Safer Beauty, The Politics + Advocating in Washington, DC Part 2
ADVOCATING SAFER BEAUTY: ANGIE BLOOM GOES TO WASHINGTON ON BEHALF OF HEALTH PROTECTIVE LAWS FOR ALL
BEAUTYCOUNTER ADVOCACY TRIP TO DC
One week ago, at just about this exact moment, I arrived home after an incredible 4 days in Washington, DC on Beautycounter's Advocacy Trip.
It's been nearly impossible to find some 'quiet' time to process through the magnitude of this trip - a truly life changing experience that I will never forget, and am beyond grateful for.
While I've never wavered in the work Beautycounter is doing, I am more resolute than ever that the work we are doing is UNDENIABLY important.
We held over 60 meetings on Capitol Hill. In the meetings I was part of, the staffers were honestly shocked at how little regulation there is in our everyday products, and were very responsive in bringing attention to the bills we were asking them to co-sponser.
We heard from leading doctors + researchers that affirmed that this is not 'junk science.' That environmental toxins ARE wreaking havoc on our bodies, on our families, on our country and is having effects broader than we could imagine.
The endocrine disruptors I speak of weekly are the new tabacco. Let that sink in for a moment. There is a reason we can’t smoke on planes, and there is also a reason why we should care what we put on our largest organ of our bodies. It matters.
Washington, DC Beautycounter Brand Advocates who earned their spot for a once in a lifetime trip
Beautycounter is truly a movement that is changing the history of America by advocating for new laws that ban the use of harmful chemicals in the products we use every single day.
This DOES matter, and it was loud and clear from Congress that we need more collective voices to stand up for cosmetic reform.
OUR FOOD INDUSTRY IS HIGHLY REGULATED, BUT THE BEAUTY INDUSTRY IS NOT.
We are painfully behind the times, and as a result, potentially harmful ingredients are allowed to be used in everyday beauty products. Consumers deserve to know what is in the products they use, and everyone in our country should be able to walk into a drug store and know that what they are purchasing is free of toxic chemicals. This is why this work is important for us to do collectively. This is not a woman issue, it’s a human health issue!
There are loopholes and a lack of transparency across the beauty industry. Anyone can put the word “clean” on their products. But that word isn’t regulated. Wandering down the beauty aisle, you’re likely to see words like “organic” or “chemical-free” on your mascara or body wash labels. They match your healthy lifestyle, so you’re good, right? Actually, it may not be that simple.
Because of major loopholes in U.S. federal law, cosmetics brands are able to boldly make claims like “natural” and “non-toxic” without proper regulations, so most of these terms end up becoming meaningless. This is known as greenwashing.
The law does not require cosmetic labeling to have FDA approval before cosmetic products go on the market, and FDA does not have a list of approved or accepted claims for cosmetics, explains the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on its website.
The best strategy is to get to know the brands that make the products you’re buying, and to choose brands that prioritize careful ingredient screening and safety over vague words used for marketing.
The European Union has banned or restricted 1,400 ingredients from personal care products. But the U.S. has banned or restricted only 30. The U.S. has not passed a major federal law governing the cosmetics industry since 1938. That is almost a century. Think of all that has changed since then.
Since it was founded in 2013, Beautycounter has been advocating for new laws that boost transparency in the industry and get closer to ensuring that all personal care products (not just Beautycounter’s) are safe and free from harmful ingredients. And that they are widely available.
The United States has not passed a major federal law to regulate the safety of ingredients used in personal care products since 1938.
My Favorite Washington DC Post:
OUR ADVOCACY WINS
You can learn more about Beautycounter’s advocacy initiatives and successes on this page.
I partnered with Beautycounter, because of my very own health journey, plus I knew I’d get the discount I wanted, and I didn’t have much to lose in trying it out – I could choose to educate or not. I was fired up with the fact that they were a certified B Corp, meaning they are audited for transparency in being good for people and the planet. Furthermore, I could also choose to share my link or not. I didn’t have to buy a bunch of products. There are no monthly minimums or inventory to keep. It was just like many of the other brands I worked with, so I became a Brand Advocate. I even said I’d never mentor anyone else who joined, because I didn’t have the time, and now it’s my favorite thing to do! Connecting with, leading, and empowering these women is so rewarding.
This work is making a truly impactful change. And in the process, I’ve learned how powerful community can be – especially when bonded over a mission we are passionate about. This is my tribe, and I had the best time (finally re)connecting in the real world!
Only 20 people earned a seat at the table with key decision-makers. And thanks to you all, I got to be one of them.
Top 20 Consultants who earned a spot at the table with Gregg Renfrew
We met with a representative to ask for support regarding these pending regulations.
THE BILLS WE DISCUSSED
Senate: The Personal Care Products Safety Act
House: Safer Beauty Bill Package which includes
Toxic-Free Beauty Act
Cosmetic Supply Chain Transparency Act
Cosmetic Safety for Communities of Color and Professional Salon Workers Act
Cosmetic Fragrance and Flavor Ingredient Right To Know Act
These bills would create a system for the FDA to review ingredients for safety, allow products with negative health impacts to be recalled from the market, and help protect consumers from harmful ingredients without having to know ingredients to avoid.
SCIENCE SYMPOSIUM
We wrapped up our trip on Thursday morning with a science symposium and panel of four different experts independent of Beautycounter sharing their knowledge with us. Telling us what we are doing right, how we can improve, and beyond.
Our in-person panelists were Dr. Leo Trasande, MD, MPP, a pediatric specialist and author of Sicker, Fatter, Poorer, and Dr. Lora Shahine, MD, FACOG (she’s very active on social media) who is an OB-GYN specializing in reproductive endocrinology and infertility. On Zoom, we had Dr. Boma Brown-West, MD from the Environmental Defense Fund and Dr. Kim Harley, PhD.
The Science Symposium had incredible information on WHY this matters:
the synthetic chemicals in most personal care products have been shown in studies to affect the brains of children
using standard personal care products is measurable in both blood and urine, with a decrease after just 3 days of clean
with testing and research on pregnancy and miscarriage, we know is hard (we really don’t want to create risk) a study was done that showed high levels of BPA with early pregnancy tests led to higher levels of miscarriage
PFAS, in most personal care products, make our body’s metabolism slow down
The endocrine disrupting chemicals (which were never made with our bodies in mind) effect our fertility – but it’s not just low sperm count in men affected, for example, low testosterone increases cardiovascular diseases – recent study linked 100,000 deaths to phthalates.
I COULDN’T DO THIS WITH YOUR HELP!
THANK YOU. I want to thank you for supporting me and my business. It means the world to me that I can be here for the health and wellness of us all. I could not have done all of this without you!
If you want to support our advocacy and switch to safer, nontoxic beauty products, you can shop with me at Beautycounter!
If you'd like to support more health-protective legislation, text BETTERBEAUTY to 52886 (18888867542 in CAN). Even if you've done so before, doing so NOW (after we just visited so many offices) will have a HUGE impact. Plus, the letter is frequently updated. Together, we can be the change for generations to come.
