The Issues
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Safe Cleaning Products |
Certain chemicals in cleaning products have been linked to fertility problems, birth defects, increased risk of breast cancer, asthma and respiratory disorders, and hormone disruption.
In addition, no law requires cleaning product companies to list all the ingredients in their products on the label, meaning companies can keep toxic chemicals a secret from you. Because studies show that women are still doing over 70% of the housework in the average home, that puts us at greater risk of exposure.
The bottom line is that products you clean your home with shouldn’t contain toxic ingredients in the first place.
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Safe Cosmetics |
In 2004, WVE co-founded the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, a coalition of organizations working to protect the health of consumers and workers.
Right now it’s perfectly legal for cosmetic manufacturers to use chemicals linked to cancer, birth defects, learning disabilities and other illnesses in the products we use on our skin and hair every day. The average woman uses 9 personal care products a day, exposing herself to over 100 unique ingredients. Many of these chemicals are now showing up in our bodies, our breast milk and in our children.
With breast cancer, infertility, and other chronic health problems on the rise, we can no longer afford to test the safety of these chemicals on our bodies.
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Healthy Salons |
Did you know that some nail polishes contain ingredients linked to cancer and reproductive problems? Or that some hair straigheners contain cancer-causing formaldehyde?
These chemicals can be dangerous to inhale, not only for you, but for women who work in salons breathing them in everyday. In addition, salon products aren’t required to be labeled, so salon workers and consumers are in the dark about what they’re exposing themselves to. WVE is a co-founder and co-convener of the National Healthy Nail and Beauty Salon Alliance, which works to protect the health of the nation’s salon workers.
It’s time to make sure the chemicals used in nail salon products are safe for everyone.
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Safe Chemicals |
The law that’s supposed to regulate 80,000+ chemicals on the market, including chemicals used in household cleaners, furniture, children’s toys, and many other consumer products, is failing to protect us from toxic chemicals like BPA, phthlates, asbestos, and many others.
In the 35 years since the law has been established, only 200 chemicals have been evaluated for safety and only 5 have been banned for use.
Products we buy off the shelf and use in our homes should be safe. Period.
Why a Women's Organization?We believe that women have incredible social, economic, and political power to change the systems that allow toxic chemicals in products in the first place.
