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53956X 4/22/06 7:54 AM Page 1

11. COMPANIES MAKE PRODUCTS AT BOTH HERE’S WHAT YOU CAN DO. 11.ENDS OF THE SAFETY SCALE. 1. LEARN MORE, TAKE ACTION: Visit www.SafeCosmetics.org Of the more than 200 mascaras on the Skin Deep website, • Choose Safer Products Now. Visit our partner Environmental Illegal Lengths Washable Mascara is ranked as the Working Group’s Skin Deep database, the world’s largest highest-concern mascara. Maybelline is owned by the French com- searchable database of ingredients in cosmetics. Find out if pany L’Oreal, which also makes L’Oreal Waterproof Voluminous your favorite products contain hazardous chemicals and find Volume Building Mascara, ranked as one of the safer mascara safer alternatives. products. Another industry giant, Estee Lauder, makes the bubble • Give the Cosmetics Companies a Makeover. Sign our peti- baths of highest concern, Sea Plunge Calming Soak and White tion to the cosmetics industry, it’s an easy way to let the Linen Bath and Shower Gel, but also makes the low-concern big companies know you want safe products. Energizing Composition bubble bath. • Stay Informed and Take Action Locally! Get the latest news One large company often makes many brands, about the campaign, find out if your favorite company has sometimes producing different brands in the same pledged to make safer products, join the Safe Cosmetics factory. Estee Lauder-branded products have an Action Network, download an action kit and learn how you overall Skin Deep ranking of 4.1. But other Estee THE TRUTH CAN ALSO BE BEAUTIFUL. can hold a Healthy Cosmetics Spa Party and connect with Lauder-owned brands in the Skin Deep database Some companies are making safer products today and striving to other activists in your area. have different levels of concern: make even safer products in the future. More than 300 companies 1 is lowest concern, 5 is highest concern have signed the Compact for Safe Cosmetics, a pledge to remove 2. TELL YOUR COSMETICS COMPANIES YOU WANT SAFE Estee Lauder Brand Skin Deep Score hazardous chemicals and replace them with safe alternatives within PRODUCTS. Aveda 2.5 three years. Some of the largest companies in the natural products industry have • Contact the companies that have not signed the Compact for 3.2 signed the Compact. But none of the giants have Safe Cosmetics, a pledge to phase out toxic chemicals. Call MAC 3.2 signed...yet. them, write them, email them to let them know you want safe products now! Look on product packaging for a customer serv- 3.6 The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics needs your help to convince Avon, ice hotline or website. Prescriptives 3.6 Estee Lauder, L'Oreal, Procter & Gamble, , OPI and other cos- metics companies to sign the Compact. 4 Because For a full list of Compact signers, please visit www.safecosmetics.org Toll free customer support lines: Estee Lauder 4.1 OPI: 1-800-341-9999 Please join us in our efforts to give the cosmetics “USE DAILY” industry a makeover! L’Oreal: 1-800-322-2036 shouldn’t be 12. SMALL EXPOSURES CAN ADD UP TO HARM. Estee Lauder: 1-877-311-3883 dangerous 12.The cosmetics industry says it’s safe to put chemicals that can Procter & Gamble: 1-800-725-3296 advice cause cancer, infertility or other health problems into personal Revlon: 1-800-473-8566 care products because the amount in each product is too small to matter. But count the products you use in a single day—tooth- The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics Avon: 1-800-445-AVON paste, soap, , , , deodorant, body www.SafeCosmetics.org , sunscreen, products and makeup—and think about 3. SPREAD THE WORD. how many products you use in a year, and over a lifetime. c/o 1388 Sutter St., Suite 400 Chemicals linked to cancer and birth defects do not belong in San Francisco, CA 94109 • Tell your friends, coworkers, and family about toxic chemicals personal care products, period. in cosmetics and tell them how they can learn more and take UNMASKED The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics is a national coalition