Target: Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives
Goal: Eliminate dangerous chemicals from widely available cosmetics products.
Makeup wearers may be routinely putting a toxic substance on their faces and bodies. About a dozen perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and chemicals are believed to be in widespread use by at least half of American cosmetics and personal care companies. Manufacturers prefer these substances because they can help a product become longer-lasting and more water-resistant. According to researchers, however, they also have more ominous effects.
PFAS do not easily break down, so they remain for incredibly long periods of time wherever they are deposited. They have long been a source of environmental concern, and PFAS pollution was recently associated with deterioration of the Chesapeake Bay. Consumers of products containing these chemicals could be at even greater risk. The substances can apparently wreak havoc on the reproductive and immune systems. They may also impair development and increase the likelihood of developing certain cancers.
The danger is considered so great that one state has already banned use of these chemicals in cosmetics, and a couple of other states are in the process. Standards for regulating PFAS are nearly a century old. Emerging scientific evidence against their use compelled lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to unveil the Personal Care Production Safety Act. This law would hold companies to much more rigorous safety standards and transparency.
Sign the petition below to support this important consumer protection initiative.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Speaker Pelosi,
A Notre Dame study found that over half of long-lasting, sweat-resistant, and water-resistant cosmetics contained PFAS: toxins linked to a host of serious health issues as well as environmental degradation. Despite the high number, under ten percent of these products have PFAS, or tell-tale fluorine additives, listed in their ingredients. These cosmetics are reaching millions of consumers on a daily basis, potentially putting them in harm’s way.
Maine has taken decisive action by banning PFAS in products, but the United States (and its 80-year-old outdated regulations that do not even mandate FDA pre-market safety testing) must take action on a broader level. The bipartisan Personal Care Production Safety Act offers just this opportunity. Rigorous FDA oversight, transparent ingredient-listing, and stringent safety guidelines would be hallmarks of this legislation.
Lawmakers have already failed consumers by not passing this bill in 2015. Do not let history repeat itself. Please act with urgency and bring this essential safeguard to the floor for a vote as soon as possible.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo Credit: Tembela Bohle
Make-up does not to be tested on animals anymore either. Just don’t wear the shit.