New Report Finds Hidden Toxic Chemicals Linked to Asthma and Birth Defects in Children’s Back to School Supplies

Posted August 27th, 2012

Lab tests reveal higher levels than deemed safe in toys
New guide to safer school supplies released

For immediate release:
August 27, 2012

Contact:
Cassidy Randall, (406) 543-3747, cassidyr@womensvoices.org

MISSOULA – A new report reveals toxic chemicals linked to asthma and birth defects that are banned in toys were found to be widespread in children’s vinyl back-to-school supplies.

Twenty different children’s school supplies were shown in laboratory tests to have elevated levels of toxic phthalates in popular Disney, Spiderman, and Dora branded school supplies, including vinyl lunchboxes, backpacks, 3-ring binders, raincoats, and rain boots. All of the products were purchased during the 2012 “back-to-school” shopping season.  One product tested, the Amazing Spiderman Lunchbox, contained an estimated 27,900 ppm of the phthalate DEHP.  If this product were a children’s toy, it would be over 27 times the federal limit for toys.    Another product, the Dora the Explorer Backpack, contained phthalate levels over 69 times the federal limit for toys.

“Parents shouldn’t have to worry that their children are being exposed to hidden toxic chemicals like phthalates in products they use every day,” said Erin Switalski, Executive Director of Women’s Voices for the Earth, a national environmental health organization based here in Missoula. “This report underscores the urgent need to pass the Safe Chemicals Act to place common sense limits on harmful chemicals, and I’m proud that both of Montana’s senators are in support of this legislation.”

Phthalates are a class of chemicals that are hazardous at even low levels of exposure, and have been linked to birth defects, infertility, early puberty, asthma, ADHD, obesity, and diabetes.  According to testing by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, children face the highest exposure to these hazardous chemicals.  As a result of the widespread use of phthalates in vinyl plastic products, they have been found in the air and dust of our homes and schools, and our bodies, blood and breast milk.

“Our investigation found elevated levels of toxic phthalates widespread in children’s school supplies.  Unfortunately, while phthalates have been banned in children’s toys, similar safeguards don’t yet exist to keep them out of lunchboxes, backpacks and other children’s school supplies,” says Mike Schade from the Center for Health, Environment & Justice (CHEJ), author of the new report, Hidden Hazards: Toxic Chemicals Inside Children’s Vinyl Back-to-School Supplies.

The new report, Hidden Hazards: Toxic Chemicals Inside Children’s Vinyl Back-to-School Supplies, found:

• 80% (16/20) of children’s back to school supplies sampled contained phthalates.

• Since the phthalates are not chemically bound to the vinyl, they can migrate from within the products to the surface. Children may be exposed to elevated levels of these toxic substances by using these school supplies.

• The phthalates DEHP, DnOP, DMP, and DBP were detected in children’s back-to-school supplies.

• 75% (15/20) of children’s back-to-school supplies contained levels of phthalates that would be in violation of the federal ban for toys, if these products were considered toys.

• 65% (13/20) of children’s back to school supplies sampled contained measurable levels of DEHP.

• 55% (11/20) of children’s back to school supplies sampled contained more than one phthalate, indicating children are exposed to multiple phthalates from vinyl back to school supplies.

• None of the products sampled contained labels indicating the products contained phthalates.

“It is disturbing that millions of young children are being exposed to these toxic chemicals with no regulations to protect them,” said Judy Braiman of the Empire State Consumer Project, co-publisher of the report.

The Safe Chemicals Act would require that chemicals be proven safe before they end up in products like children’s toys, household cleaners, furniture, and other consumer products. It would also require that chemical safety be based on exposure to vulnerable populations, such as children, pregnant women, and workers.

The Act passed out of the Environment and Public Works Committee last month with the support of Senator Baucus. Public health advocates are urging the Senate to bring the bill to a floor vote this fall.  The next step in passing this critical public health legislation would be a floor vote in the Senate after the August recess.

The Back-to-School Guide to PVC-free School Supplies, also released today, features a listing of safer alternatives to phthalate-laden vinyl products in over 40 different product categories, from backpacks and binders to lunchboxes and electronics.

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Women’s Voices for the Earth is a national organization that works to eliminate toxic chemicals that harm women’s health by changing consumer behaviors, corporate practices, and government policies. http://www.womensvoices.org

ATTENTION REPORTERS: For a copy of the reports and photos of school supplies that were tested, go to: www.chej.org

Johnson & Johnson Makes Historic Commitment to Remove Cancer-Causing Chemicals

Posted August 15th, 2012

Other Cosmetics Giants Challenged to Follow Suit

For Immediate Release:
August 15, 2012

Contact:
Shannon Coughlin 415/336-2246, scoughlin@breastcancerfund.org
Alex Formuzis 202/667-6982, alex@ewg.org

San Francisco — Prompted by growing concerns raised by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ), makers of Aveeno, Neutrogena, and Johnson’s Baby Shampoo, announced today that it will be removing carcinogens and other toxic chemicals from its baby and adult products globally.

“This is a major victory for public health,” said Lisa Archer, director of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics at the Breast Cancer Fund, a co-founder of the campaign. “We applaud Johnson & Johnson for its leadership in committing to remove cancer-causing chemicals from its products. We will be vigilant in making sure it meets its commitments and will continue to encourage it to remove other ingredients of concern. And we call on other cosmetics giants—Avon, Estee Lauder, L’Oreal, Procter & Gamble and Unilever—to meet or beat J&J’s commitments and signal they take consumer safety as seriously as their competitor. As always, we encourage consumers to seek out the safest products for their families and support companies that are avoiding chemicals of concern.”

