Issue 12 

no more toxic cosmetics

This morning, just hours after we released our new film, The Story of Cosmetics, three members of the U.S. Congress introduced the Safe Cosmetics Act of 2010, which would close the gaping holes in federal regulation of personal care products.
 
The current law - if you can call 1938 'current' - allows the cosmetics industry to make its own decisions about what's safe. The FDA can't require companies to assess cosmetics ingredients for safety, can't require that all the chemicals in cosmetics are disclosed to consumers, and can't even require product recalls.
 
That's nearly as screwy as putting lead in lipstick!
 
We joined forces with the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics to release The Story of Cosmetics for two main reasons:
 
First, our 50-plus year experiment with 'better living through chemistry' is one of the most distressing features of the way we make our Stuff. We load everything from shampoo to cell phones with toxic chemicals-ingredients that we know or suspect are linked to cancer, reproductive harm, learning disabilities, and asthma.
 
Few consumer products tell the story of 'toxics in, toxics out' quite like cosmetics:  the average person smears between 6  and 12 personal care products on his or her body every day. Its like a giant science experiment-we're using all of these mystery chemicals and just waiting to see what happens.
 
Which leads to the second reason we felt this story had to be told:  for way too long the onus has been put on you and me to figure out what's safe and what's not.
 
Sure, we can choose to buy the safer products made by responsible companies, but the really important decisions don't happen when we take a product off the shelf. What counts is when companies and government agencies decide what should be allowed on the shelves in the first place.

Can't we all agree that a little more government action would be helpful when it comes to our safety and the safety of our children?

The Safe Cosmetics Act of 2010 would phase out the most dangerous chemicals, set up a system to assess cosmetic ingredients for safety, require companies to be transparent about what's in their products, and provide adequate resources for the FDA to do its job.  It will also help small businesses in the cosmetics industry meet the new regulations and spur the development of greener chemicals.

Not surprisingly, the $50 billion cosmetics industry has already spent millions trying to defeat real reform by proposing meaningless alternatives. Only a major mobilization from across the political spectrum can provide the support needed to pass this landmark legislation.

So please, take two steps today:

First, tell your friends, family, colleagues and neighbors about The Story of Cosmetics. Send an email, pass it along on Facebook, write about it on your blog, or Tweet it.

Second, get involved by adding your voice to the calls for reform at the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics website. If you're outside the U.S., we're guessing your cosmetics industry could improve as well, so check out the resources on the Campaign's website for more information.

Together, we can tell the cosmetics industry it's time to come clean.
 
Sincerely,
 
Annie, Michael, Allison, Christina and Renee
The Story of Stuff Project Team
 
P.S. Help us keep The Story of Cosmetics and all of the other Story of Stuff Project movies on-line for free by making a secure, tax-deductible on-line contribution today! Thank you!