of health action. Make photocopies of this fact sheet or download more and environmental groups. The Campaign’s goal is to protect the materials from our website: 12 Ugly Truths Behind the Myth health of consumers and workers by requiring the health and beauty www.SafeCosmetics.org industry to phase out the use of chemicals linked to cancer, birth of Cosmetic Safety defects and other serious health concerns—and replace them with safe alternatives. Members of the Campaign include: *Skin Deep, a report by the Environmental Working Group, is a review of ingredi- Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow, Breast Cancer Fund, Commonweal, ents found in 14,100 name-brand personal care products in 2005. Sources for Free the Planet!, Friends of the Earth, Women’s Voices for the Earth, information in this brochure can be found at www.ewg.org/skindeep/ Environmental Working Group, Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition, National Black Environmental Justice Network and the National Environmental Trust. The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics www.SafeCosmetics.org 53956X 4/22/06 7:54 AM Page 2

1212 Ugly Truths Behind the Myth of Cosmetics Safety

1. TOXIC CHEMICALS ARE WIDESPREAD IN BEAUTY dients in their products can cause long-term health effects, like cancer 7. MOST PRODUCT INGREDIENTS HAVE NEVER BEEN with lowest-con- PRODUCTS—AND IN OUR BODIES. or the inability to have a healthy child. Since there is no government 7.ASSESSED FOR LINKS TO LONG-TERM HEALTH PROBLEMS. cern ingredients are made by 1. Terressentials, Desert Essence, standard of safety, companies can say whatever they want about the Every day we use multiple personal care products—from shampoo, to safety of their products. HOWEVER, EVEN INGREDIENTS THAT ARE KNOWN TO Aubrey Organics, Lily of deodorant, toothpaste, lotion and makeup—that contain chemical CAUSE HARM CAN BE PUT INTO PERSONAL CARE Colorado and Reviva Labs. ingredients that are absorbed through the skin, inhaled or ingested. 4. THE $35-BILLION COSMETICS INDUSTRY ROUTINELY PRODUCTS. EIGHT OF THE MOST PROBLEMATIC ARE: So, it’s not surprising that synthetic chemicals have gotten into our 9. MEN HAVE PROBLEMS bodies, our breast milk and our children. Some of these chemicals are 4.OPPOSES LAWS THAT WOULD PROTECT CONSUMERS AND MERCURY linked to cancer, birth defects, learning disabilities and other health 9.TOO. THE ENVIRONMENT. Possible human carcinogen. Possible human reproductive or develop- problems that are epidemic in our society. Astonishingly, 1 in 2 men, Two products marketed to men The Cosmetics, Toiletry and mental toxin. Found in some eye drops and ointment, and deodorants. and 1 in 3 women in the U.S. are expected to develop cancer during to color gray hair (EBL GreyBan Fragrance Association (CTFA) has Ingredients in personal care their lifetimes, according to the National Institute of Environmental LEAD ACETATE and Grecian Formula 16) contain lobbied against laws that would products: 10,500 Health Sciences. Known human reproductive and developmental toxin. Prohibited for lead acetate—which can harm fertility and impact the development control pollution at cosmetics Percentage of chemical ingredi- use in cosmetics in the European Union. Found in some hair dyes and of a child before birth. Just For Men Shampoo-in Hair Color ranks as manufacturing plants, require ents in cosmetics that have been . the highest concern shampoo. Some after-shave , anti-dandruff 2. THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD BE PROTECTING US, BUT recycled content in packaging, assessed for health and safety by , teeth whiteners, products and colognes 2. or add more consumer safety the industry’s self-policing safety FORMALDEHYDE IT’S NOT. are also in the highest-concern category. Skin Deep lists many safer information on labels. The panel: 11% Known human carcinogen. Found in some nail treatments. Major loopholes in federal law prevent alternatives in each category. CHEMICALS BANNED FROM industry says it doesn’t need the U.S. Food and Drug Administration TOLUENE COSMETICS laws because it can voluntarily regulate itself. An industry-funded (FDA) or any other government agency United States: 9 panel called the Cosmetics Ingredients Review panel—not the FDA or Possible human reproductive or developmental toxin. May contain 10. THE WORD “NATURAL” ON A PRODUCT LABEL from approving the safety of cosmetics European Union: 1,100+ any other government agency—is currently in charge of reviewing the harmful impurities or breakdown products. Found in some . 