Issues > InterActivate > Drop Dead Gorgeous, No More!

Drop Dead Gorgeous, No More!

Independent laboratory testing found a class of chemicals known as phthalates in 52 of 72 (72%) of the tested personal care products, according to a report released in early July 2002. Nail polish, hairspray, perfumes, and deodorants were among the products tested.

Phthalates have been shown to cause birth defects and damage to the liver, kidneys, lungs, and reproductive system in laboratory animals. A recent Center for Disease Control study found surprisingly high levels of phthalates in the population, particularly among reproductive-age women--up to 20 times more than the average dose, with the highest measured levels above the current federal safety standard.

Phthalates are not necessary to any of the products in which they are used. For each type of personal care item, phthalate-free products are available--often produced by the same company that used phthalates in another brand.

Demand a makeover! Take these actions today!:

1. Live Phthalate-Free! Choose phthalate-free products and avoid those found to contain phthalates:

Product	Contains Phthalates	Phthalate-Free
Hairspray	·Aqua Net Professional Hair Spray	·Aussie Mega Styling Spray
	·Herbal Essences Non Aerosol Hairspray	·Helene Curtis Finesse Touchables Silk Protein Enriched
	·Jheri Redding Finishers Flexible Hold Hairspray	·Helene Curtis Thermasilk Heat Activated Firm Hairspray
	·Pantene Pro V Strong Hold Spray	·Suave Naturals Aloe Vera Extra Hold Hairspray
	·Pantene Pro V Stronghold Healthy Hold Spray
	·Rave 4x Mega
	·Redken Cat Finishing Spritz
	·Salon Selectives Hold Tight Style Freeze Maximum Hold Finishing Spray
	·Sebastian Collection Shaper Plus
	·Suave Maximum Hold Hairspray Unscented, non-aerosol
	·Suave Naturals Extra Flexible Hold Non Aerosol Hairspray Freesia
	·TRESemme European Freeze-Hold Hair Spray
	·VO5 Crystal Clear 14 Hour Hold
	·Vidal Sassoon Microfine Mist Hair Spray, Aerosol
Deodorants	·Arrid Extra Extra Dry Maximum Strength Solid	·Certain Dri Anti-Perspirant Roll-On
	·Arrid Extra Extra Dry Ultra Clear Ultra Clean Spray	·Dove Powder Anti-Perspirant Deodorant
	·Arrid Extra Extra Dry Ultra Clear Ultra Fresh Spray	·Lady Speed Stick Soft Solid Anti-Perspirant
	·Ban Delicate Powder Roll On	·Secret Anti-Perspirant & Deodorant Platinum Protection Ambition Scent
	·Degree Original Solid Anti-Perspirant & Deodorant	·Soft & Dri Anti-Perspirant Deodorant Clear Gel
	·Degree Original Solid Anti-Perspirant & Deodorant
	·Dove Solid Anti-Perspirant Deodorant
	·Secret Sheer Dry Regular
	·Secret: Powder Fresh Aerosol
	·Sure Clear Dry Anti-Perspirant & Deodorant
Fragrances	·Calgon Hawaiian Ginger Body Mist	·All Environmental Working Group-tested fragrances contained phthalates
	·Calgon Turquoise Seas Body Lotion	·Burt's Bees Bay Rum line of after-shave and fragrances
	·Charlie Cologne Spray
	·Escape by Calvin Klein
	·Eternity by Calvin Klein
	·Fire & Ice Cologne Spray
	·Freedom
	·Jovan White Musk
	·Lancome Paris Tresor
	·Liz Claiborne Eau De Toilette Spray
	·Oscar
	·Parfums de Coeur White Tahitian Ginger Fantasy
	·Poison by Christian Dior
	·Red Door
	·The Healing Garden Pure Joy Body Treatment
	·White Diamonds Elizabeth Taylor
	·Wind Song Extraordinary Cologne by Prince
Hair Gel	·Clairol Herbal Essences Natural Volume Body Boosting Gel	·Physique Extra Control Structuring Gel
	·Dep Level 4 Shine Gel	·Helene Curtis Thermasilk Heat Activated Mousse for Fine/Thin Hair
	·LA Looks Styling Gel: Extra Super Hold
	·Suave Naturals Ocean Breeze Extra Control Spray Gel
	·TRESemme European Slick Melting Gel
	·Pantene Pro V Spray Gel Volumizing Root Lifter
Hair Mousse	·Aussie Megahold Mousse	·Finesse Touchables Silk Protein Enriched Mousse
	·Clairol Herbal Essences Styling Mousse Maximum Hold	·L'Oreal Paris Studio Line: Springing Curls Mousse
	·Helene Curtis Salon Selectives Rise Up Volumizing Mousse
	·Pantene Pro V Mousse Body Builder
Nail Polish	·Avon beComing Radiant Long Last Nail Gloss	·Kiss Colors Nail Polish
	·Cover Girl NailSlicks	·L'Oreal Jet Set Nail Enamel
	·Maybelline Express Finish Fast-Dry Nail Enamel	·L'Oreal Jet-Set Quick Dry Nail Enamel
	·Maybelline Ultimate Wear Nail Enamel	·Maybelline Shades of Your Nail Color
	·Naturistics Super Shine Nail Gloss	·Naturistics 90 Second Dry! Super Fast Nail Color
	·Oil of Olay Nail Laquer	·Revlon Nail Enamel
	·OPI Nail Laquer	·Revlon Super Top Speed
	·Orly Salon Nails French Manicure	·Urban Decay
	·Orly Salon Nails Nail Color
	·Sally Hansen Chrome Nail Makeup
	·Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Nail Polish
	·Sally Hansen Hard as Nails With Nylon Nail Polish
	·Sally Hansen Teflon Tuff Nail Color
	·Tropez Nail Enamel
	·Wet N Wild Crystalic Calcium Enriched Nail Color
	·Wet N Wild Nail Color
Hand and Body Lotion	·Jergens Skincare Original Scent Lotion	·Burt's Bees Wings of Love tinted Moisturizer
	·Nivea Creme	·Burt's Bees baby diaper ointment
		·Burt's Bees Milk and Honey Lotion and Carrot Lotion
		·Curel Soothing Hands Moisturizing Hand Lotion
		·Eucerin Dry Skin Therapy Original Moisturizing Lotion
		·Lubriderm Skin Therapy Moisturizing Lotion
		·Neutrogena Hand Cream
		·Suave Naturals Sun Ripened Moisturizing Body Lotion
		·Vaseline Intensive Care Advanced Healing and Dry Skin Lotion