The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, a national coalition of more than 175 nonprofit organizations working to protect the health of consumers and workers by eliminating dangerous chemicals from cosmetics and led by the Breast Cancer Fund, Clean Water Action, Commonweal, Environmental Working Group, Friends of the Earth and Women’s Voices for the Earth, will launch a national campaign this week challenging L’Oreal (Maybelline, Garnier, Kiehl’s, The Body Shop, Softsheen-Carson), Procter & Gamble (CoverGirl, Pantene, Secret, Old Spice), Estee Lauder (Clinique, MAC, Prescriptives), Avon, and Unilever (Dove, Ponds, St. Ives, Axe) to follow J&J’s lead and commit to removing carcinogens and other harmful chemicals from cosmetics and specify a timeline for removal.

Johnson & Johnson, one of the largest companies in the world, told the Campaign it will reformulate its hundreds of cosmetics and personal care products in all the markets it serves in 57 countries around the world. J&J has confirmed to the Campaign that it has set an internal target date of reformulating adult products by the end of 2015, and it will use safe alternatives when reformulating. It will:

•    Reduce 1,4 dioxane to a maximum of 10 parts per million in adult products;
•    Phase out formaldehyde-releasers in adult products;
•    Limit parabens in adult products to methyl-, ethyl- and propyl-;
•    Complete phase-out of triclosan from all products;
•    Phase out Diethyl Phthalate (DEP) from all products (no other phthalates are currently used);
•    Phase out polycyclic musks, animal derived ingredients, tagates, rose crystal and diacetyl from fragrances.

Johnson & Johnson’s announcement follows the company’s November 2011 commitment to globally reformulate its baby products to remove carcinogens 1,4 dioxane and formaldehyde by the end of 2013, which was triggered by years of campaigning and dialogue by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics and allies including the American Nurses Association, including the release of two reports Toxic Tub and Baby’s Tub is Still Toxic, which showed Johnson & Johnson baby products contain these carcinogens.

Both formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane cause cancer in animals, and formaldehyde was recently classified as a known human carcinogen by the U.S. National Toxicology Program. Phthalates, parabens, triclosan and polycyclic musks are all considered to be likely hormone disruptors and have been linked to a variety of health problems ranging from birth defects to diabetes, obesity and breast cancer.

“While J&J still has work to do, we support its efforts and will keep working with the company to make improvements,” said Erin Switalski, executive director at Women’s Voices for the Earth, a co-founder of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. “In addition to being a real win for public health, we believe that these commitments will bode well for J&J’s bottom line, too. Consumers are simply looking for the safest products out there.”

“While voluntary action on the part of manufacturers like Johnson & Johnson indicates that some in the cosmetics industry are getting the message that consumers want safer products,” said Cindy Luppi, director at Clean Water Action, a co-founder of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, “only stricter regulation of this $50 billion industry will ensure that all consumers are protected.”

The Safe Cosmetics Act of 2011, currently circulating in Congress, will phase out chemicals linked to cancer and reproductive harm; implement a strong safety standard designed to protect children, pregnant women and workers; require full disclosure of ingredients; and give FDA the authority to recall dangerous products.

“Today’s action by Johnson and Johnson is another example of a company responding to their customers and the public interest community,” said Nneka Leiba, senior analyst with Environmental Working Group, a co-founder of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. “Unfortunately, not every company will take similar steps to protect consumers from potentially toxic ingredients. That is why we need Congress and the cosmetics industry to support the Safe Cosmetics Act that will require substances be safe for human health before being used in the products we all use every day.”

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The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics is a national coalition of more than 175 nonprofit organizations working to protect the health of consumers and workers by eliminating dangerous chemicals from cosmetics. www.safecosmetics.org

Salon Workers Expose Ugly Side of Beauty Industry to Lawmakera

Posted July 23rd, 2012

Horror stories, health risks spur calls for reform

For Immediate Release:
July 23rd, 2012

Contact:
Jamie Silberberger, jamies@womensvoices.org, 406-531-1811
Sabrina Williams, Sabrina@safecosmetics.org, 305-904-3960

WASHINGTON DC – This week, dozens of salon workers and advocates from all over the country will be descending upon D.C. for a day of action to raise awareness about toxic chemical exposure in the workplace.

Workers will meet with lawmakers and share personal stories of the negative health impacts they have suffered as a result of working with salon products that contain toxic chemicals, including the still popular hair treatment Brazilian Blowout that was found last year to contain very high levels of the carcinogen formaldehyde.

The National Healthy Nail and Beauty Salon Alliance (the Alliance) and the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics (the Campaign) are organizing the day of action in an effort to garner support for the Safe Cosmetics Act of 2011 (H.R.2359), introduced last June and currently being debated.

The visits with lawmakers are part of a larger week of action that the Alliance is organizing, including a meeting with Cabinet Secretary Chris Lu and top level officials from multiple federal agencies, where over 40 letters from salon workers to the FDA will be delivered. The letters are directed to Linda Katz, Director of the FDA’s Office of Cosmetics and Colors, and will ask the agency to issue a voluntary recall of hair straightening treatments that contain formaldehyde. There will also be a conference about salon worker health and safety on July 26th.

