Washington—Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today announced that the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network has endorsed the Personal Care Products Safety Act.

Under the bill, introduced by Senators Feinstein and Susan Collins (R-Maine) in April, the Food and Drug Administration would evaluate at least five chemicals per year to determine their safety, appropriate concentration, and whether consumer warnings are needed. For example, a chemical may be deemed inappropriate for use in children’s products, or appropriate for professional application only.

“Evidence is mounting that daily exposure to some chemicals may be linked to increasing rates of cancer,” said Senator Feinstein. “However, the ingredients in personal care products, some of which are easily absorbed by the body, are not evaluated to determine whether they are safe. No other products are so widely used, with so few safeguards. I’m grateful for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network’s support of the Personal Care Products Safety Act, which is testament to the public health need for safety oversight of these products. ”

“Most Americans use cosmetics, shampoos and lotions on a daily basis, and they expect those products to be safe. The Personal Care Products Safety Act is a step in the right direction that should provide consumers with confidence they are safe by further evaluating select ingredients included in these products,” said Chris Hansen, president, American Cancer Society Action Network.

Additional supporters of the Personal Care Products Safety Act include:

• American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists
• American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association
• Blue Ribbon Advocacy Alliance
• California Baby
• Caregiver Action Network
• Endocrine Society
• Environmental Working Group
• Estee Lauder (Brands include Estée Lauder, Clinique, Origins, Tommy Hilfiger, MAC, La Mer, Bobbi Brown, Donna Karan, Aveda, Michael Kors)
• Gerontological Society of America
• HealthyWomen
• Johnson & Johnson (Brands include Neutrogena, Aveeno, Clean & Clear, Lubriderm, Johnson’s baby products)
• L’Oreal (Brands include L’Oréal Paris, Lancome, Giorgio Armani, Yves Saint Laurent, Kiehl’s, Essie, Garnier, Maybelline-New York, Vichy, La Roche-Posay, The Body Shop, Redken)
• March of Dimes
• National Alliance for Hispanic Health
• National Association of Nutrition and Aging Services Programs
• National Coalition for LGBT Health
• National Minority Quality Forum
• National Partnership for Women & Families
• National Psoriasis Foundation
• National Women’s Health Network
• New Voices Pittsburgh
• Personal Care Products Council (Represents more than 600 companies in the cosmetics industry)
• Procter & Gamble (Brands include Pantene, Head & Shoulders, Clairol, Herbal Essences, Secret, Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci, Ivory, CoverGirl, Olay, Sebastian Professional, Vidal Sassoon)
• Revlon (Brands include Revlon, Almay, Mitchum)
• Society for Women’s Health Research
• Unilever (Brands include Dove, Tresemme, Lever, St. Ives, Noxzema, Nexxus, Pond’s, Suave, Sunsilk, Vaseline, Degree)
• Veterans Health Council
• Women Against Prostate Cancer