04.10.23
The Toxic-Free Cosmetics Act (HB 1047)—sponsored by Washington State Representative Sharlett Mena (29th Legislative District)— passed in the Washington State Senate with a vote of 28-20-1.
The legislation bans PFAS, lead, phthalates, formaldehyde and formaldehyde releasers and other chemicals in cosmetics and personal care products. The bill passed in the Washington State House of Representatives on March 1, 2023 with a vote of 55-41. It now heads back to the House of Representatives for a concurrence vote before moving to the Governor’s desk.
Policies Passed to ‘Phase Out’ Toxic Chemicals in Beauty, Personal Care Products
The legislation comes at a time when retailers are increasingly adopting policies to phase out and ban toxic chemicals in beauty and personal care products, according to the Retailer Report Card. Retailers including Credo Beauty, CVS Health, Rite Aid, Sephora, Target, Ulta Beauty, Walgreens, Walmart, and Whole Foods Market have been working to reduce and eliminate harmful chemicals such as phthalates, parabens, PFAS, and/or formaldehyde releasers in beauty and personal care products. More recently, some major retailers have reported substantive progress in addressing harmful chemicals in beauty products. Sephora recently reported it has achieved a 39.5% reduction in brand-name beauty products with one or more toxic chemicals. Walmart has reduced priority chemicals by 37 million pounds in key product categories such as cosmetics, personal care, household cleaners, and formulated baby care products.
“You shouldn’t have to be a toxicologist to shop for your cosmetics,” said Rep. Sharlett Mena (D-Tacoma). “When we go to the store, we assume that a product on the shelf is safe, but that isn’t always the truth. When we find these toxics in certain cosmetics, it doesn’t mean that everybody is getting just a little bit of exposure. A lot of us go back to the same products and the same brands, so functionally, some of us are getting more exposure than others. What the Washington Department of Ecology found is that many of the products that contain the most harmful toxic chemicals are the ones that are targeted towards women of color. I am proud that Washington is taking a stand and leading the nation by banning these harmful products. This bill will ensure that the products that we use over and over again are not harming us or the environment.”
More information on Washington State’s Toxic-Free Cosmetics Act can be viewed here.
Additional Reading
Check out our coverage on California Governor Newsom's signage of a Law Banning PFAS in Cosmetics here.