Why Kourtney Kardashian's Call For Safer Personal Care Products is Important

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We wrote last week about the list of skincare ingredients to avoid, and a few readers reached out to share the work Kourtney Kardashian in doing in DC to make cosmetics safer. 

In case you missed it, Kourtney Kardashian went to Capitol Hill a few weeks ago to advocate for stricter regulation of cosmetics.

As a company that cares deeply about the ingredients we put into our products and use on our bodies, we're weighing in on why what Kourtney is doing is so important. 

From deodorant to shampoo to lotions to makeup, think about how many personal care products you use on your body every single day. How often do you stop and check the labels? And do you even know what those ingredients are if you do read them?

The recently proposed Personal Care Products Safety Act that Kourtney is advocating for would extend the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) oversight power within the cosmetics industry. Right now, the FDA has almost no control over what goes into our personal care products. 

“Under current law, cosmetic companies can put just about anything in cosmetics and personal care products. There are few if any restrictions on the kinds of ingredients that can be added to personal care products, or the amount of those chemicals.”  — The Environmental Working Group (EWG)

A lot has changed in the past 80 years, but one thing that hasn't changed at all is the FDA's rules governing the cosmetics industry. The lack of oversight leaves it to us as consumers to do our own research to find safe alternatives. And let's face it, ain't nobody go time for that.

“Everybody should have the right to healthy products in personal care.”  — Kourtney Kardashian

Amen, sister. 

This bill is designed to bring the U.S. cosmetic industry into the 21st century, ensuring that products will be safer for consumers. Let's break it down for you.

The Proposed Personal Care Products Safety Act And What It Means

• Requires cosmetic companies to register their facilities with the FDA
• Why it's important: Would give FDA the power to ensure products are made in a clean environment 

• Requires cosmetic companies to disclose ingredient lists to the FDA
• Why it's important: More transparency and information

• Mandates the FDA to do a safety review of at least 5 cosmetic ingredients per year
• Why it's important: Unsafe products will be identified and banned 

• Requires companies to alert the FDA when products become contaminated or when people report adverse reactions
• Why it's important: Gives FDA the ability to stop production or recall a product if it's dangerous

• Improves labeling standards
• Why it's important: Labels would have a warning if a product's ingredients pose a risk to pregnant women, children, or other at-risk groups

• Encourages safety testing without the use of animals
• Why it's important: Less animal cruelty

This bill has yet to be voted on, but if it passes, it means better products, more transparency, and healthier customers. And that's something we can get behind.