Sources: Burt's Bees chemists; Poisoned Cosmetics, Not Too Pretty: The Products,
http://www.nottoopretty.org/goodbad.htm

 

2. Write your favorite cosmetic and personal care company to let them know you want phthalate-free products. Use our sample letter as a guide, and below the letter you can find contact information for cosmetics companies.

Sample Letter:

CEO
[name of company]
[address]
[city, state, and zip]

To the CEO of [name of company]:

I am concerned about phthalates and the their presence in your company's personal care products. Because the FDA has been assessing the safety of single exposures in a a world where we are exposed to many chemicals, cosmetics and beauty products can put phthalates into my body on top of the phthalates I get from many other sources. And since the FDA does not require that all phthalate-containing products be labeled I can't tell which products are phthalate-free.

In September 2000, researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that they found seven phthalates in the bodies of 289 persons tested, and that every person tested had a particular phthalate called dibutyl phthalate, or DBP, in their body. But the biggest surprise came when CDC researchers broke the data down by age and gender for DBP. They discovered that the most critical population, women of childbearing age whose fetuses are exposed to DBP in the womb, appear to receive the highest exposures. These chemicals are suspected endocrine disruptors, and have caused birth defects and damage to the liver, kidneys, lungs, and reproductive system in laboratory animals. Something must be done!

In the short term, I ask that you indicate the presence of all phthalates on your product labels. In the long term, I ask that you reformulate your products so that they don't contain phthalates. Phthalate-free products that perform equally as well are on the market for virtually every single kind of personal care product. I ask that you start with the products likely to cause the greatest exposure and those that are marketed to children and women of childbearing age.

Please act to protect my health by acknowledging that we do not live in a make-believe world where we are exposed to one chemical at a time. Help to protect women's health by phasing out your use of risky and unnecessary phthalate compounds.

Sincerely,
[your name]

You can use the following information to contact companies:

