Statement by Lezlee Westine, President & CEO Personal Care Products Council Reiterating Support for Cosmetics Reform Legislation in the 115th Congress


Washington, D.C. – “As a new Congress and Administration prepares to address important regulatory issues, the Personal Care Products Council (The Council) and its member companies reiterate our steadfast commitment to work with all stakeholders to modernize federal regulatory oversight for cosmetics and personal care products.

“We believe our products are the safest category regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).  However, given the industry’s scientific rigor and commitment to safety, we also support modernizing cosmetics reform to ensure FDA has the appropriate resources and administrative authority to oversee our products for the 21st century.  We believe that well-crafted, science-based reforms will enhance our industry’s ability to innovate and further strengthen consumer confidence in the products they use and trust every day.

“As part of our ongoing commitment toward modernization, the Council and its member companies support the following principles to guide bipartisan legislative action.

  • Create a strong national program for the uniform FDA regulation of all cosmetics in the United States.  The national regulatory program must preempt different or additional state and local laws that address cosmetics.
  • Require manufacturers to substantiate the safety of cosmetic products and ingredients, utilizing widely accepted scientific principles and established scientific ingredient reviews such as the Cosmetic Ingredient Review.
  • Create an FDA program authorized to review the safety of individual cosmetic ingredients and nonfunctional constituents found in cosmetics, in a timely manner, utilizing widely accepted scientific principles such as those reflected in the scientific reviews by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel and other scientifically based organizations.
  • Establish mandatory foreign and domestic manufacturing establishment registration and ingredient reporting by manufacturers for all cosmetic products sold in the United States, that preempt state and local laws that attempt to establish similar registration or reporting requirements.
  • Require mandatory reporting by manufacturers to FDA of serious and unexpected adverse health events experienced by a consumer from a cosmetic product marketed and used in the United States.
  • Authorize FDA to issue Good Manufacturing Practices for cosmetic products, with penalties for violations that result in serious adverse health consequences.
  • Establish appropriate exemptions to prevent inefficient or inappropriate regulation and an extended phase-in period for compliance by small businesses.

“As different legislative approaches are considered, we look forward to working with members of Congress to create a more contemporary regulatory system for the cosmetics and personal care sector, one that advances innovation, safety and consumer confidence in the context of these principles.”