A growing body of scientific evidence indicates there is reason for concern regarding chemicals found in salon products. One recent study has shown that nail salon workers have higher levels of dibutyl phthalate (DBP), a reproductive and developmental toxicant, than the general population.[i] Another study found that beauticians and hairdressers are likely to have significant exposure to solvents that are linked to birth defects.[ii] Other studies have found cosmetologists are at a higher risk for having spontaneous abortions and low birth weight babies.[iii],[iv]

“We’re meeting with government officials this week because, despite thousands of women being poisoned in their own workplaces due to the dangerous chemicals in unsafe, unregulated products like the Brazilian Blowout and other nail and hair salon products, lawmakers and the FDA haven’t done much to address the issue in any significant way,” said Alliance spokesperson Jamie Silberberger. “We hope that these meetings will educate lawmakers and encourage them to finally take actions to reduce these risks in salons.”

The Brazilian Blowout company settled with the California Attorney General last year, and it is now required to state on package labels that the product contains formaldehyde. However, the products remain on the shelves and a class action lawsuit by salon workers has been filed both in the U.S. and Canada. Although the products have been banned in Canada, France, Germany, Australia and Ireland, the US continues to lag behind health protective standards.

“While the Attorney General’s ruling will help keep Brazilian Blowout honest about formaldehyde in their products, the fact is it doesn’t stop salon workers like myself from being exposed to high levels of the carcinogen. Without action from the FDA thousands of workers across the country will continue to experience adverse health effects, such as I have, as a result of being exposed to these treatments” said Jennifer Arce, a hairstylist in California.

In 2011 the FDA issued a warning to letter to Brazilian Blowout citing the company for labeling and safety violations. However, the agency has not moved to issue a voluntary recall of the product. The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Panel (CIR), established by the cosmetic industry to review the safety of cosmetic ingredients, determined in 2011 that the use of formaldehyde in hair straighteners is unsafe. However, the CIR is not a regulatory body and the panel’s recommendations are only voluntary.

“Workers are on the front lines in the fight for safer cosmetics and we hope that Congress will move to protect workers and all of us by overhauling our outdated and ineffective 70 year old cosmetics laws by passing the Safe Cosmetics Act of 2011,” said Lisa Archer, director of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics at the Breast Cancer Fund.

The Safe Cosmetics Act of 2011 (H.R.2359) would give the FDA Office of Cosmetics and Colors authority to phase out ingredients in cosmetics linked to cancer, birth defects and developmental harm, provide a strong science-based safety standard that protects children, pregnant women, workers and other vulnerable populations, require full disclosure of ingredients and give the FDA the ability to recall dangerous products. Under current law, the FDA can’t require companies to conduct safety assessments, or even require recalls of cosmetic products, even when a product has been shown to be dangerous.

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The National Healthy Nail and Beauty Salon Alliance (Alliance) works to increase the health, safety, and rights of salon workers by reducing toxic chemical exposure through engaging in strategic movement building, policy advocacy, and media efforts nationwide. http://nailsalonalliance.org

The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics is a coalition effort to protect the health of consumers and workers by securing the corporate, regulatory and legislative reforms necessary to eliminate dangerous chemicals from cosmetics and personal care products. www.safecosmetics.org

[i] Hines J, Cynthia et al. “Urinary Phthalate Metabolite Concentrations among Workers in Selected Industries: A Pilot Biomonitoring Study.” The Annals of Occupational Hygiene. (2009); 53(1):1-17.

[ii] Garlantezec, Monfort, Cordier. “Maternal occupational exposure to solvents and congenital malformations: a prospective study in the general population.” Occup. Environ. Med. (2009); 66: 456-463.

[iii] John, EM, Savitz D, Shy C. “Spontaneous abortions among cosmetologists.” Epidemiology. (1994) Mar; 5(2): 147-155.

[iv] Herdt-Losavio ML. “The risk of having a low birth weight or preterm infant among cosmetologists in New York State.” Maternal Child Health Journal. (2009) Jan;13(1):90-7.

Local Organization Wins 2012 Women’s Empowerment Award

Posted June 28th, 2012

Women’s Voices for the Earth recognized for national campaigns to protect women’s health from toxic chemicals

For immediate release:
June 26, 2012

Contact:
Erin Switalski, (406) 543-3747, erins@womensvoices.org

MISSOULA – Women’s Voices for the Earth (WVE), a national women’s health organization based here in Missoula, is a recipient of the 2012 Women’s Empowerment Awards and has been named to a new list of top-rated groups by GreatNonprofits.

“I’m proud that WVE is here in Montana representing influential national work on women’s health issues and toxic chemicals,” said Erin Switalski, executive director of Women’s Voices for the Earth.

WVE was founded in Missoula in 1995 with the goal of creating a model women’s organization that would effectively address leading environmental issues while creating opportunities for women to become agents for social change. For the first half of its existence, WVE conducted state-based work in Montana, organizing women to fight polluting facilities such as incinerators, cement kilns, and large-scale pesticide spraying. In 2004, WVE expanded its work to reach women at the national levels by co-founding the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, and has been leading influential national campaigns to eliminate toxic chemicals that harm women’s health for the last eight years.

WVE was awarded the prestigious Women’s Empowerment Award for its innovative national campaigns, such as the Since When is Cancer Free and Gentle? campaign that the group is currently leading. In November, WVE released a report with independent testing results of 20 top-selling cleaning products that revealed the presence of 1,4-dioxane, a known-cancer-causing chemical, in Tide and Tide Free & Gentle. WVE launched Since When is Cancer Free and Gentle? to convince the consumer product manufacturer behemoth Procter & Gamble (makers of Tide) to remove the chemical from its products. The campaign has mobilized more than 78,000 people to call on the company to remove 1,4-dioxane and has received widespread media coverage in major outlets like The New York Times, Forbes, and Scientific American, and in television outlets across the country.

