIR’s stated purpose is to assess the safety of ingredients used in cosmetics. But as the report points out, the CIR is green-lighting chemicals as “safe for use in cosmetics” that are linked to adverse health effects including allergies, hormone disruption and cancer.