Company	Products	Address	Phone	Email	Web
Alberto-Culver	TRESemme, VO5	2525 Armitage Avenue Melrose Park IL 60160	708/450-3163	crelations@alberto.com	www.alberto.com
The Andrew Jergens Company	Ban, Jergens	2535 Spring Grove Avenue Cincinnati OH 45214-1773	800/742-8798		www.jergens.com/asp/ContactUs/main.asp
AM Cosmetics, Inc.	Wet N Wild, Tropez	100 Porete Ave. North Arlington NJ 07031	201/998-8890
Avon Products, Inc.	Avon	1251 Avenue of the Americas New York NY 10020	212/282-5000	shop.avon.com/avonshop/default.asp?department=askavon	www.avon.com
Burt's Bees	Burt's Bees personal care products	P.O. Box 13489 Durham, NC 27709	800/849-7112		www.burtsbees.com
Carter-Wallace	Arrid Extra Dry	1345 Avenue of the Americas New York NY 10105	212 339-5000	www.churchdwight.com/_ConsumerRelations/index.htm	www.churchdwight.com
Cheeseborough-Ponds USA	Oil of Olay				www.olay.com/us/common/pages/us_home.htm
Clairol	Clairol Herbal Essences	40 West 57th St. New York NY 10019	800/CLAIROL	askclairol@clairol.com	www.clairol.com
Conair	Jheri Redding	1 Cummings Point Road Stamford CT 06904	203/351-9000	feedback@conair.com	www.conair.com
Coty	Calgon, Jovan	1325 Avenue of the Americas New York NY 10019	212/479-4300	corporate@cotyinc.com	www.coty.com
Del Laboratories, Inc.	Naturistics, Sally Hansen	178 EAB Plaza Uniondale NY 11556	516/952-5080		www.dellabs.com
Elizabeth Arden	Red Door and White Diamonds (fragrances)	200 First Stamford Place Stamford, CT 06902	800/227-2445		www.elizabetharden.com
L'Oreal	lancome, Redken, Maybelline	575 Fifth Ave. New York NY 10017	212/818-1500		www.loreal.com
Liz Claiborne Cosmetics	Eu de Toilette Spray (fragrance)	1441 Broadway New York NY 10018	212/354-4900	www.lizclaiborne.com/contactus.asp	www.lizclaiborne.com
Louis Vuitton	Poison by Christian Dior (fragrance)	1 Front St. San Francisco CA 94111	866/VUITTON		www.vuitton.com
OPI	OPI Nail Laquer	13034 Saticoy Street North Hollywood CA 91605	800/341-9999	jburras@opi.com	www.opi.com
Orly International, Inc.	Orly Salon Nails	21314 Lassen St. Chatsworth CA 91311	818/717-9919	www.orlyproducts.com/consumer/AskOrly.phtml	www.orlyproducts.com
Oscar de la Renta	Oscar (fragrance)	550 Seventh Ave. New York NY 10018	212/354-6777	contact@oscardelarenta.com	www.oscardelarenta.com
Procter & Gamble	Cover Girl, Pantene, Secret, Sure, Vidal Sassoon	1 Procter & Gamble Plaza Cincinnati OH 45202	513/983-1100	www.pg.com/contact_us/contact1.jhtml?toolbar=/includes/ltb_main.jhtml	www.pg.com
Redmond Products	Aussie			www.aussie.com/contact.asp	www.aussie.com
Revlon	Charlie (fragrance)	625 Madison Ave. New York NY 10022	800/473-8566		www.revlon.com
Schwarzkopf & DEP	DEP	Consumer Service Schwarzkopf & Henkel Postfach 130128 40551 Dusseldorf Germany		www.henkel.com/int_henkel/cosmetics/	www.henkel.com
Tommy Hilfiger	Freedom (fragrance)	767 5th Ave. New York NY 10153	212/572-4200		www.hilfiger.com
Unilever*	Aqua Net, Degree, Dove, Calvin Klein, Helene Curtis, Salon Selectives, Suave, Wind Song (fragrance)	PO Box 68 London EC4P 4BQ United Kingdom	+44 (0) 20 7 822-5252		www.unilever.com
Wella Group	Sebastian	Sebastian International, Inc. PO Box 4111 Woodland Hills CA 91365	800/829-7322	info@sebastian-intl.com	www.sebastian-intl.com

Note:
*Many of Unilever's brands also have their own websites.

 

3. Write the FDA [link] to demand a strict and enforced labeling requirement for phthalates and the removal of these unneeded phthalates from cosmetics.

 

Sources and Further Information

·"Phthalate Phacts," www.nottoopretty.org

·"First-Time Product Tests Find Harmful Phthalates in Many Popular Fragrances, Hair Products and Deodorants," www.ewg.org/reports/nottoopretty/release_20020710.php

·"Not Too Pretty: Phthalates, Beauty Products, and the FDA," www.ewg.org/reports/NotTooPretty/NotTooPretty_final.pdf

·"Groups Seeks Ban on the Use of Phthalates in Cosmetics," Jill Carroll, The Wall Street Journal, July 10 2002, available at www.ewg.org/news/story.php?id=1076

·"Phthalates," Children's Health Environment Coalition, [link]