“We are gratified to be able to honor Women’s Voices for the Earth for its work on women’s health issues,” said Perla Ni, CEO of GreatNonprofits. “They deserve to be recognized for the support that have from their community of stakeholders.”

GreatNonprofits is the leading provider of user reviews for nonprofit organizations, and WVE members’ unanimously 5-star reviews of the organization were another major reason that the WVE was named a recipient of the Women’s Empowerment Award. The following are excerpts from a few of those reviews.

“They foster a sense of community that we as women can make a difference in the health of ourselves, children, families, & communities.”  

“WVE effectively educates women and mobilizes them to raise their voices and speak out about the injustices of living in world where exposure to toxic chemicals is a daily reality.”
“Not only did WVE have excellent reports and science to share to benefit the health of women and children (the whole family – really), they were also very open and available. They continue to be one of my favorite organizations helping to spread the word that the immediate environments of women & children matter and that easy-to-implement options abound.”

For more on WVE’s national work and how to get involved, visit www.womensvoices.org.

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Women’s Voices for the Earth is a national organization that works to eliminate toxic chemicals that impact women’s health by changing consumer behaviors, corporate practices and government policies.

House Parties Launched to Detox Homes for New Parents

Posted May 11th, 2012

Organization Women’s Voices for the Earth seeks to reduce exposure to unregulated toxic chemicals

Contact:
Sian Wu, swu@colehourcohen.com, 206-701-4734
Cassidy Randall, cassidyr@womensvoices.org, 406-543-3747

MISSOULA, Mont. –The national women’s health nonprofit Women’s Voices for the Earth (WVE) has come out with a fun way to get rid of toxic chemicals lurking in the home: throw a party.  The organization has been working closely with parents concerned about disconcerting news that unregulated toxic chemicals, including carcinogens, can be found in everyday personal care products, cleaners, and other common household products. As a result, WVE developed the Green Momma Party. Designed for baby showers, parents’ groups, or get-togethers with friends, a Green Momma Party educates parents about reducing toxic chemicals in the home while empowering them to become advocates for safer products at the same time.

“I’m a new mom myself, so I know the feeling of wanting to make sure you’re providing the safest environment possible for your kids,” said WVE executive director Erin Switalski. “But detoxing your home can be overwhelming – and cost prohibitive. So we’ve developed this party to give parents the resources they need to make changes they can afford and do easily. And by having a party, it’s fun!”

People can sign up online to host a Green Momma Party and download WVE’s free Green Momma Party Guide, which includes steps for hosting a party, non-toxic tips for each room in the house, economical do-it-yourself recipes for safer products that have been pre-tested by parents and verified by scientific experts, and more. The result is reducing the family’s exposure to toxics in conventional products, while having fun and educating friends and family about the importance of making green choices in the home.

But the party is about more than just making personal choices; the party-goers will have the opportunity to collectively take action to demand safer products in the marketplace.

“We need regulations that ultimately protect the public,” says Switalski. “We can make personal choices that will result in a healthier home, but it is impossible to remove every hidden toxic hazard in the home without strong laws.”

It is estimated that between 80,000 and 85,000 chemicals are in use in the environment in United States, yet only about 200 of these chemicals have been tested for safety. Women’s Voices for the Earth believes that all products, especially those for vulnerable populations like babies, should be safe and non-toxic.

WVE’s Green Momma Parties build on the success of the organization’s Green Cleaning Parties launched in 2008, which empowered people to make their own homemade cleaners as an alternative to conventional cleaning products. That effort resulted in thousands of people holding green cleaning parties in every state in the U.S., as well as internationally. Since then, major cleaning product manufacturers such as SC Johnson & Son, Clorox, and Reckitt-Benckiser have begun disclosing chemical ingredients and made efforts to phase out chemicals of concern.

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Women’s Voices for the Earth is a national organization that works to eliminate toxic chemicals that impact women’s health by changing consumer behaviors, corporate practices and government policies.

Tide Pressured to Reformulate After Laboratory Testing Finds Carcinogen in Tide Free & Gentle

Posted April 23rd, 2012

Procter & Gamble faces lawsuit in California

Date:
April 13, 2011

Contact:
Sian Wu, swu@colehourcohen.com, 206-262-0363 x115
Erin Switalski, erins@womensvoices.org, 406-396-6324
Rachel Sarnoff, rachel@healthychild.org, 310-820-2030

SACRAMENTO—Today an alliance of health nonprofits and nurses associations issued a public letter to executives at Procter & Gamble, in an effort to pressure the corporation to reformulate its detergents, which were found to contain actionable levels of 1,4-dioxane under California law. The State of California’s Proposition 65 classifies 1,4-dioxane as a known human carcinogen. The alliance is especially concerned about the presence of the toxic chemical in Tide Free & Gentle®, a detergent heavily marketed to moms as a safer and healthier choice for infants’ and children’s laundry. Young children are particularly vulnerable to toxic chemical exposure because their immune, neurological, and hormone systems are still developing.

The findings originated from a series of lab testing done by Analytical Sciences in California, commissioned by the national women’s health nonprofit, Women’s Voices for the Earth (WVE). Under that study, Dirty Secrets: What’s Hiding in your Cleaning Products, WVE found reproductive toxins, carcinogens, hormone disruptors and allergens in 20 different cleaning products.

Procter & Gamble faces a lawsuit in the state of California under its Proposition 65 law, The Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act, by the As You Sow Foundation. If the plaintiff is successful, P&G would be required to label its products that tested positive for 1,4-dioxane with warnings about the presence of a carcinogen. However, P&G would not have to reformulate their products to remove 1,4-dioxane.

