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The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics

The cosmetics industry uses more than 10,000 chemicals in its products, in everything from lipstick and lotion to shampoo and shaving cream. In fact, studies show that one out of every five products contains ingredients certified by government authorities as known or probable human carcinogens.

So what can be done? The Breast Cancer Fund is a founding member and national coordinator of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, a broad-based coalition working to eliminate dangerous chemicals from cosmetics and personal care products. The Campaign has enlisted organizations, businesses and thousands of citizen activists to shift the cosmetics market toward safer products and demand government oversight.

We're also advocating for a major overhaul in the form of the Safe Cosmetics Act of 2011, introduced in Congress in June 2011. We need your help telling Congress that cosmetic safety is important to you and keeping this bill strong and protective.

Some of the victories of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics include:

• Driving public support for the Safe Cosmetics Act of 2011
• Global release of The Story of Cosmetics, a 7-minute film hosted by Annie Leonard that showcases the toxic problems with cosmetics
• Creating the world's largest searchable cosmetics safety database, Skin Deep
• Educating millions of people about the problem of toxic chemicals in cosmetics
• Successfully pressuring mainstream companies to reduce or remove phthalates from their products
• Getting more than 1,500 companies to sign the Compact for Safe Cosmetics, a pledge to replace harmful chemicals with safe alternatives.
• Forcing major nail polish brands to reformulate their products to remove the three most toxic chemicals (formaldehyde, toluene and dibutyl phthalate)
• Working with the natural and organic products industry to raise the bar for cosmetics safety and sustainability
• Launching a nationwide speaking and book tour for Not Just a Pretty Face: The Ugly Side of the Beauty Industry, by co-founder Stacy Malkan

These efforts have brought international attention to the problem of toxic chemicals in cosmetics, and have spurred thousands of stories in major media outlets in the United States, China, Canada and Europe.

• Ask your Representative in Congress to co-sponsor the Safe Cosmetics Act of 2011.
• Learn more about the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics.
• Find out how your products rate at Skin Deep, the cosmetics safety database from Environmental Working Group.