California has become the first US state to require cosmetics manufacturers to disclose ingredients on their professional product labels ‒ in the same way they are required to do on retail product labels.
Signed by Governor Jerry Brown, the Bill (AB2775) was introduced by assembly member Ash Kalra and co-sponsored by California Healthy Nail Salon Collaborative, Black Women for Wellness, Breast Cancer Prevention Partners, and Women’s Voices for the Earth, and endorsed by small and large cosmetic companies like Beauty counter and Unilever,
Kalra said the Bill would help salon workers make more informed health decisions in the workplace.
“Salon workers do not apply professional cosmetics only once or twice daily, but rather spend eight to 10 hours a day exposed to unlabelled chemicals, which are increasingly associated with reports of headaches, dizziness, rashes, and even linked to miscarriages, birth defects, cancers, and respiratory illnesses,” he said.
“AB 2775 provides salon workers with more ingredient transparency and increased awareness so they can make informed decisions about their use or avoidance of chemicals that may pose a workplace risk.”
Women’s Voices for the Earth programs and policy director Jamie McConnell said the passing of the Bill was more than “simply about listing ingredients”.
“It’s about eliminating the barriers that prevent workers from having the information they need to avoid concerning ingredients including carcinogens like formaldehyde, or toluene, a neurological and developmental toxicant – many of which salon professionals repeatedly handle on a daily basis,” she said.
“Now, for the first time ever, salon workers will have the transparency they need in order to choose products that are safer for themselves and their clients.”