In 2010 P&G reformulated its Herbal Essences® hair products to remove 1,4 dioxane, following a public outcry about the presence of the carcinogen. Tide Free & Gentle® tested at three times the level of 1,4 dioxane than was found in Herbal Essences®, yet the company has stated that it has no intention of reformulating Tide Free & Gentle based on the most recent independent testing.

“People are outraged because they feel deceived. They bought this product because they thought it was a healthier choice. They wouldn’t have purchased it if they knew there was a carcinogen in it. That’s why we need to increase accountability in the cleaning products sector, so that dangerous chemicals aren’t put needlessly in our products,” said Erin Switalski, executive director of Women’s Voices for the Earth.

“More than 76,000 people have already signed onto a Change.org petition and sent emails to P&G asking the company to reformulate Tide Free & Gentle®, yet the company has remained silent in response to this outpouring of customer concern,” said Lori Popkewitz Alper, a mom blogger at Groovy Green Livin’ who started the online petition.  “P&G’s action to reformulate Herbal Essences® proved that products can be made without 1,4 dioxane–this disregard for human health is unacceptable.”

“No ‘safe’ level exists for 1,4-dioxane in consumer products— and the range of health hazards extend beyond cancer,” said Dr. Anne Steinemann, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Public Affairs at the University of Washington, and Visiting Researcher at the University of California San Diego.  “Much more work needs to be done to improve the safety of cleaning products, including those claiming to be green or hypo-allergenic.”

“The fact that P&G hasn’t yet taken this chemical out of one of their most trusted brands is appalling,” said Rachel Lincoln Sarnoff, executive director of Healthy Child, Healthy World, which has been co-organizing an online advocacy effort for this cause. “A lot of people are saying that they used to trust Tide, but will now stop buying their products, because of this discovery. If Tide wants to keep its customer base, it needs to listen to the thousands of people who have urged them to take out 1,4-dioxane.”

“As nurses, we care for our patients and their families and watch the devastation that a diagnosis of cancer can have on them. We recognize that what causes cancer is complicated,” said Barbara Sattler of the Alliance of Nurses for a Healthy Environment, a co-signer of the letter to P&G. Why would we want a laundry soap that contains a known carcinogen? Proctor and Gamble needs to find a safer alternative to 1,4 dioxane for Tide Free and Gentle.”

Women’s Voices for the Earth is a national organization that works to eliminate toxic chemicals that impact women’s health by changing consumer behaviors, corporate practices and government policies. www.womensvoices.org 

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Nail Polishes Test Positive for Toxic Chemicals Despite Label Claims

Posted April 11th, 2012

Consumers and nail salon workers can’t trust labels, highlighting
the need for meaningful regulation of cosmetics

See if your favorite polish contains toxic chemicals.

For Immediate Release:
April 11, 2012

Contact: Shannon Coughlin, 415-336-2246, scoughlin@breastcancerfund.org; Julia Liou, 310-804-9953, jliou@ahschc.org; Jamie Silberberger, 406-543-3747, jamies@womensvoices.org; Stephenie Hendricks, 415-258-9151, stephdh@gmail.com

(Sacramento, CA) California Environmental Protection Agency’s Department of Toxic Substances Control announced yesterday that some nail care products typically found in many of California’s estimated 48,000 nail salons and sold directly to consumers contain high levels of hazardous chemicals despite their labels claiming otherwise. These chemicals, dibutyl phthalate and toluene, have been linked to birth defects, asthma and other chronic health conditions.

Dibutyl phthalate was banned from cosmetics in Europe in 2003, which prompted consumer groups to demand that the chemical be removed from products sold in the United States. Many top nail polish brands then began claiming their products were free of dibutyl phthalate, even labeling as such, but the DTSC tests reveal that products from brands including Sation, Dare to Wear, Chelsea, New York Summer, Paris Spicy, Sunshine, Cacie and Golden Girl actually contain high levels of the chemical.

This misbranding of nail polish is the latest in a series of scandals that have rocked the cosmetics industry, including formaldehyde in Brazilian Blowout hair straightener, lead in L’Oreal lipstick, carcinogens in Johnson’s baby shampoo and mercury in skin-lightening creams.

“Consumers have had it with the current system that tolerates cosmetics companies outright lying to consumers, putting dangerous chemicals in our products, and getting away with it,” said Lisa Archer, director of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics at the Breast Cancer Fund. “It’s clearer than ever that we need to overhaul our country’s outdated and broken cosmetics laws to protect workers and all of us.”

The House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee is currently debating the inclusion of cosmetics regulation in must-pass user fee authorization bills, and health advocates are urging members to ensure that any regulation they adopt is meaningful and effective. They say the regulations must include the phase-out of ingredients linked to cancer and reproductive or developmental toxicity; a safety standard that protects workers, babies and other vulnerable populations; full disclosure of ingredients; and FDA authority to recall dangerous products from the market—all of which are elements of the Safe Cosmetics Act of 2011 (H.R.2359), sponsored by Reps. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., Ed Markey, D-Mass., and Tammy Baldwin, D-Wisc.

In the case of nail polish, worker safety is of particular concern, as nail salon workers are heavily exposed. In California there are approximately 121,000 nail technicians and 284,000 cosmetologists offering nail services on a part-time basis; more than 380,000 nationwide. Women make up 96 percent of this workforce. “Many salons choose brands that do not contain toluene and dibutyl phthalate as a way to protect workers and customers from potentially harmful exposure to these chemicals,” said Julia Liou of the National Healthy Nail and Beauty Salon Alliance and co-founder of the California Healthy Nail Salon Collaborative. “The fact that some manufacturers are making false claims regarding their ingredients is a major public health problem. The heath of workers who use these products day in and day out is at stake here. No worker should suffer occupational exposures and health impacts due to manufacturer misrepresentation.

