Statement from the Personal Care Products Council on FDA’s Tentative Final Monograph for Sunscreen


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACTS:  

Lisa Powers, (202) 297-1232, powersl@personalcarecouncil.org
Jamie Kurke, (202) 258-5285, kurkej@personalcarecouncil.org

 

Washington, D.C. – “Sunscreens are central in the fight against skin cancer. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), the Skin Cancer Foundation and health care professionals worldwide all emphasize the importance of sunscreen use as part of a safe sun regimen. The dangers of sun exposure are clear and universally recognized by public health professionals and dermatologists. As part of their regulation of sunscreens, the FDA recently published a proposed rule, the long-anticipated Sunscreen Tentative Final Monograph (TFM).

“In the U.S., sunscreens are regulated by FDA as over-the-counter (OTC) drugs. OTC drugs are currently regulated under a monograph system, which establishes various requirements for approval. Among other items, the proposed rule addresses the effectiveness and safety of the active ingredients that sunscreens are permitted to include in their formulation. In this proposed rule, FDA identified two ingredients, zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, that meet FDA’s established conditions for safety and effectiveness.

“FDA requested the industry conduct additional testing on twelve ingredients currently used in sunscreens around the world. These twelve ingredients have been confirmed as both safe and effective in Europe and other countries around the world.   While FDA proposed certain methodologies for this testing, our industry has consistently offered viable, state-of-the-art toxicological safety methods as alternatives to the historical methods proposed by FDA.  We remain firm in our belief that the precise studies proposed by FDA are not the only ways to obtain the data they need.

“Importantly, sunscreens made with these ingredients will remain on the market.  FDA noted in its press release, ‘Given the recognized public health benefits of sunscreen use, Americans should continue to use sunscreen with other sun protective measures as this important rulemaking effort moves forward.’ We are proud of the sunscreens our industry provides to protect families from the harmful effects of the sun. We look forward to working with FDA to best address their questions.

“Skin cancer is a significant, and largely preventable, public health concern. Our industry’s goal is and continues to be to help consumers make informed decisions and use sunscreen as an important part of an overall safe sun program. We are proud that our industry offers innovative sunscreen products that help protect consumers from the harmful effects of the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays. We believe it is important to note that the TFM reflects sunscreen innovation in dosage forms and recognizes the importance of sunscreens at various SPF values, including those above SPF 50.

“Ultimately, having an array of safe and effective sunscreen active ingredients allows sunscreen manufacturers to formulate safe and effective products that meet the differing needs of individuals and their families, while providing necessary protection against the damaging effects of the sun.  Ensuring that consumers have access to products containing a broad variety of sunscreen active ingredients is critical and an important contribution to FDA’s public health mission.”

For more information about cosmetics and personal care products and their ingredients, please visit www.cosmeticsinfo.org.

Based in Washington, D.C., the Personal Care Products Council is the leading national trade association representing the global cosmetic and personal care products industry. Founded in 1894, PCPC’s 600 member companies manufacture, distribute, and supply the vast majority of finished personal care products marketed in the U.S. As the makers of a diverse range of products millions of consumers rely on every day, from sunscreens, toothpaste and shampoo to moisturizer, lipstick and fragrance, personal care products companies are global leaders committed to product safety, quality and innovation.

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The 2019 Annual Meeting of the Personal Care Products Council Marks 125 Years of Creating a More Beautiful World


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACTS:       

Lisa Powers (202) 297-1232
Jamie Kurke (202) 258-5285

Palm Beach, Fla. – Cosmetics and personal care products leaders from 17 associations representing 59 countries joined executives, innovators and other industry professionals for the Personal Care Products Council’s (PCPC) Annual Meeting. In addition to recognizing the industry’s 2018 achievements and examining the state of today’s global marketplace, the 2019 meeting presented a special opportunity to reflect upon the beauty industry’s past, present, and future as PCPC celebrates its 125th anniversary.

“For more than a century, our industry has provided significant well-being and economic value to society,” said PCPC President and CEO Lezlee Westine as she welcomed attendees. “Together, with the millions of consumers worldwide who trust and depend on our products every day, we look forward to a shared future grounded in safety, quality and innovation.”

Westine acknowledged that this future will include challenges. In collaboration with the featured speakers, PCPC facilitated insightful conversations about the business strategies, policy changes and guiding principles that will enable its member companies to address these challenges and join together in the pursuit of Creating a More Beautiful World, the theme of this year’s meeting.

The program included discussion surrounding the following topics: “How Artificial Intelligence Will Change the Way We Live and Think,” “Future Proofing our Business: Microforces, Challenges & Opportunities,” “Leadership Perspectives on Sustainability Value Creation and Growth,” “Transforming your brand in the new age of wellness-driven marketing: Pinterest and the wellness megatrend,” “The Role of Influence in the Consumer Decision Journey,” and “Environmentally Responsible Packaging in Corporate Sustainability Initiatives.”

New to this year’s Annual Meeting were four workshops, which offered a comprehensive assessment of the following subjects in a smaller, more intimate setting: “An International Standard for Natural and Organic Cosmetics,” “What’s Happening with Brexit?,” “Cannabis & Cosmetics,” and “Chinese Regulatory & Trade Update.”

