A new report from the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics suggests that in the absence of tighter federal oversight, cosmetics retailers are “gatekeepers of safety” and should be working to improve their safety policies and protect consumers from potentially hazardous ingredients in personal-care products.

Titled “Retailer Therapy,” the Dec. 11 report ranks eight retailers on their commitment to carrying safe personal-care products on their store shelves. The NGO frames the report in a holiday context, categorizing the retailers as “naughty” or “nice” for their specific personal-care product policies.

While some retailers are factoring in their own knowledge of personal-care ingredient safety as they build their product assortments, improved federal regulation “would take the onus off retailers to have extensive product screening systems,” CSC says.

With the report, CSC hopes to inspire changes among retailers and make a case for more stringent federal regulations governing cosmetic products.

The group suggests that because FDA currently does not have premarket approval authority over cosmetics, products on the market today “often contain chemicals linked to cancer, birth defects, infertility and other chronic diseases.”

“Retailers that sell personal-care products are the gatekeepers of safety for their customers,” says Janet Nudelman, coordinator of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics and director of programs and policy for the Breast Cancer Fund. “If the nation’s biggest retailers commit to stop selling cosmetics with toxic chemicals linked to disease, manufacturers who want to keep selling to those retailers will comply.”

She pointed to a “rich history” of retailers pushing for changes from industries, using the example of BPA. Due to concerns over potential endocrine disruption, Walmart stopped selling baby products containing BPA in 2008, which “forced manufacturers to reformulate in order to keep selling to this retail giant,” CSC says.

“If retailers say no to personal-care products with toxic chemicals, manufacturers will have to change,” CSC spokeswoman Shannon Coughlin said in an email to “The Rose Sheet.” “We think retailers that sell personal-care products can make a real difference when it comes to cosmetics safety.”

While some retailers are factoring in their own knowledge of personal-care ingredient safety as they build their product assortments, improved federal regulation “would take the onus off retailers to have extensive product screening systems,” according to CSC.

In a release, Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., praised the report and urged support for the Safe Cosmetics Act, which she introduced in June 2011 with Rep. Ed Markey, D-Mass.Also see "Lawmakers Introduce Revamped Safe Cosmetics Act" - HBW Insight, 27 June, 2011..

“Consumers are increasingly seeking safe products, and the retailers who respond to that demand will see the benefit in their bottom line,” she said. “We’ll continue to fight for stronger protections, but in the meantime, this type of information is exactly what consumers need to empower them to make healthy purchases. I hope the retailers who didn’t score as high will take another look at the products on their shelves and look for safer alternatives.”

Two other bills introduced in the 112th Congress – the Cosmetic Safety Amendments Act, supported by the Personal Care Products Council and introduced by Rep. Leonard Lance, R-N.J., and the Cosmetic Safety Enhancement Act, introduced by Rep. Frank Pallone, D-N.J. – were also aimed at strengthening FDA regulation of cosmetics and promoting product safety.

“Snapshot In Time”

CSC characterizes its report as a “snapshot in time” of eight retailers’ policies toward personal-care products on store shelves.

The group holds Whole Foods up as the gold standard, giving the retailer nine out of 10 “kisses” for its Premium Body Care Standards.

The retailer’s body-care standards mandate that all products making organic claims on labels must be certified to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Organic Program or NSF International’s NSF/ANSI 305 standard Also see "New Whole Foods Policy Requires USDA Certification For Organic Body Care" - HBW Insight, 14 June, 2010.. Additionally, Whole Foods’ criteria prohibit more than 400 personal-care ingredients from products.

Whole Foods Executive Whole Body Coordinator Jeremiah McElwee said in a Dec. 11 release that the Campaign’s report “validates both our team’s hard work and that of the wonderful supplier partners we work with to deliver the absolute highest-quality natural and organic body care-products to our customers.”

Macy’s ranked last on CSC’s list with one “kiss” out of 10, as the department-store chain does not have an ingredient-screening policy and “has stated that current regulatory standards are adequate for ensuring personal-care product safety and that the company relies on vendors to meet safety standards.”

The only qualm CSC had with Whole Foods is that its products are “expensive.” The group recommends that the retailer work to expand its more affordable personal-care offerings.

Among conventional retailers, CSC gives CVS top marks for its cosmetic safety policies, as well as for its decision to phase out certain potentially hazardous ingredients from its private-label personal-care products Also see "CVS Targets “Ingredients Of Concern” Under New Cosmetic Safety Policy" - HBW Insight, 19 May, 2008..

CVS garnered five kisses in the rankings, though CSC urges the retailer to improve its “store-wide health and safety standards.”

Walgreens and Target each received four kisses, for “showing potential” in the area of cosmetics safety policies, while Walmart, Kroger and Costco each earned three kisses for “getting started” on cosmetics safety programs.

Macy’s ranked last on CSC’s list with one kiss, as it does not have a policy that screens personal-care products for chemicals of concern and “has stated that current regulatory standards are adequate for ensuring personal-care product safety and that the company relies on vendors to meet safety standards,” CSC says.

CSC was also disappointed by what it called a “limited offering of safer alternatives” at Macy’s, save for The Estee Lauder Companies’ Origins brand, which provides “a higher bar for safety” by formulating products without certain potentially hazardous ingredients, according to the campaign. Macy’s was the only department store examined by CSC.

The group asks consumers to write to the retailers in the report to “demand that [they] take your health seriously and give them a lump of coal until they do.”

CSC researched the retailers and their personal-care policies for the report by reaching out to them directly, searching their websites and corporate responsibility guidelines, and surveying shoppers in-store in 11 states.

Six of the eight retailers were chosen for the report based on their size. Walmart, Kroger, Target, Walgreens, Costco and CVS are the top retailers of personal-care products in the country, according to Coughlin. Whole Foods was selected because it is the largest retailer known for natural and organic products, while Macy’s was selected as the largest department store.

“We hope that this report will encourage all retailers to take personal-care product safety seriously, to commit to continuous improvements in their purchasing priorities and to ensure that everyone has access to safe and affordable personal-care products,” CSC says.

CSC Report: Retailers Should Take Responsibility For Cosmetics Safety

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