For the report, DTSC sampled 25 nail care products bought from six San Francisco Bay Area locations. Of the 12 products that claimed to be free of at least one of what’s known as the “toxic-trio”—toluene, dibutyl phthalate and formadlehyde, 10 contained toluene, and 4 contained dibutyl phthalate. Toluene is a neurological and a developmental toxicant that can cause headaches, dizziness, nausea, loss of short-term memory, and is proven to be toxic to a developing fetus. Both of these chemicals can impact the health of nail salon workers as well as consumers. Dibutyl phthalate can cause adverse effects on the male and female reproductive systems, as well as developmental problems in infants and children.

“Manufacturers that don’t get their labels right are putting those that do in a bad light,” said Debbie Raphael, DTSC director. “Manufacturers must ask themselves a basic question: ‘Is it necessary to make nail care products with these ingredients?’ Asking that question is a primary goal of DTSC’s Safer Consumer Products Regulations,” Raphael said. The regulations, scheduled to go into effect in 2012, are an effort to make selected product manufacturers analyze alternatives to toxic ingredients in their products.

“This report shows that companies are including harmful chemicals in their products, and are not being truthful about it,” said Miriam Yeung of the National Health Nail and Beauty Salon Alliance. “More disturbing is that the cosmetics industry continues to be almost completely unregulated—the FDA still does not have the power it needs to keep consumers and salon workers safe. Over 40 percent of nail salon workers are Asian American women. These are hardworking women trying to make a living while providing the service that their customers want. They deserve better.”

In 2006, under consumer pressure generated by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, leading salon nail polish manufacturer OPI agreed to remove the “toxic trio” chemicals—formaldehyde, toluene and DBP—from its nail polishes and treatments, and several other manufacturers followed suit. Yet the DTSC study highlights the fact that voluntary action on the part of industry is not backed by any kind of enforcement.

“Clearly we have a big problem. While the FDA has the responsibility to protect the public by ensuring cosmetics are safe and non-toxic, under current law it doesn’t have the authority to do so,” said Archer of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. “The DTSC study illustrates the importance of states having the right to regulate toxic chemicals to protect people’s health, and that ultimately we need stronger laws at the federal level that set a bottom line of safety, no matter where you live and work.”

The DTSC report can be found online at http://dtsc.ca.gov/PollutionPrevention/SaferNailProducts.cfm.

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The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics is a coalition of more than 150 nonprofit organizations working to protect the health of consumers and workers by eliminating dangerous chemicals from cosmetics. Core members include: Clean Water Action, the Breast Cancer Fund, Commonweal, Environmental Working Group, Friends of the Earth, Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition and Women’s Voices for the Earth. www.safecosmetics.org

Founded in 2007, the National Healthy Nail and Beauty Salon Alliance (Alliance) works to increase the health, safety, and rights of salon workers by reducing toxic chemical exposure and engaging in strategic movement building, policy advocacy, and media efforts nationwide.  The Alliance is a joint project of Women’s Voices for the Earth (WVE), the California Healthy Nail Salon Collaborative (the Collaborative), and the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF).

Industry Influence Dominates Historic Hearing on Toxic Cosmetics

Posted March 28th, 2012

Regulatory Fight Could Turn Ugly as Congress Seeks to Overhaul Cosmetics Regulations

For Immediate Release:
March 28, 2012

Contact: Stacy Malkan, stacy@safecosmetics.org, 202-321-6963; Stephenie Hendricks, stephdh@earthlink.net, 415-299-9510

(Washington DC) In response to public pressure from recent scandals including mercury in face cream, lead in lipstick and formaldehyde in hair products, the House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee yesterday convened the first Congressional hearing in 30 years on the safety of cosmetics and personal care products. The hearing was weighted in favor of industry, which represented four of the six witnesses who testified. No witnesses representing health impacted salon workers or consumers were called to testify.

“It’s upsetting that manufacturers, their trade groups and lawyers got most of the seats at the table but the voices of people who have been hurt by toxic products were shut out of the process,” said Jennifer Arce, a hairstylist who is suffering respiratory ailments due to formaldehyde exposure from hair straightening treatments that she was required to give clients. Arce’s name was submitted to the Committee but she was not chosen to testify.

“Despite the heavy industry influence, safe cosmetics champions Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D – IL) and Rep. Ed Markey (D-MA) gave voice to the strong science supporting concerns about toxic chemicals in cosmetics and were staunch advocates for public health, worker safety and consumers’ right to know,” said Lisa Archer, director of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics.

Michael DiBartolomeis, PhD toxicologist and head of the Safe Cosmetics Program for the California Department of Health, testified that companies have reported to his office 17,060 personal care products that contain one or more of 96 carcinogens or reproductive toxicants. The reporting is required by the California Safe Cosmetics Act of 2005.

DiBartolomeis stressed the importance that any federal cosmetics legislation must not preempt states’ rights to create stronger standards, as California has done. This could be a central issue as Congress gears up to debate cosmetics safety in the weeks ahead.

“This is a critical time for the future of cosmetic safety in the United States. Industry, environmental groups and both parties seem to agree that the failed 1938 cosmetics laws need to be updated, but the million-dollar question is, will it be meaningful reform or will industry write its own rules and make a bad situation worse?” said Janet Nudelman, policy director of the Breast Cancer Fund.

