New U.S. legislation seeks to ban toxic chemicals from beauty products, prioritizing safety for consumers, salon workers, and communities of color.
A new legislative push is underway to eliminate toxic chemicals from everyday beauty and personal care products. U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky of Illinois (IL-09), along with three fellow members of the House of Representatives, has introduced the Safer Beauty Bill package in Congress. This comprehensive legislative initiative consists of four distinct bills aimed at strengthening safety standards across the beauty and personal care industry in the United States.
The four bills included are:
• H.R. 4433: The Toxic-Free Beauty Act
• H.R. 4434: Cosmetic Supply Chain Transparency Act
• H.R. 4435: Cosmetic Hazardous Ingredient Right to Know Act
• H.R. 4436: Cosmetic Safety Protections for Communities of Color and Salon Workers
Together, these bills aim to ban dozens of hazardous substances and two entire classes of chemicals currently used in beauty products. The proposed legislation targets chemicals like lead, mercury, formaldehyde, asbestos, and parabens—many of which have well-established links to cancer, neurological damage, and reproductive health complications.
According to Schakowsky’s office, the average American adult applies around 12 personal care products each day, exposing them to approximately 168 unique chemical ingredients. “Most consumers would be shocked to know that over 10,000 industrial chemicals are used in the formulation of beauty and personal care items,” stated Janet Nudelman, Senior Director of Program and Policy at Breast Cancer Prevention Partners (BCPP) and head of its “Campaign for Safer Cosmetics.”
If enacted, the bills would also mandate transparent labeling and online disclosure of any hazardous ingredients used in cosmetic products. Additionally, they allocate funding for research into safer alternatives, particularly focusing on synthetic hair products.
The legislation pays special attention to the disproportionate impact on women of color and salon professionals, groups often targeted by or heavily exposed to harmful beauty products. “These communities face heightened health risks due to the routine use of toxic products either personally or occupationally,” the lawmakers emphasized.
Nudelman underlined the need for consumer-friendly regulation: “People shouldn’t have to be organic chemists to make safe choices at the store. While voting with our wallets is important, it’s not enough—industry standards must change.”
In 2022, President Joe Biden signed into law the Modernization of Cosmetic Regulations Act (MoCRA), which expanded FDA authority over the cosmetics sector. This law included provisions like product recall authority, adverse event reporting, and manufacturer registration. However, Nudelman clarified that while MoCRA brought the cosmetic industry under similar regulatory footing as the food and drug sectors, it did not empower the FDA to ban or limit toxic substances already present in consumer products.
According to Nudelman, the Safer Beauty Bill package is urgently needed to address these oversight gaps and finally begin phasing out harmful chemicals from everyday use.
