Like the Campaign on Facebook, then go to the Campaign’s website to learn more and take action. It’s particularly important for you to send your members of Congress a letter or e-mail urging them to support a strong Safe Chemicals Act.

Here’s Why We Need the Safe Chemicals Act:

Beauty…or the Beast? Depends on the Safe Chemicals Act

Putting on Lipstick Shouldn’t be so Risky. It Won’t Be – If You Support the Safe Chemicals Act

Little Girls Are Worrying About Bras When They Should Still be Playing with Play Dough

If you’re in the market for…

Looking for Non-Toxic Clothes and Toys for Yourself and Your Kids? Check out our Amazon store.

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With your participation and some determined work on Capitol Hill, it will be. Several members of Congress recently introduced the Safe Cosmetics Act, legislation that would phase out toxic ingredients in our make-up and other personal care products that have been linked to cancer, birth defects and developmental harm. The act would also create a health-based safety standard to protect not only us adults, but kids, the elderly, and people who work in salons and the cosmetics industries.

Plus, the legislation would require companies to fully disclose all the ingredients their products contain so we consumers can read the labels and decide what we want to be exposed to. Finally, the new law would boost funding for the Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Cosmetics and Colors so it can effectively oversee the cosmetics industry and better protect consumers.

The Safe Cosmetics Act is long overdue. Laws governing the ingredients in cosmetics haven’t been updated since 1938 – we know a lot more about toxic chemicals and safe levels of exposure these days than we did then.

“The growing number of reports of serious health problems arising from the use of dangerous chemicals in personal care products shows a need to update our laws and protect men, women, and children from harmful exposure,” said Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D, IL), one of the bill’s co-sponsors. “Currently, manufacturers are not required to disclose all their ingredients on labels, and the FDA has no power to supervise the use of toxic chemicals in cosmetics. Americans are left in the dark about harmful mystery ingredients in personal care products; consumers deserve confidence that the products that they use will not hurt them.”

“When there are cancer-causing chemicals in popular hair-straighteners and baby shampoos and neurotoxins like lead in makeup, you know the regulatory system is broken,” said Lisa Archer, director of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. “Industry self-regulation just isn’t working. This bill recognizes that consumers have a right to safe personal care products and that companies have a responsibility to ensure their products are safe.”

Please – take a minute right now to urge your Member of Congress to support the Safe Cosmetics Act.

For more background, here’s why we need phthalate-free cosmetics, safer shampoos, and lead-free lipstick.

Don’t miss this related post, “Beauty…or the Beast? Depends on the Safe Chemicals Act.”

You can buy safer cosmetics in our online store here along with non-toxic shampoos, soap, and face and body lotion.

The post Putting on Lipstick Shouldn’t be so Risky. It Won’t Be – if You Support the Safe Cosmetics Act appeared first on Big Green Purse.

But in this day and age, it seems like that’s exactly what they have to do. A new study reported in the journal Pediatrics found that very little girls are developing breasts earlier than ever before, increasing their risk of breast cancer and other health problems and subjecting them to taunts from boys that undermine their self esteem. The study’s authors say exposure to toxic chemicals like Bisphenol A (BPA), some preservatives, and additives found in plastic may be among the reasons why.

Red flags have been flying for several years about the threats toxic chemicals pose to girls’ reproductive organs. “Young girls are exposed to dozens of potentially toxic chemicals on a daily basis,” Ted Schettler, M.D., M.P.H., Science Director for the Science and Environmental Health Network, told the New York Times. “Some of these can mimic the natural hormone, estrogen. Although individually their estrogenic activity may be relatively weak, their effects are additive. In the aggregate they could be having significant health effects, including contributing to the early onset of breast development. We need a new law to evaluate chemicals and protect our children from harmful exposures.”

Efforts are underway to pass the Safe Chemicals Act, legislation that would require safety testing for chemicals used in personal care products, cleansers, kids’ toys, and other products that could damage a developing child. We should all encourage our Senators and Representatives to support it. But it could take years to pass a new law, and years more before it goes into effect.

What can you do in the meantime?

* Eat more organic food, and feed organic food to your kids, too. Yep, most of the time it costs more. But would you rather spend money on healthier milk and organic vegetables, or training bras? And honestly, if you’re still buying bottled water, now’s the time to stop and shift your spending to food that’s actually worth the price. Take a look at these “price buster” tips for more ways good food can cost you less.

* Eat less meat. Unless you’re buying organic meat, the beef, pork and poultry you’re eating and feeding your family aare probably laden with growth homones. A diet made up mostly of fruits, vegetables and whole grains is a lot healthier, overall. Just in case you’re still on the fence about this one, here are a few more advantages to limiting or eliminating meat in your diet.

* Look for BPA-free everything. Nowadays, no one should be buying anything made from plastic unless it clearly says “BPA-free” on the label. Baby bottles? Rubber duckies? Water bottles? Make-up containers? If it’s plastic and doesn’t say BPA-free don’t buy it.

* Use fewer personal care products, both for yourself and for your kids. Babies are born with perfect skin – why do we insist on slathering them with lotion? As for ourselves, most women put more than ten different products on their skin every day. While no one of these products poses an imminent threat, over time, the multiple exposures we suffer add up.  Limit what you put on yourself and your kids, and choose products that contain mostly natural plant ingredients rather than synthetic chemicals.

* Exercise, and exercise your kids. The Pediatrics study showed that early breast development was more likely in girls that were overweight. Keep your kids active. Turn off the tv and get moving!

RELATED:

Check out these tips for safe and healthy toys from WhattoExpect.com.

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