Creating a More Beautiful and Sustainable Future


Pamela Gill Alabaster
Contributing Writer

Sustainability is certainly on everyone’s mind these days. But what does sustainable really mean? For the cosmetics and personal care products industry, it means many things.

Sustainable products maintain an appropriate balance between their impact on the environment and social and economic value. From the extraction and creation of renewable and fossil fuel derived raw materials, through development and production, packaging and distribution, and finally including the customer experience and end of life disposal, sustainability is a complex and essential industry value.

The cosmetics and personal care products industry is deeply committed to integrating sustainability into their business practices and the products used by millions of consumers who trust and rely on them each day to enhance quality of life.

While these efforts have been underway for many years, the Personal Care Products Council (PCPC) released its first-ever sustainability report this month, “Creating a More Beautiful World.” The comprehensive report captures the industry’s commitment to ethical and transparent practices, the responsible management of environmental impacts, as well as the economic and social value of the industry.

Key elements of the report include insights and analysis of industry efforts, including:

  • Supporting a Low Carbon Economy—More than two-thirds of PCPC members actively manage their operations’ energy use and carbon emission. Many companies support the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) and, in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement, have committed to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to limit global warming to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and pursue efforts to limit warming to 1.5°C.
  • Water Conservation—Many companies conduct water use analysis and risk assessments to develop strategies to reduce water demand, increase water reuse and address challenges associated with individual water basins. In addition, many companies develop products formulated to use less water.
  • Waste Management—Many of our members work to streamline and ultimately reduce waste in their manufacturing processes, including identifying what can be recycled into new materials or recovered to generate energy, and are committed to sending zero waste to landfills from their manufacturing sites.
  • Product Stewardship—Companies are taking numerous actions to reduce their use of plastic packaging, use more recycled plastic and increase the recyclability of the plastic packaging they use. Additionally, PCPC is part of the Sustainable Packaging Initiative for Cosmetics (SPICE), a coalition of cosmetics companies working together to define guidelines for sustainable packaging.
  • Corporate Citizenship—Per $1 million of sales, the annual charitable contributions from cosmetics and personal care companies are more than double the national average for other major industry sectors. Look Good Feel Better, a public service program that helps individuals with cancer improve their self-esteem and confidence by helping them deal with the appearance-related side effects of cancer treatment, has served 2 million women in 27 countries since 1989.

“While we are proud of the efforts individual companies are making in the sustainable management of their businesses, we recognize companies large and small still have more to do,” said Lezlee Westine, president and CEO for the Personal Care Products Council. “Our goal is to work in coalition, together with other like-minded organizations, to help create a more beautiful and sustainable world for us all.”

George Calvert, chairman of the PCPC Board of Directors and chief supply chain officer for Amway reinforces this commitment: “Our constant pursuit of improved sustainability is both good business and good stewardship. For years to come, our collective efforts will advance our industry’s reputation, create new opportunities for our teams, drive growth and make a positive impact on the world.”

So, where do we go from here? As member companies continue to innovate and to lessen the impacts created in the production, packaging and distribution processes, PCPC is redoubling its efforts to bring together members committed to help drive best practices toward a more sustainable future.

Ultimately, sustainability is about the well-being of the planet and all its inhabitants. I am so proud to be part of this industry and excited to see where the passion and commitment sustainability takes us.

Pamela Alabaster serves as chief marketing and communications officer for Centric Brands and has been recognized by TriplePundit and Forbes as among the top women in sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility. Prior to her role at Centric Brands, Alabaster worked for the beauty industry for more than 25 years.

Statement by the Personal Care Products Council and the Consumer Healthcare Products Association in Response to Part Two of FDA’s Sunscreen Ingredient Maximal Usage Trial


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contacts:

Jewel Jones (202) 454-0302, jonesj@personalcarecouncil.org
Lauren Bloomberg, (202) 429-3534, lbloomberg@chpa.org

Washington, D.C. — “The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) sponsored study entitled ‘Effect of Sunscreen Application on Plasma Concentration of Sunscreen Active Ingredients’ published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) is a follow-up to an earlier study published in May 2019. Using a larger sample size, additional sunscreen active ingredients and formulations, the more recent study reached similar conclusions to those observed previously.

“All six sunscreen active ingredients were absorbed and found in plasma following application in either lotion or spray form.  However, the presence of these ingredients in plasma does not suggest a safety issue and there were no serious drug-related adverse events reported in the trial, consistent with the excellent safety record associated with sunscreen active ingredients over decades of real-world use. We will continue to work cooperatively with FDA to determine what additional studies are needed to ensure the ongoing safety of sunscreen active ingredients in the marketplace.

“The Personal Care Products Council (PCPC), the Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA) and their member companies are aligned with FDA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the U.S. Surgeon General, the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), the Skin Cancer Foundation and health professionals worldwide about the important health benefits sunscreens provide as part of a safe sun regimen to help prevent sunburn and reduce skin cancer risk.

“FDA makes clear that the results of this study should not cause anyone to stop using sunscreen.  Sunscreen is a crucial step in the fight against skin cancer and premature skin aging. It is our hope that using sunscreen becomes as much of a habit as using a seat belt.

“We look forward to our continued work with FDA to ensure that consumers have access to products containing a broad variety of sunscreen active ingredients.”

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 About the Personal Care Products Council

Based in Washington, D.C., the Personal Care Products Council (PCPC) 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. For more information on cosmetics and their ingredients, please visit www.cosmeticsinfo.org.

 About the Consumer Healthcare Products Association

Founded in 1881, the Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA) is the national trade association representing the leading manufacturers and marketers of over-the-counter (OTC) medicines, dietary supplements, and consumer medical devices. Every dollar spent by consumers on OTC medicines saves the U.S. healthcare system more than $7, contributing a total of $146 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

 

Statement by Francine Lamoriello, EVP, Global Strategies, Personal Care Products Council, Applauding the Ratification of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contacts:

Jewel Jones (202) 454-0302, jonesj@personalcarecouncil.org
Jamie Kurke (202) 258-5285, kurkej@personalcarecouncil.org

Washington, D.C. – “The Personal Care Products Council (PCPC) applauds the U.S. Congress for its swift bipartisan passage of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) and congratulates the Administration for this major undertaking, which successfully renegotiates NAFTA and brings North American trade into the 21st century. We have been a strong supporter of USMCA from the first negotiations to today’s ratification.

“PCPC believes the Agreement provides our industry with further opportunities to grow regionally and contribute to our competitiveness around the world. Of particular note is the high standard Cosmetics Annex, the first of its kind, which commits all three countries to good regulatory practices for the cosmetics and personal care sector.

“The U.S.-Canada Appendix to the Annex uniquely recognizes the importance of regulatory alignment for OTC-like products and will have significant commercial benefit for our member companies. It is our hope that this Annex will serve as a model for including our sector in all U.S. free trade agreements in the future.”

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