Also unveiled at this year’s meeting was PCPC’s sustainability initiative, which is designed to:

  • Showcase member company sustainability practice and know-how;
  • Expand and enhance the industry’s robust sustainability commitment; and
  • Provide a strategic framework and focus for PCPC action, resources, and committees

“Our world is changing fast, and there are daunting social and environmental global challenges that can’t be solved by just one institution or company,” said Westine. “By working with each other and with like-minded organizations, our industry has the opportunity to play an important role in creating a more beautiful future.”

“We don’t have to choose between public health and the environment. We can protect both,” PCPC Board of Directors Chair George Calvert added.

The Board of Directors, as elected in its entirety at the Annual Meeting, is as follows:

Chairman:        George Calvert, Chief Supply Chain Officer, Amway

Vice Chairs:     Esi Eggleston Bracey, Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer NA Beauty                                           and Personal Care, Unilever

                             David Greenberg, Group President of Professional Products Division North                                                             America, L’Oréal

                             Alex Keith, CEO, P&G Beauty

                             Jeff Smith, Global Chief Transformation Officer, Johnson & Johnson

Secretary:        Andrew Stanleick, Senior Vice President, Consumer Beauty Division, Coty

Treasurer:       David Holl, President and Chief Executive Officer, Mary Kay Inc.

Calvert and PCPC expressed hope for the beauty industry’s continued flourishment in 2019 and beyond.

“We have a very bright future ahead,” said Calvert. “We carry a legacy of creativity, innovation, passion, responsibility and entrepreneurship. We exhibit these traits every day through the thousands of new formulas, products and patents we create and file every year, and the loyalty of the families who use and trust our products.”

To learn more about 2019 Annual Meeting, visit our website. Follow our Annual Meeting updates on Twitter at @PCPC_News and using #PCPC125. For more information about cosmetics and personal care products, please visit www.CosmeticsInfo.org.

Based in Washington, D.C., the Personal Care Products Council is the leading national trade association representing the global cosmetic and personal care products industry. Founded in 1894, PCPC’s 600 member companies manufacture, distribute, and supply the vast majority of finished personal care products marketed in the U.S. As the makers of a diverse range of products millions of consumers rely on every day, from sunscreens, toothpaste and shampoo to moisturizer, lipstick and fragrance, personal care products companies are global leaders committed to product safety, quality and innovation.

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Statement from the Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA) and the Personal Care Products Council (PCPC) Regarding Sunscreen Ingredient Ban


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 Contacts:

Mike Tringale, 202.429.3520, mtringale@chpa.org
Lisa Powers, 202.466.0489, powersl@personalcarecouncil.org

“The Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA) and Personal Care Products Council (PCPC) are disappointed with the action taken by the Key West City Commission to ban certain sunscreen ingredients found in numerous sunscreens, cosmetics, shampoos, lip balms, and other health and personal care products. While we respect the emotion around coral reef decline, the ban represents a bad policy that is not based on scientific evidence. This ban is unlikely to have a positive effect on Florida’s coral but it will have a profound negative impact on the health and wellbeing of residents and visitors in Key West.

“Oxybenzone and octinoxate contribute to broad-spectrum protection from the effects of both UVA and UVB rays. UVA and UVB rays contribute to skin damage, skin aging, and melanoma, the leading cause of skin cancer-related deaths. Manufacturers, health professionals, and many others are opposed to a ban on these ingredients which provide critical defense against excess ultraviolet (UV) radiation exposure. Banning these ingredients will drastically – and unnecessarily – reduce the selection of safe and effective sunscreens and other products available to residents and visitors in Key West.

“There is no definitive scientific evidence that products containing oxybenzone or octinoxate damage coral in natural environments like Key West, nor any evidence that banning these ingredients improves the plight of coral. The ingredient ban in Key West ignores the real causes of coral decline according to scientists in Florida and from around the world: global warming, agricultural runoff, sewage, and overfishing. Public policy that will likely adversely impact public health should not be based on a limited number of exploratory lab-based studies alone.

“Oxybenzone and octinoxate, found in the majority of sunscreens in the U.S., are safe and effective over-the-counter (OTC) active ingredients recognized by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as an important aide in decreasing the risk of developing skin cancer – the most common cancer in the U.S.”

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The Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA) is the 138-year-old national trade association representing the leading manufacturers and marketers of over-the-counter (OTC) medicines and dietary supplements. Every dollar spent by consumers on OTC medicines saves the U.S. healthcare system $6-$7, contributing a total of $102 billion in savings each year. CHPA is committed to empowering self-care by preserving and expanding choice and availability of consumer healthcare products. www.chpa.org

Based in Washington, D.C., the Personal Care Products Council (PCPC) is the leading national trade association representing global cosmetics and personal care products companies. Founded in 1894, PCPC’s approximately 600 member companies manufacture, distribute and supply the vast majority of finished personal care products marketed in the U.S. As the makers of a diverse range of products millions of consumers rely on and trust every day – from sunscreens, toothpaste and shampoo to moisturizer, lipstick and fragrance – personal care products companies are global leaders committed to product safety, quality and innovation.

For more information on cosmetics and personal care products, please visit www.CosmeticsInfo.org