Advocating for Our Health & Safety in DC

Recently, I had the honor of joining other Beautycounter consultants in Washington D.C. to hold over 60 meetings with Members of Congress - from all 50 states to advocate for more health protective laws for ALL! If you are new, you can read about why I share Beautycounter in this blog post here.

Washington DC people Advocating Our Health & Safety in DC

Advocating for Our Health & Safety in DC

We urged Congress to update the 1938 law that governs all of the cosmetic and personal care products on the market - baby products, makeup, skincare, body, hair, sunscreen, deodorant, fragrance, and more!

It is widely accepted that the industry is under-regulated, and as a result, harmful and questionable ingredients are allowed to be used in everyday products. Consumers deserve to know what is it the products they use and have access to safe personal products that are free from toxic chemicals.

There are over 80,000 more chemicals in our household today than there were in the 1970s and less than 10% have ever been tested for safety.

Thousands of studies over the last decade provide ample scientific evidence on the harmful effects of ingredients commonly used in our products. We need Congress to act and protect consumers. Health is our greatest asset!

We urged the Senate & House to support the bipartisan Safer Beauty Packages that will require more ingredient and manufacturing transparency for the industry with the goal to prevent harmful chemicals in our products and help consumers make informed decisions.

Senate: The Personal Care Products Safety Act

House: Safer Beauty Bill Package, which includes

Toxic-Free Beauty Act

Cosmetic Supply Chain Transparency Act

Cosmetic Safety for Communities of Color and Professional Salon Workers Act

Cosmetic Fragrance and Flavor Ingredient Right To Know Act

Currently, businesses are able to hide hundreds of chemicals and carcinogens in their products, wrecking havoc to our hormones and health. (Quick tip: avoid the term fragrance.)

Terms like natural, green, hypoallergenic, free & clear, or clean are not regulated.

The FDA has no authority to recall products (such as the proven asbestos in children’s makeup & baby powder, or the 75+ sunscreens containing benzene, a known carcinogen).

Despite a very productive day advocating, one thing was clear: we aren't where we need to be with moving pending bills forward. Yet, there is hope for change. Thanks to Beautycounter’s advocacy efforts since the company began in 2013, these bills are on the radar. Beautycounter’s CEO & Founder, Gregg Renfrew, even testified before Congress. So much change over the last ten years has come from consumer pressure - like me and you - becoming more informed, purchasing safer products, and sharing with the people we care about.

When we asked the representatives we met with what we can do to make this a serious priority, they told us “Keep doing what you’re doing: EDUCATE & ADVOCATE! Get more people sharing, learning more, reaching out, and creating consumer pressure.”

YOU CAN HELP

If you’re able, vote with your dollars by purchasing from brands committed to safety, transparency, and integrity.
If you'd like to support more health-protective legislation, text BETTERBEAUTY to 52886 in the US or 1-888-886-7542 in Canada.
Take it a step further and email your state representatives. They explained the more they hear directly from constituents, the more they will make it a priority.
Become a Beautycounter Advocate and link arms with me! Whether you share with 10 people or 100, your voice matters!

SCIENCE SYMPOSIUM

While in DC, I was also able to attend a Science Symposium from an independent Science Advisory Panel that closely reviews, advises, tests, and oversees Beautycounter’s efforts and product formulation.

The panelists included Dr. Leo Trasande, MD, MPP, a pediatric specialist and author of Sicker, Fatter, Poorer, Dr. Lora Shahine, MD, FACOG, OB-GYN specializing in reproductive endocrinology and infertility, Dr. Boma Brown-West, MD from the Environmental Defense Fund and researcher Dr. Kim Harley, PhD.

“Endocrine disruptors are the new tobacco.” – Dr. Shahine

They spent a lot of time discussing endocrine disruptors in personal care products and their link to cancer, infertility, miscarriage, heart disease, obesity, autoimmune disease, developmental delays, and more.

Low testosterone increases cardiovascular diseases - recent study linked 100,000 deaths to phthalates
The synthetic chemicals in most personal care products have been shown in studies to affect the brains of children.
PFAS, known as the forever chemical because it bioaccumulates in our bodies, has been shown to make our body's metabolism slow down. The CDC estimates 99% of the US population have PFAS in their blood. It is commonly found in makeup, food packaging, clothing, and water.
One study found that when teens switched from paraben products to those without, they had a 25-45% decrease in parabens in their bodies in just three days.
High levels of BPA found in early pregnancy blood tests led to higher levels of miscarriage

“We have to start protecting people like it's 2022 and not 1999.”
- Dr. Leo Trasande

BEAUTY JUSTICE

We also discussed equity at the core of the clean beauty movement. Several studies show paraben exposure is highest in black women and second highest in latin women. We must increase our education efforts and accessible access of safe products to everyone.

Beautycounter offers The Impact Scholarships, a program is designed to support our equity efforts and expand our presence in underrepresented communities. Please email me sami@sunnyseedco.com if interested in applying!