Schakowsky, Fletcher, Matsui, Pressley Introduce Safer Beauty Bill Package

WASHINGTON - U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Ranking Member of the Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, on Wednesday reintroduced the Safer Beauty Bill Package with her colleagues, Reps. Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07), Doris Matsui (CA-07), and Ayanna Pressley (MA-07). The bill package includes four separate bills that offer progressive updates to an increasingly outdated set of federal cosmetics laws. This package builds upon the Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act (MoCRA), which passed under President Joe Biden and expanded FDA oversight to include the regulation of the cosmetics industry, including mandatory recall authority, adverse event reporting, and requiring facility registration, and more.

"Safe, accessible beauty cannot wait. After more than 80 years of inaction, the United States finally updated its cosmetics laws in 2022. President Biden was able to sign into law the Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act, which now gives authority to the Food and Drug Administration to recall beauty and personal care products that are harming human health. While this was an important first step, our work is not done,” said Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky. “I am proud to reintroduce the Safer Beauty Bill Package with my colleagues, Reps. Lizzie Fletcher, Doris Matsui, and Ayanna Pressley, which would protect consumers from toxic chemicals linked to hormone disruption, cancer and other health problems; require full ingredient transparency for consumers and manufacturers; and protect the health of women of color and salon workers, who are among the most highly exposed to toxic chemicals because of the products marketed to them or commonly found in their workplaces. We must pass the Safer Beauty Bill Package now!”

“Many people assume that the personal care and beauty items they use are safe, but with minimal oversight, many of the care, beauty, and salon products sold across the country actually contain toxic chemicals,” said Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher.  “I am glad to partner with Congresswoman Schakowsky to reintroduce the Toxic-Free Beauty Act to protect the health and safety of people across the country by banning chemicals known to cause significant harm in beauty products.”

“Americans deserve the comfort of knowing the products they use every day are safe and properly labeled,” said Congresswoman Doris Matsui. “That’s why I am proud to join Congresswoman Schakowsky in announcing the Cosmetic Hazardous Ingredient Right to Know Act, which will introduce much needed transparency and accountability to the cosmetics industry. This is a commonsense step toward protecting consumers and our public health. Whether it's a parent buying shampoo for their child or a professional exposed to dozens of products daily, every person should have clear, honest information about what they’re putting on their bodies." 

“For decades, the beauty products marketed to Black women and girls and found in our salons have contained toxic, unregulated chemicals – leaving us to disproportionately suffer from increased incidences of cancer, respiratory issues, and adverse reproductive outcomes,” said Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley. “This isn’t a coincidence – this is exploitation. Black women, girls, and salon workers should be able to show up everyday as our beautiful, authentic selves, without fear for our health and safety. It’s past time that we regulate these hazardous products and affirm our right to safer alternatives, and I am proud to co-lead the Cosmetic Safety Protections for Communities of Color and Salon Workers Act and partner with my colleagues and dedicated advocates on the Safer Beauty Bill Package to do exactly that.”

The four bills cover almost every aspect of personal care product safety. They are:  

• H.R. 4433 - The Toxic-Free Beauty Act (Reps. Schakowsky and Fletcher): Bans 18 of the most toxic chemicals and two whole classes of chemicals (phthalates and formaldehyde releasing preservatives) that have been banned by the European Union and a number of states including California, Maryland, Oregon, Washington, and Vermont.
• H.R. 4434 - Cosmetic Supply Chain Transparency Act (Rep. Schakowsky): Requires suppliers of raw materials, ingredients, and private label products to provide full ingredient disclosure and safety data to cosmetic companies so they can make safer products.
• H.R. 4435 - Cosmetic Hazardous Ingredient Right to Know Act (Reps. Schakowsky and Matsui): Requires product label and website disclosure of secret, unlabeled, and often toxic chemicals in our personal care products. Last Congress, this bill only required transparency for fragrance and flavor ingredients and has been expanded to cover all ingredients that can pose a health risk to consumers.
• H.R. 4436 - Cosmetic Safety Protections for Communities of Color and Salon Workers (Reps. Schakowsky and Pressley): Funds research, resource materials, education and outreach, and the development of safer chemicals to protect the health of women of color and salon workers, two vulnerable populations who are among the most highly exposed to toxic chemicals because of the cosmetic products marketed to them or commonly found in their workplaces. This bill also requires the FDA to regulate the safety of synthetic braids, which can contain toxic chemicals.

The average American adult uses about 12 personal care products a day, resulting in exposure to an average of 168 unique chemicals. Children are also exposed to products containing risky chemicals during critical stages of childhood development. As these products range from toothpaste to makeup, it is easy for companies to conceal harmful chemicals that risk American livelihoods. Chemicals in beauty and personal care products have been linked to cancer, infertility, poor infant and maternal health outcomes, asthma, and many other serious health concerns. Women of color are disproportionately exposed to these harmful chemicals due to workplace conditions.

Joining Reps. Schakowsky, Fletcher, Matsui, and Pressley as original cosponsors of the Safer Beauty Bill Package are Reps. Dingell, Khanna, Norton, and Tlaib. 

The bill has been endorsed by a coalition of over 150 organizations and safe cosmetics companies. Find a full list of endorsements here.

“Thank you, Rep. Schakowsky, for your steadfast advocacy on behalf of cosmetic safety and for introducing the 2025 Safer Beauty Bill Package which will protect everyone regardless of where they live, shop or work” said Janet Nudelman, Director of Breast Cancer Prevention Partner’s Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. “This important suite of bills will match the new high bar for ingredient safety set by laws recently enacted in CA, MD, OR, WA, VT, and NY; create long overdue protections for women of color and professional salon workers; and set a new industry standard for ingredient and supply chain transparency.”

For over a decade, Congresswoman Schakowsky has fought tirelessly to pass a robust regulatory framework for cosmetics and personal care products. The efforts focus on closing major loopholes in federal law that allow companies to use nearly any ingredient in these products, even chemicals that are known to harm human health and the environment like coal tar dyes, formaldehyde, lead acetate, parabens, and phthalates.

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