Chemicals in Cosmetics

The laws governing the safety of chemicals in consumer products are 80 years old and woefully inadequate. One point of proof: 29,000 companies from 181 countries are able to bring 3 million shipments of personal care products into the United States with little or no oversight from the Food and Drug Administration.

Our failure to impose even the most basic safety rules on personal care products — both domestic and imported — is an urgent public health issue.

There is increasing evidence that daily, long-term exposure to certain chemicals, many of which are found in personal care products and absorbed through the skin, is linked to a range of health concerns including cancer and reproductive disorders. It’s outrageous that our laws governing the use of these chemicals are so outdated.

Our bipartisan Personal Care Products Safety Act, supported by companies and consumer advocates, is the solution. Not only would companies register with the F.D.A., but the agency would also evaluate ingredients to determine whether they are safe.