Pull Out a Chair and Be Part of the Change

By Keech Combe Shetty, PCPC Board Chair, and Lezlee Westine, PCPC President & CEO

Madam C.J. Walker was an extraordinary woman – a pioneer who started her business at the turn of the century, during a time when women of color had few rights and little opportunity. Today, she serves as a role model for many of us in the cosmetics and personal care industry.

Madam Walker was born to parents who had been enslaved. A talented entrepreneur with a knack for self-promotion, she built a business empire and employed Black women as “beauty culturalists,” providing them a unique opportunity for economic freedom. Her successful line of hair care products for Black women made her the first self-made American woman millionaire. Harnessing her fortune for good, she funded scholarships for women at the Tuskegee Institute and donated large parts of her wealth to charities, including the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and YMCA.

Madam C.J. Walker was ahead of her time. She inspired many women to follow in her footsteps, deepening her legacy and impact and driving our industry – and our nation – forward.

One such woman is Latriece Watkins, executive vice president, Consumables, Walmart U.S. The Personal Care Products Council (PCPC) recently presented Latriece with the first Madam C.J. Walker Award for Excellence in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) at the 2021 PCPC Virtual Summit. The award recognizes individuals in the beauty and personal care industry who demonstrate an outstanding commitment to DEI through strong leadership and sustained efforts focusing on workplace culture, programs and policies, or through external engagement with consumers and communities. This award will be an annual recognition.

Latriece is broadly recognized and admired as someone who leads with respect and lifts others. She champions DEI programs that create sustained, consistent and significant impact within her company and community. Like Madam Walker, Latriece is a true role model.

In accepting the award, Latriece spoke about the past year and how it changed us: “Corporate transformations, the pandemic, racial equity, hate. It was a lot. Our teams, our companies and our country – they need us to do more. They need us to be multidimensional.”

 

Madam C.J. Walker spoke of a duty to humanity and an obligation to care, not just about ourselves, but about others. “This duty calls me to do more,” Latriece said. “Delivering business results is not enough. Diversity and equity have to be a space where we seek, where we tell and where we believe in the truth. It cannot be a space that’s just about metrics. It has to be the conscience of the organization. And that means it takes each one of us.”

Beauty and personal care products companies are committed to helping shape a more diverse, equitable and inclusive world. We know there is more work to be done, and we don’t have all the answers. It all must begin with an honest assessment of our shortcomings, a strategy to address them and a willingness to keep working toward meaningful change. We know small steps can achieve extraordinary results when taken by many who are committed to the same goal.

Latriece shared a wonderful story: “An individual came to present at a Board meeting – someone who was not a regular face at this meeting and who likely epitomizes many of the people who are not represented in many Board rooms. As the presenter came into the room, a Board member pulled out a seat for this person. That simple gesture says so much: You are welcome here, you belong here, you have an equal seat at the table.”

Latriece urged each of us to pull out a seat at the table for someone – anywhere you work or live. We need to recognize more opportunities to lift others, broaden the conversation, deepen our awareness and ultimately change our outlook and actions.

Pull out a chair. Make the table bigger. Welcome others to the conversation. Do whatever it takes to be part of meaningful change, part of building a more equitable world. We applaud Latriece Watkins for her tireless work to infuse our companies, communities and country with more humanity. She follows in the footsteps of the extraordinary Madam C.J. Walker and, in doing so, inspires all of us to do more.

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Statement by Alexandra Kowcz, Chief Scientist, Personal Care Products Council, on PFAS in Cosmetics and Personal Care Products

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

CONTACTS:       

Lisa Powers, powersl@personalcarecouncil.org, (202) 297-1232
Stefanie Harrington, harringtons@personalcarecouncil.org, (202) 615-6558
Jamie Kurke, kurkej@personalcarecouncil.org, (202) 258-5285

Washington, D.C. – “Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a diverse group of chemicals with more than 6,000 ingredients and widely differing chemistries. It is inappropriate to assume that anything with a fluorine atom has the same safety profile. This group of chemicals is used in a wide range of consumer products. A small number of PFAS may be found as ingredients or at trace levels in cosmetics and personal care products, such as lotion, nail polish, eye makeup and foundation. When added as an ingredient, these materials are used to condition and smooth the skin or for product consistency and texture.

“In the U.S., cosmetics are regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act) and the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act (FPLA). All cosmetic products and their ingredients are subject to the same safety requirement under the FD&C Act – they must be shown to be safe for consumers before they are marketed. The labeling of those products must be truthful and not misleading under FPLA. Companies that market cosmetics and personal care products have a legal responsibility to ensure that their products and the ingredients used in them are safe before they are marketed to the public.

“In a recent study published in the Journal of Environmental Science and Technology Letters, some of the fluorine levels detected could be the result of trace amounts from materials naturally occurring in the environment or as a result of the manufacturing process. Since trace amounts are not intentionally added to products, they are not required to be listed on the label. FDA recognizes their possible presence and offers guidance on allowable levels. The Personal Care Products Council (PCPC) supports FDA’s authority to review these compounds, and they have the expertise to do so.

“Cosmetic and personal care products companies remain committed to advancing innovative approaches while creating products that benefit a variety of consumers’ needs. PCPC, working with the Environmental Working Group, has supported prohibition of certain PFAS from use in cosmetics. Our member companies take their responsibility for product safety and the trust families put in those products very seriously. Science and safety are the foundation for everything we do.”

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Founded in 1894, the Personal Care Products Council (PCPC) is the voice and advocate for 600 member companies representing the $450 billion global cosmetics and personal care products industry. PCPC’s members represent approximately 90% of the U.S. beauty industry and are some of the most beloved and trusted brands in beauty and personal care today. As manufacturers, distributers and suppliers of a diverse range of products millions of consumers rely on every day – from sunscreens, toothpaste and shampoo to moisturizer, makeup and fragrance – PCPC’s member companies are global leaders committed to safety, quality and innovation. For more information on cosmetics and personal care products and their ingredients, please visit www.CosmeticsInfo.org.

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Statement by the Personal Care Products Council on Benzene and Sunscreens

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACTS:     

Lisa Powers, powersl@personalcarecouncil.org, (202) 297-1232
Stefanie Harrington, harringtons@personalcarecouncil.org, (202) 615-6558
Jamie Kurke, kurkej@personalcarecouncil.org, (202) 258-5285

Washington, D.C. – “The Personal Care Products Council (PCPC) and its member companies are firmly committed to ensuring consumers have access to cosmetics and personal care products with ingredients that have been thoroughly tested for safety and follow the requirements of the law. There is nothing more important than safety. If our consumers can’t believe in a product or rely on it to do what it says, then nothing else matters. We are aware of the study reporting the presence of benzene in some of the sunscreen products tested.

“Benzene is not an intentionally added ingredient in sunscreen products, however, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), as well as product manufacturers, are aware that benzene may be found in food and drugs at very low levels. FDA offers guidance on the level of residual solvents as a companion document for the International Council for Harmonization of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH). PCPC strongly supports FDA’s guidance and activities in monitoring for conformance to these recommendations.  

“Sunscreens on the market today are backed by decades of safe use to help adults and children guard against the dangers of sun exposure. The FDA, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), U.S. Surgeon General, American Academy of Dermatology, Skin Cancer Foundation, and health professionals worldwide consistently advocate for the use of broad-spectrum sunscreens as part of a safe-sun regimen. These products play a critical role in the fight against skin cancer.

“Nonprofit health organizations and government agencies recommend using sunscreens as part of a safe-sun regimen. CDC’s Sun Safety recommendations note the importance of daily sunscreen use to help prevent most skin cancers, even on cloudy and overcast days.

“As sunscreen manufactures, our goal is to provide our consumers with access to a wide variety of safe, effective and innovative sunscreens so they can make informed decisions. Sunscreen is an important part of an overall safe-sun program. It is our hope that using sunscreen becomes as much of a habit as putting on your seatbelt.” 

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Founded in 1894, the Personal Care Products Council (PCPC) is the voice and advocate for 600 member companies representing the $450 billion global cosmetics and personal care products industry. PCPC’s members represent approximately 90% of the U.S. beauty industry and are some of the most beloved and trusted brands in beauty and personal care today. As the manufacturers, distributers and suppliers of a diverse range of products millions of consumers rely on every day – from sunscreens, toothpaste and shampoo to moisturizer, makeup and fragrance – PCPC’s member companies are global leaders committed to product safety, quality and innovation. For more information on cosmetics and personal care products and their ingredients, please visit www.CosmeticsInfo.org.

 

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Maryland Consumer Protection Bill Becomes Law

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACTS:     

Monica Amarelo, (202) 939-9140, monica@ewg.org
Stefanie Harrington, (202) 615-6558, harringtons@personalcarecouncil.org

Maryland Consumer Protection Bill Becomes Law
The Environmental Working Group and the Personal Care Products Council
Collaborate to Protect Public Health

Washington, D.C. – The Environmental Working Group (EWG) and the Personal Care Products Council (PCPC) commend Maryland House Bill 643 (HB 643) becoming law, which prohibits the sale and manufacture of cosmetics and personal care products with certain ingredients in Maryland. This bill moves the industry another step closer to global regulatory alignment.

“Maryland residents now have greater assurance of the safety of the consumer products they use every day, like lotion and body wash, toothpaste, shampoo and conditioner, and makeup,” said EWG President Ken Cook. “This marks a momentous milestone in the history of cosmetics and personal care products regulation. Once again, groups like EWG along with a diverse group of stakeholders and the industry’s trade association, the Personal Care Products Council, support legislation to modernize the rules governing these products.”

Maryland is the second state – similar legislation was enacted in California last year – to limit the use of these ingredients from all cosmetics and personal care products such as moisturizers, hand sanitizers, body washes and other cosmetic products. The 24 ingredients are prohibited from use in cosmetic products sold in the European Union and other countries.

“We are pleased to have joined efforts with EWG and many other organizations on this important piece of legislation,” said PCPC President & CEO Lezlee Westine. “Maryland consumers deserve a law that provides consumers with continued confidence in the products they use and trust every day. We all agree that this bill helps protect public health in Maryland while safeguarding the more than 70,000 personal care and beauty related jobs in Maryland and the more than $4.5 billion contributed to the state’s gross domestic product.”

The law was sponsored by House of Delegates Member Julie Palakovich Carr (D-17/Rockville and Gaithersburg). We express special thanks for her leadership, along with Members of the Maryland General Assembly, and dedicated staff that worked together to bring this legislation to fruition.

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The Environmental Working Group (EWG) is a nonprofit, non-partisan organization that empowers people to live healthier lives in a healthier environment. Through research, advocacy and unique education tools, EWG drives consumer choice and civic action. For more information, please visit www.ewg.org.

The Personal Care Products Council (PCPC) is the leading national trade association representing the global cosmetics and personal care products industry. Founded in 1894, PCPC represents 600 member companies who 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, makeup 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 and their ingredients, please visit www.CosmeticsInfo.org.

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