Recent Blogs

After nine years, the California Safe Cosmetics Act is suddenly in the news, now that the California Safe Cosmetics Program Product Database has been posted for the public.  The California Safe Cosmetics Act requires manufacturers of cosmetic products to be sold in California to report any ingredients in their products that have been identified to the California Department of Public Health as causing cancer or reproductive toxicity.

While no federal counterpart to the California Safe Cosmetics Act presently exists, legislation to amend Chapter VI of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act or FDCA, 21 U.S.C. § 361 et seq.) has been introduced in every session of Congress since 2010.  The latest version of the bill, the Safe Cosmetics and Personal Care Products Act of 2013, seeks to ensure the safe use of cosmetics by creating a uniform system of registration of cosmetic companies, set national safety standards for cosmetic ingredients, and provide recall authority.  The bill was proposed March 21, 2013 (H.R. 1385, sponsored by Rep. Janice D. Schakowsky (D. Ill.)), and remains pending during the 2013-2014 legislative session. It remains an open question whether any finally enacted federal law regulating cosmetics ingredient safety may preempt state authorities’ regulation in the same area.  That is an issue in which the Personal Care Products industry should be keenly interested.

Conkle, Kremer & Engel lawyers keep abreast of developments in regulatory compliance matters to help clients proactively create and execute plans to remain competitive while meeting their compliance requirements.