Consumers overwhelmingly support stricter regulation of the chemical ingredients used in their personal care products, a survey released Tuesday shows.
- 94 percent believe that companies should be required to notify the government when their products injure consumers.
- 87 percent believe federal officials should have the authority to recall personal care products found to contain toxic chemicals.
- 87 percent want stricter regulation of personal care products.
- 74 percent are less likely to purchase products from companies that fight regulation.
- Almost two-thirds of likely voters want their cosmetics to be safe.
- A third are under the mistaken impression that the government has cleared most of the chemicals used in personal care products.
“These poll results show that Americans want to ensure that the personal care products they use each and every day are safe,” said Scott Faber, vice president of government affairs at the Environmental Working Group. “Few consumers have any idea how minimal the current regulation of chemicals is. No other class of products is so widely used, and in such large quantities, with so few safeguards.”
There is little regulation of the $60 billion-a-year personal care products industry, Faber said. The federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetics Act, which was supposed to guarantee the safety of cosmetics, is nearly 80 years old and falls far short of ensuring that cosmetics are safe.
A bill has been introduced in Congress that would require companies to ensure that their products are safe before putting them on the market and give the Food and Drug Administration tools to protect the public.
Faber said the proposal is the first time that federal legislation on this issue has the support of consumer and industry groups including the Personal Care Products Council, leading cosmetic companies and public health organizations.
For decades, the EWG has been educating consumers about the ingredients in their cosmetics and personal care products. The EWG’s Skin Deep database and mobile scanning app provide safety and rating information on more than 60,000 products, helping consumers to choose the safest options.