Three legislative proposals are circulating. The original cosmetics safety bill — the Safe Cosmetics Act, introduced last year by Schakowsky, Markey and Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) — is being supported by more than 100 consumer, public health, medical, faith and environmental groups.

Yesterday, Reps. Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and John Dingle (D-MI) introduced the Cosmetics Safety Enhancement Act. That bill calls for companies to pay $500 in user fees and would grant recall authority to FDA for cosmetics. Unlike Schakowsky’s bill, it would not provide protections against carcinogens and reproductive toxins in cosmetics, would not require full disclosure of cosmetic ingredients, and does not contain as strong a safety standard.

A third legislative proposal, written by the Personal Care Products Council, seeks to have FDA codify into law decisions about ingredient safety made by the industry-funded Cosmetic Ingredient Review Panel. Such a move would be “unprecedented” and possibly unconstitutional, according to Michael Landa, Director of the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition at FDA, who testified at the hearing.

The Energy and Commerce Committee has said there is a placeholder for cosmetics safety language to be added by Rep. Leonard Lance (R-NJ) to the User Fee Reauthorization Act that Congress will vote on in the coming months.

“Essential public health protections could be set back another 70 years if industry gets away with writing its own laws that put industry profits over public health,” said Janet Nudelman from the Breast Cancer Fund.

Nudelman stressed the need for meaningful reform that includes phasing out cosmetic ingredients linked to cancer, reproductive or developmental toxicity; a safety standard that protects workers, babies and other vulnerable populations; full disclosure of ingredients and FDA authority to recall dangerous products from the market—all of which are elements of the Safe Cosmetics Act of 2011.

“Anything less than this will fail to protect the public from the worst toxic chemicals that are lurking in our most intimate products,” Nudelman said.

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The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics is a coalition of more than 150 nonprofit organizations working to protect the health of consumers and workers by eliminating dangerous chemicals from cosmetics. Core members include: the Breast Cancer Fund, Clean Water Action, Commonweal, Environmental Working Group, Friends of the Earth, and Women’s Voices for the Earth. www.safecosmetics.org

Toxic Chemicals in Cosmetics: Congress to Investigate

Posted March 22nd, 2012

Mercury, Lead, Formaldehyde Found in Many Body-Care Products

Congressional Hearing March 27 with Energy & Commerce Committee

For Immediate Release:
March 22, 2011

Contact:
Stacy Malkan, 202-321-6963, stacy@safecosmetics.org; Stephenie Hendricks, stephdh@earthlink.net; Shannon Coughlin, 415-346-8223 x14, scoughlin@breastcancerfund.org

(Washington, DC) In the wake of recent scandals involving mercury in face cream, formaldehyde in hair products and lead in lipstick, the House Energy and Commerce Committee has called the first official Congressional hearing on cosmetics safety in more than 30 years. The hearing will take place March 27.

“It’s time for Congress to overhaul the 1938 cosmetic regulations that are utterly failing to protect public health. Personal care products from deodorants, to lotions to baby shampoos contain chemicals linked to cancer, birth defects, learning disabilities and other health problems,” said Janet Nudelman, policy director of the Breast Cancer Fund.

“The FDA doesn’t even have the authority to recall unsafe products such as face creams linked to mercury poisoning or hair products with high levels of formaldehyde,” Nudelman said.

In a recent example, the California Attorney General forced the makers of Brazilian Blowout hair smoothing products to warn consumers about exposure to cancer-causing formaldehyde. But just last week, a hidden camera investigation by Good Morning America revealed that 16 of 16 salons failed to notify consumers about the risk.

“There is a war on women happening every day in salons across the country, where salon workers and their clients are being exposed to harmful cancer-causing chemicals, and the US government is powerless to do anything about it. Current laws are incapable of protecting consumers and salon workers,” said Erin Switalski, of Women’s Voices for the Earth.

“We’re pleased the Energy and Commerce Committee is seriously considering regulating the cosmetics industry, which is currently allowed to use chemicals that have hardly been studied at all in personal care products,” said Jane Houlihan, senior vice president for research of the Environmental Working Group. “Getting cancer-causing chemicals and other harmful toxins out of the products we put on our bodies is an urgent public health and consumer rights issue.”

In a Feb. 17 letter to the Energy and Commerce Committee, 50 businesses and 50 environmental groups called for the hearing and urged the Committee to support meaningful regulations that phase out cosmetic ingredients linked to cancer, reproductive or developmental toxicity; create a safety standard for cosmetics; and require full disclosure of ingredients including fragrance and salon products.

These elements are included in the Safe Cosmetics Act, a bill introduced into Congress last year by Reps. Jan Schakowsky, D-IL, Ed Markey, D-MA., and Tammy Baldwin, D-WI.

“We hope this is a moment when Congress can rise above partisan politics as usual and take a step forward to better protect our health,” concluded Cindy Luppi, New England Director for Clean Water Action. “Thanks to our legislative champions for leading the charge on this critical health issue.”

President Obama’s proposed budget for the next fiscal year calls for an additional $19 million in funding through user fees to enable the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to more effectively regulate cosmetics, signaling the White House’s acknowledgement that the agency’s current oversight is inadequate to protect consumers.

