Statement by Beth Lange, PhD, Chief Scientist Personal Care Products Council On The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics’ “Make Cosmetics without Cancer” Campaign


“We are disheartened that the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics has launched a misinformation campaign during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a time when families afflicted with breast cancer are afforded hope and solidarity and all of us are reminded of the need for early detection and screening.  Unfortunately, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics has taken advantage of this important issue to mislead and needlessly scare families.

“All cosmetic and personal care product manufacturers are required by federal law to substantiate the safety of their products and their ingredients before they are available for purchase and used in millions of homes.  Our companies take product safety very seriously, and safety assessments are grounded in the best science available.

“This campaign by CSC is an example of misinformation based on superficial interpretation of scientific data taken out of context.  CSC also misrepresents the properties of many of these ingredients citing data of no relevance to human safety and ignoring decades of safe use in personal care products.  Finally, the group ignores the opinions of independent third party experts who have weighed in on the safety of important ingredients on their list, such as those used as sunscreens that actually protect people from certain types of cancers.  

“The well-being of the families who use and trust our products remains the cornerstone of our industry.  Consumers should feel confident that the ingredients used in the cosmetic products they enjoy have been thoroughly tested in the labs and have a safe track record also demonstrated through years of consumer use.   Families can continue to enjoy these products because our industry remains committed to safety, quality and innovation.”