Dr. Bronner's to U.S. Congress: Regulate Unsafe Cosmetics!

Best Selling Soap Manufacturer Makes Statement in Support of Safe Cosmetics Act of 2011

WASHINGTON, July 20, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps, the top-selling natural brand of certified Fair Trade soap, announced its support for the H.R. 2359, The Safe Cosmetics Act of 2011, a bill that would eliminate the most harmful chemicals from personal care products and require manufacturers and suppliers to fully disclose their product ingredients for the first time.  Dr. Bronner's discloses all ingredients and does not use synthetic petrochemicals commonly found in most personal care products.

The bill was introduced into the U.S. House of Representatives on June 24 by Reps. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Ed Markey (D-MA) and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and has been referred to the House Energy and Commerce Committee as well as the House Education and the Workforce Committee.

"Existing cosmetics laws date back to 1938 and are failing consumers and businesses alike," says Dr. Bronner's President David Bronner. "Under the current system, companies are allowed to use many chemicals in personal care products with no required safety studies and without listing all the ingredients on labels. Even safety recommendations made by the cosmetic industry's own Cosmetic Ingredient Review Panel are not binding on cosmetic companies."

Bronner adds, "We appreciate Congressional leaders backing the Safe Cosmetics Act.  We've been working to hold the personal care products industry to a higher standard of transparency and accountability for years, so we enthusiastically welcome this legislation and stand with leading consumer groups such as the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, Environmental Working Group and others because we need the whole industry to adopt safer, more sustainable practices."

"Under the current system, big cosmetics companies are essentially making the rules and then deciding whether or not to follow them. It's a classic fox guarding the henhouse situation," says Janet Nudelman, program director at the Breast Cancer Fund and spokesperson for the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. "We need more companies like Dr. Bronner's to take a stand and fully support the key provisions of the Safe Cosmetics Act, which would phase out chemicals linked to cancer and reproductive harm, require full disclosure of product ingredients, and set up a safety review system under FDA."

SOURCE Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps