Statement by the Personal Care Products Council on Benzene in 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. – “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 quality, efficacy and safety, and follow all legal and regulatory requirements. There is nothing more important than safety. If our consumers can’t trust the safety of our products, then nothing else matters.

“PCPC is aware of recent studies reporting the presence of trace amounts of benzene in some personal care products. Benzene is a chemical that is ubiquitous in the environment and not an intentionally added ingredient in personal care products. People worldwide are exposed daily to benzene from indoor and outdoor sources, including air, drinking water, and food and beverages. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and product manufacturers are aware that it may be present in food and drug products at trace levels, and those very low levels do not pose a safety concern for consumers.

“For more information about our industry, our products and the ingredients used in them, please visit www.cosmeticsinfo.org.”

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Founded in 1894, the Personal Care Products Council (PCPC) is the voice and advocate for 600 member companies representing the $484.1 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, distributors 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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Statement by Lezlee Westine, President and CEO, Personal Care Products Council, on Dr. Robert Califf’s Confirmation as FDA Commissioner

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) congratulates Robert M. Califf, M.D., on his confirmation as Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Dr. Califf is well qualified for the position, bringing to the role previous experience as head of the agency, a strong commitment to protecting public health and a long-standing dedication to science-based decision-making.

“Consumer and product safety are top priorities for the beauty and personal care industry, with careful and thorough scientific research and development serving as the foundation for everything we do. PCPC member companies invest nearly $3 billion each year in R&D – research that allows our industry to introduce approximately 2,000 new products annually and provide consumers with a wide range of choices. PCPC shares Dr. Califf’s commitment to public health and supports innovation that enables our member companies to continue to use the latest scientific research and technological advances to develop safe, high-quality products.

“We congratulate Dr. Califf on his confirmation and look forward to working with him to ensure that well-crafted, science-based regulations enhance our members’ ability to innovate and further strengthen consumer confidence in the personal care products they trust and use every day.”

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Founded in 1894, the Personal Care Products Council (PCPC) is the voice and advocate for 600 member companies representing the $484.1 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, please visit www.CosmeticsInfo.org.

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Black History Month: Working Toward a More Inclusive and Beautiful World

By Helene Pamon
Head of Personal Care, Sanofi &
Chair of PCPC’s DEI Advisory Group

Civil Rights activist Rev. Pauli Murray said, “True community is based on equality, mutuality and reciprocity. It affirms the richness of individual diversity as well as the common human ties that bind us together.” Rev. Murray is right; we must not just celebrate individual diversity but include everyone in every aspect of our society. This February is a good time to reflect on the beauty and personal care products industry’s work to make our companies and communities rise to this aspiration.

Certainly, the events over the last two years have sparked a much-needed examination of our role and responsibility in addressing society’s challenges around diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). The Personal Care Products Council (PCPC) and its member companies are keenly aware that consumers expect us to create, influence, educate and advocate for change. That begins with taking steps to ensure our own proverbial house is in order. Companies are working together to strengthen inclusiveness at the company and brand levels.                

PCPC also took a critical look at its approach to DEI and how the association might support member practice and programs. I am proud to have worked with PCPC over the last year to bring together a Board-appointed Advisory Group (AG) of member company representatives who play a critical role addressing DEI and advancing best practices in their respective organizations. The AG’s mission is to harness the collective impact of the beauty and personal care products industry to be an agent for change toward a more just and equitable society. We are laser focused on what we can achieve as the collective, how we measure success and if needed, to course correct along our journey.  

PCPC member companies also engage with stakeholders to advocate for constructive DEI policies at the federal, state and local levels. For example, we’ve worked with the CROWN Coalition to advance anti-discrimination legislation known as the CROWN Act, which prevents discrimination based on characteristics – such as hair texture and cultural styles, particularly those common in the Black community – and specifically recognizes that Black people are disparately impacted and excluded from some workplaces based on physical appearance.

Last year, PCPC also announced the first annual Madam C.J. Walker Award for Excellence in DEI. The award recognizes an individual in the beauty industry who demonstrates an outstanding commitment to DEI through strong leadership and sustained efforts with a focus on workplace culture, programs and policies, or through external engagement with consumers and communities. Latriece Watkins, executive vice president, Consumables, Walmart U.S. received this award named after one of our industry’s icons.

Beauty and personal care companies understand that we all play a critical role in shaping the future, and we are making progress. However, we know there’s so much more to do and we are wholeheartedly committed to doing our part to encourage a more diverse, equitable, inclusive and beautiful future. When everyone is included, everyone wins.

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