Opposition to The Safe Cosmetics Act of 2010 (H.R. 5786)
My Gentle, Wonderful Customers and Blog Readers, I have not posted in ages- Since the Farmers Market season began. I apologize to you, but I have been extremely busy. I've had no time for blogging, just making and selling soap and the upkeep of that end of the business. It takes time to compose, write and write coherently. I didn't and still don't have the time. I refuse to post crap post, guest posts (you still have to proof, review and edit), filler posts about nothing or badly written posts just to fill some web space. But I have to take time to bring this very important issue to your attention.
In a nutshell, if you want me and other handcrafted/handmade cosmetic manufacturers to keep making our quality and good for you products, take a look at this: Opposition to The Safe Cosmetics Act of 2010 (H.R. 5786). If you agree with it, please sign it. Yes, these petitions do matter and help. We have defeated this issue twice before, but it has raised it's ugly, medusa like head yet again. The petition is sponsored by the head of The Indie Beauty Network, an Independent Business Network I associate with. Donna Maria, along with others like The Handcrafted Soapmakers Guild advocate on our behalf . Please pass along this information and petition to anyone and everyone you know who buys handmade/handcrafted soap, bath & body and cosmetics.
The Safe Cosmetics Act of 2010 (H.R. 5786) is more or less a repeat of the bull$hit that Colorado tried to ram down peoples throat a few months ago and the FDA tried to ram down people and cosmetic manufacturers throats in 2008/2009. Contrary to extremely misguided belief, the Cosmetics Industry IS regulated. We are regulated by the FDA. There are fear mongers and misinformation specialists aplenty. And they are backing this bill. They are very vocal in all medias -print, internet and television. They are very good at lobbying. And they are very, very good at bad science. They are attempting to stifle something. We still don't know what all the agendas are, it's all very murky and even the money trail keeps blinking on and off the radar. But whatever the agenda is, it isn't anything for the good of the cosmetic consumer. This bill, as written is not based on credible or established scientific principles. And many parts of the proposed regulatory issues for cosmetics has would far exceed those of the other FDA regulated products: food or drugs. It's as though consumers are being told "Your pain killer may give you a heart attack, your blood thinner may be contaminated, your food might poison you, but we'll make sure your soaps, lotions and makeup is in better condition than all of those combined." I'm just saying.
What will The Safe Cosmetics Act of 2010 (H.R. 5786) do?
Before I answer that question, let me tell you what it will not do: It will not make cosmetics safer for the consumer.
What it will do is force me and others like me out of business. Small and micro US cosmetic manufacturers like me ALREADY use the safest ingredients that have ALREADY been safety tested by the raw material manufacturers and even distributors. We are actually a small threat to the larger concerns because we are locally made, USA manufactured; 90% of us are locally sold and we are an actual person with an actual face and name to go with it. We have true accountability. You can find us. We are you neighbors, your friends, your family members. You talk to us and we LISTEN. We make for you, we answer to you.
What it will do is make me spend HOURS on paperwork and not on making good, safe products.
What it will do is make me spend THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS I do not have testing for trace elements that exist EVERYWHERE in EVERYTHING and CANNOT be avoided no matter what one does. The only way to avoid them is to stop breathing air, drinking water and eating food. In other words, stop being alive!
What it will do is have me create labels for my products that are going to be longer than a standard piece of notebook paper. Cosmetic manufacturers already have to disclose more on our labels than what food manufacturers have to. Yes, that's right, what you eat has LESS ingredient disclosure. Go figure.
What it will do is put me and almost all others like me -small, micro and independent cosmetic manufacturers- OUT OF BUSINESS. By the way, that means all the small or micro independent brands you like that are made here in the USA. It means your locally made mineral makeup will no longer be available. It means your handmade/handcrafted soap and bath & body care will no longer be available- including those small indie brands that are starting becoming well known. Including those indie brands you're buying at your local Gift Stores, the etsy and artfire shops, the local Soap and Candle shop, your Natural Foods Stores. Even those sold at your local Whole Foods Stores- they carry many local and regional brands that meet their ingredient criteria and specifications. It also means your cosmetologists, estheticians, hairdressers and the day spas you love so much will only be able to buy and use for you and can only sell to you what's being cranked out by the big players. It also means MORE imports of inferior and unchecked products because sadly, the FDA will never have the resources or means to test the imports- regardless of how much money is thrown at them. They don't have the resources and never will- they can't keep the food imports and drug imports in check. For every 1 bad imported cosmetic brand they might catch, 25 most likely get through. Just look at the drug and food recalls and illnesses in the last 3 years alone. The US cosmetics industry has a long history of safety.
What The Safe Cosmetics Act of 2010 (H.R. 5786) will do is take away your right of choice! It means you will only have the choice of the mainstream large and mega large brands that use mainly synthetics and the large well known "natural" brands, some of who are actually owned by the aforementioned mainstream companies. If it's sold in your big box retailer or chain grocery store, if you can find it EVERYWHERE, in every city and town, rural and urban, in every mall's Bath & Body boutique, every natural food store and everyday drug store, THOSE will be your only choice. The big guys. They can afford to do what is required on this bill as written. They can afford to hire staff to just sit and fill out paper forms and computer forms on- line and research the newest legislative/FDA whatever that gets tossed on another list of more things to do or be aware of. They can afford to hire staff -more faceless people- to do what these burdensome new regulations will require, as written.
There was a reason you chose to buy from handmade/handcrafted cosmetics manufacturers. There is a reason people are buying, using and flocking in droves to small, handcrafted artisanal soap and cosmetic manufacturers. The reason is because of what we stand for: Safe and good products, open about our businesses, we are a locally manufactured product and we are an actual person with an actual face and name to go with it. We don't whitewash, green wash or hogwash our customers. Seeing us face to face guarantees that.
My sincerest thanks for your advocacy and continued business support,
Sandra
Posted by Sandra at 07-27-2010 11:47 PM 
Categories: Pet Peeves, Regulatory
Tags: junk science cosmetics legislation idiocy run amuck bad regulations
Categories: Pet Peeves, Regulatory
Tags: junk science cosmetics legislation idiocy run amuck bad regulations
i signed the patition and I hope this helps to keep the creeps at bay. If they need work, they should look into improving meds for the public, or make sure our food and baby formula, plus pet food is safe BEFORE and not after a few hundred have died. Thanks for alerting us to this mess being dug up aain. I guess someone or a company has their shorts in a bunch and can`t pull it out of their crack. Before you know it they will want to close Farmers Markets because possible problems with the food not being sold in a store.
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Thanks. And plese spread the word on this. In a few days I plan to write more on this...something odd that was brought to my attention regarding this idiocy legislation.
And btw, there actually are issues in many states regarding Farmers Markets and the fact that Big Agra and Corporate Grocery Retail Concerns are feeling a bit of a pinch from mid-Spring to mi -Fall. Big Agra and CGRC are a tad pissed about the locavore movements and are very pissed that most states now allow the EBT foodstamps (SNAP) to be used at the Famers Markets for fresh food. It's a complicated issue too, but it has many of the same problems as my industry: Making 1 size fits all regulations and rules. It doesn't work and it forces out the very entities that have not only the best, tastiest and did I mention locally grown food, but also have good food safe history: the family farms. Family Farmers live where they grow. They take care of the land because the land is taking care of them. Just saying.
Once again, thanks for signing and spread the word.
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