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The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics is a coalition of more than 150 nonprofit organizations working to protect the health of consumers and workers by eliminating dangerous chemicals from cosmetics. Core members include: the Breast Cancer Fund, Clean Water Action, Commonweal, Environmental Working Group, Friends of the Earth, and Women’s Voices for the Earth. www.safecosmetics.org

Toxics Linked to Hormone Disruption and Asthma Found In Consumer Products

Posted March 8th, 2012

New Peer Reviewed Study Analyzed Broadest Range of Products Ever Tested
Public Health Advocates Support Full Ingredient Labeling and New Safety Rules

For immediate release:
March 8th, 2012

BOSTON – Toxic chemicals linked to the rising rates of endocrine disruption related disease on the rise were found in a broad array of consumer products and reported in a peer reviewed article in Environmental Health Perspectives today. The Silent Spring Institute tested 213 consumer products, including cleaning products, cosmetics, sunscreens, shower curtains, air fresheners, drier sheets, and other household goods made by Colgate, Unilever, S.C. Johnson, Johnson and Johnson, Procter & Gamble, Seventh Generation, and Ecover among other manufacturers.

“These test results show that both conventional and so-called green products contain hidden toxic chemicals that are not on product labels – so consumers have no way of avoiding them,” says Alexandra Scranton from Women’s Voices for the Earth, who recently conducted their own tests for hidden toxic chemicals in 20 top brand-name cleaning products. “Companies need to phase out these harmful chemicals, and we need a policy that standardizes labeling guidelines for cleaning products, so companies can’t keep these toxic chemicals a secret.”

Environmental health advocates across the nation see this new study as confirmation that ubiquitous chemical exposure is playing a factor in adverse health impacts.

Martha Arguello, with Physicians for Social Responsibility – Los Angeles, comments,  “Silent Spring used Battelle Labs in Ohio, and they found 55 chemicals associated with endocrine disruption or with asthma, including parabens, BPA, triclosan, Alkylphenols, cyclosiloxanes. It is not good science to assume that cumulative exposure to these chemicals is safe.

“This new study found PVC products, including a pillow protector and shower curtain, contained high levels of the toxic phthalate DEHP,” explains Mike Schade from the Center for Health, Environment & Justice. “Phthalates have been banned in toys, but are widespread in many PVC products children come in contact with in schools and even at home.  Phthalates have been linked to asthma, adverse impacts on brain development, and reproductive health problems in baby boys.  Thankfully, there are safer cost-effective alternatives to phthalate-laden PVC products for our schools and homes.”

“Many  products are targeted to women of color who suffer from high health disparities that can be linked directly to the endocrine disruptors found in these products. We can only hope that studies like this one inspire better policies and regulations of these dangerous chemicals,” says Janette Robinson-Flint from Black Women for Wellness. “Mother shouldn’t have to be a biochemist to protect themselves and their families from toxic chemicals in everyday products.”

“We know many folks have tested positive for BPA and Triclosan in our human biomonitoring studies,” says Sharyle Patton, Director of the Biomonitoring Resource Center at Commonweal,  “One has to wonder if rising rates of  associated health problems  are linked to these exposures.”

Caroline Cox, Research Director, Center for Environmental Health, says, “These unnecessary, untested and unlabeled chemicals in dozens of everyday products threaten our children’s and families’ health. It’s past time for federal action that calls for evaluating chemicals for safety before they end up contaminating our homes and our bodies.”

“This is another example of the failure of federal law to protect workers and consumers,” said Sarah Doll from SAFER States,  “States have been acting to protect consumers from toxic chemicals in products for years now, and will continue to move on these issues in the absence of federal reform.”

The products were tested in 2008, and the study authors acknowledge that product samples can vary and that some formulations may have changed.

Available for Interviews:

Martha Dina Argüello, Executive Director, Physicians for Social Responsibility — Los Angeles, CA. marguello@psr-la.org.310 261-0073,  Martha can address a variety of toxic chemical exposure issues — on exposure in communities of color, about educating physicians, and women’s reproductive health.
Caroline Cox, Center for Environmental Health (510  655-3900 x308, caroline@ceh.org. Caroline can discuss the   chemicals and need for environmental protections

Sarah Doll,  National Director at SAFER States, sarah@saferstates.org, 503 522-6110, Sarah can address state policy efforts to stop toxic chemical exposure.

David Levine, CEO, American Sustainable Business Council, 917 359-9623 dlevine@asbcouncil.org., David can address how enforcing safety regulations for household products restores consumer confidence and makes the marketplace a more fair arena for US personal care product businesses.

Janette Robinson-Flint from Black Women for Wellness. Contact Nourbese Flint, , nourbese@bwwla.org, 323 290-5955. Jan can address inequities for women of color in regards to chemical exposure and health.

Sharyle  Patton, Director, Commonweal  Biomonitoring Resource Center, 415 779-1010, 415 686-4857. Sharyle is an expert on  biomonitoring and chemical exposure issues.

Alexandra Scranton. Director of Science and Research. Women’s Voices for the Earth (WVE), alexs@womensvoices.org, 406 543-3747.  Alex can describe WVE’s own testing of top brand-name cleaning products, legislation to label cleaning products, and how to make safer cleaners for a healthier home.

Mike Schade, Center for Health, Environment & Justice (CHEJ), New York. 718.873.3505 (cell), mike@chej.org. Mike Schade can address the manufacturing of polyvinyl chloride and the communities harmed by it, and the hazards PVC presents in everyday products.

Resources:

Silent Spring Institute www.silentspring.org

American Sustainable Business Council, www.asbcouncil.org

Black Women for Wellness, www.bwwla.com

Campaign for Safe Cosmetics

Center for Environmental Health, www.ceh.org

Center for Health, Environment & Justice, www.chej.org

Commonweal Biomonitoring Resource Center www.commonweal.org

Physicians for Social Responsibility – Los Angeles www.psr-la.org

Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families, www.saferchemicals.org

SAFER States, www.saferstates.com/

Women’s Voices for the Earth, www.womensvoices.org/