Burt's Bees Supports Landmark Legislation to Update 83-Year-Old Cosmetics Law

The natural personal care pioneer deepens advocacy for consumer safety and transparency with support of the Personal Care Products Safety Act

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Burt's Bees

Jun 21, 2021, 08:00 ET

DURHAM, N.C., June 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. has not passed a major federal law governing the cosmetics industry since 1938. Today marks an important step towards greater transparency, consumer safety and understanding in personal care and cosmetics. We commend Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) on introducing the Personal Care Products Safety Act, a landmark bill to protect consumer health and strengthen the Food and Drug Administration's efforts to regulate personal care products. Importantly, the bill will require that the FDA establish a definition of the term 'natural' in the labeling of cosmetics; restrict potentially harmful chemicals; and require disclosure of 26 fragrance allergens, already required by the EU.

For over 10 years, Burt's Bees has advocated for clear definitions and standards for natural cosmetics.

We've helped advance the development of International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 16128, as the first and only international consensus-based guidelines for natural and organic cosmetic products, developed by industry experts, academics, regulators, ingredient manufacturers and NGOs.
We use the ISO 16128 guidelines to define and calculate the ingredients in our cosmetic products, which are 99.6% natural origin on average.
We continue to engage key stakeholders—legislators, NGOs, global regulatory agencies, and industry organizations—to advocate for the adoption of ISO 16128 as a strong framework for global regulators and a uniform standard for the industry around the world.

We believe in the power of ingredients from nature to nourish and support skin, which is why we work towards high formula standards, industry transformation, and transparency:

We include the percent natural origin of our formulas according to ISO 16128 on our labels
We disclose the 26 identified potential fragrance allergens according to EU guidelines
We formulate without parabens, phthalates, petrolatum, SLS and many more ingredients commonly used in personal care
Our formulas are 99.6% natural origin on average with goal of 100% natural origin
Our responsible sourcing practices focus on supply chain transparency and supporting the communities and environments where we source our ingredients
We don't test on animals and our brand is Leaping Bunny certified

"We are proud to support the Personal Care Products Safety Act, which calls for an important update to cosmetics regulation in the U.S. Burt's Bees has long advocated for clear standards and definitions of natural, so we're excited to see the bill require that FDA define 'natural' in cosmetics law. We believe this legislation will help build trust and transparency in the fastest growing segment of the personal care category₁. This, along with other safeguards of consumer safety and understanding, make this an important step forward for the personal care industry and consumers," states Matt Gregory, VP and General Manager of Burt's Bees. "We will continue advocating for the U.S. to lead the way on global harmonization by aligning to ISO 16128—guidelines for natural and organic cosmetic products, developed through ISO's multi-stakeholder, consensus-based method."

Learn more about ISO 16128 and our % natural origin. See the press release for the Personal Care Products Safety Act.

About Burt's Bees | Burt's Bees® is a dermatologist approved natural skincare brand, offering clean and consciously-crafted Lip Balm, Skincare, Makeup and more—designed to work with skin and uplift the spirit. Formulas are over 95% Natural Origin and Leaping Bunny Certified, with responsible sourcing and recyclable packaging. Founders, Burt and Roxanne, helped pioneer the natural beauty movement back in 1984 and it's their passion for nature as a remedy for people that drives how we work every day.

About International Organization for Standardization (ISO) | ISO is an independent, non-governmental international organization with a membership of 161national standards bodies. Through its members, it brings together experts across sectors to share knowledge and develop voluntary, consensus-based, market relevant International Standards that support innovation and provide solutions to global challenges. ISO has published over 20,000 international standards covering almost every industry, from technology to food safety. They provide world-class specifications for products, services, and systems, to ensure quality, safety and efficiency and are instrumental in facilitating international trade.

₁ The global market value for natural cosmetics and personal care expected a positive increase from almost 34.5 billion dollars in 2018 to roughly 54.5 billion dollars expected for the year 2027

CONTACT: Jackie Sands-Kirchner, [email protected]

SOURCE Burt's Bees