Beautycounter, a leader in safer skincare and clean cosmetics, has launched the Counteract Coalition, a collaboration of 15 beauty brands committed to safe and natural beauty that is focused on transforming the nation’s outdated cosmetic safety laws and lack of industry regulation.
The Coalition brought together CEOs from more than a dozen beauty companies to demand change in Washington D.C. recently, including brands such as Annamarie Skin Care, Biossance, Côte, Goddess Garden, Follain, OSEA, Peet Rivko, Rahua, Seventh Generation, Silk Therapeutics, SW Basics, tenoverten, Vapour Organic Beauty, and Vintner's Daughter.
“Beautycounter has led the charge to transform our nation's outdated cosmetic safety laws since we were founded,” says Beautycounter founder and CEO Gregg Renfrew. “We know we can't do it alone, and are proud to work alongside other leaders in the rapidly growing safer and natural personal care industry to demand change in Washington, D.C.”
Unlike in Canada and Europe, the substances used in beauty products sold in the U.S. do not require vetting for safety, as the laws that govern the beauty industry in the United States are regulated by only a page and a half of legislation authored in 1938. While nearly 1,4000 ingredients are banned from personal care products throughout Europe, only 30 are banned within the U.S. and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has no recall authority. There is also no industry-standard requirement for ingredient screening or monitoring.
On their recent visit to Washington D.C., coalition members met with lawmakers to ask for a hearing on the Personal Care Products Safety Act (S. 1113). Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Susan Collins (R-ME) helm the act that would fix fundamental flaws and loopholes in existing regulations on personal care products and cosmetics. By updating federal regulations, the Counteract Coalition hopes that consumers will be better protected from harmful ingredients commonly used in personal care products, and businesses will have access to safety information, allowing them to bring products to market faster.
In a statement, Renfrew added, "Legislative change that will truly protect American families from harmful chemicals in personal care products will happen when the safer and natural beauty industry shows it is possible."
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