Senators in Colorado asking the state to bring in legislation to combat “cancer-causing” chemicals in personal care products have been accused of scaremongering by a UK cosmetics expert.
Last month senator Betty Boyd and representative Dianne Primavera introduced the Colorado Safe Personal Care Products Act into the Colorado State Legislature. The proposed act would prohibit manufacturers from distributing or selling in Colorado “personal care products that contain known and probably carcinogens and reproductive toxins”. A fine of $5,000 to $10,000 would also be applicable to offending manufacturers.
The Cosmetic, Toiletry & Perfumery Association director general Chris Flower said that the proposed act does not take into account the fact that regulations requiring cosmetics to be safe already exist in the US and stated that the senators’ action is scaremongering. He said: For a high-profile public figure to come out and say that some cosmetic products are causing cancer and action is needed seems to me to be scaremongering pure and simple.”
Flower added that UK consumers are well protected by the European Cosmetics Directive – now being recast as a Regulation – which requires all cosmetics to be safe; the company must assess and be able to demonstrate that the product is safe before it is marketed. “I don’t know how better consumers could be protected,” he said. “There is no balancing the benefits against the risk – cosmetics must be safe regardless.”
Personal care products are described in the federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act as “any article intended to be rubbed, poured, sprinkled, or sprayed on, introduced into, or otherwise applied to the human body for cleansing, beautifying, promoting attractiveness, or altering a person’s appearance”.
Flower supported the government showing an interest in reassuring consumers that they are being protected but warned that there is always a risk that the interest can become more political than technical.
A hearing will be held for those supporting and opposing the act to have their say.
By Kate Donovan
March 2, 2010
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