10. and body care products before they can DOESN’T MEAN IT’S SAFE—OR NATURAL. safety of cosmetics. PETROLEUM DISTILLATES be sold. The European Union now bans more than 1,100 chemicals OPI Natural Nail Double Standard: OPI Products, the from personal care products because they may cause cancer, birth Possible human carcinogen. May contain harmful impurities or break- Strengthener has the highest world's largest nail polish manufac- defects, or reproductive problems. In stark contrast, just nine chemi- 5. WE HAVE TO PROTECT OURSELVES UNTIL WE down products. Prohibited for use in cosmetics in the European hazard rating of all 14,100 turer, has removed dibutyl phthalate cals are banned from cosmetics in the United States. 5. Union. Found in some mascara, perfume, , and lip products in the Skin Deep CONVINCE THE GOVERNMENT TO PROTECT US. from its European product lines, but balm. database. What’s so “natu- According to Skin Deep, campaign partner Environmental Working OPI refuses to remove the toxic ral” about a product with 13 3. YOU CAN’T BELIEVE INDUSTRY SAFETY CLAIMS. Group’s interactive product safety database, the highest-concern prod- ETHYLACRYLATE phthalate from nail products it sells different ingredients that in the U.S. 3.Manufacturers always say their uct categories are: Unsafe according to International Fragrance Association. Possible One third of personal care products raise health concerns? OPI products are safe. But what do human carcinogen. Skin sensitizer. Found in some mascara. contain at least one chemical linked to • Hair color and bleach nail polish and nail treat- those claims really mean? It cancer, according to the Skin Deep • Hair relaxer COAL TAR ments contain toluene, formaldehyde and dibutyl phthalate —three of may mean that the company report by the Environmental Working • Nail polish Known human carcinogen. Prohibited for use in cosmetics in the the top ingredients of concern (see #7) because of scientific evidence has tested the ingredients it Group, a partner of the Campaign for European Union. May contain harmful impurities or breakdown prod- linking them to birth defects and cancer. uses—but sometimes only to Safe Cosmetics.* • Skin lightener ucts. Found in dandruff shampoos, anti-itch creams, and hair dyes. determine if the chemicals • Nail treatment cause rashes, swelling or other DIBUTYL PHTHALATE But even in these highest-concern categories, there are safer product acute reactions. Companies are not required to test whether the ingre- Prohibited for use in cosmetics in the European Union. Possible human choices an individual can make. reproductive or developmental toxin. Endocrine disruptor. Found in some nail polish, perfume, and . 6. TWO OF THE HIGHEST-CONCERN COSMETICS 6.CATEGORIES ARE MARKETED ESPECIALLY TO 8. PAYING MORE DOESN’T BUY YOU SAFER PRODUCTS. AFRICAN-AMERICAN WOMEN. 8.A review of the 14,100 products now in the Skin Deep database found Products promising lighter skin and straighter hair are problematic that the more expensive products were no safer than the less expen- sive brands in each category. Sometimes, paying more means buying because of their message about what is considered beautiful. But the more potential harm. The five moisturizers of highest concern— Skin Deep report shows that some hair relaxers and skin lighteners made by Avon, , Ultima, and Estee Lauder— share a second problem: they contain ingredients that are linked to cost $12.48 more per ounce than the five facial moisturizing products cancer, sensitization of the skin, and other health concerns. made of ingredients that pose the lowest concern. The five facial