Tag: products

Professional Salon Products- Ingredient Disclosure Victory!

~ Joseph Kellner

On September 14th, California Governor Jerry Brown signed into law the Professional Salon Products Labeling Act (AB 2775). Previously, ingredient labels were not required on professional salon products, leaving workers and consumers in the dark about harmful ingredients. Thanks to AB 2775, companies that sell professional nail, hair, and beauty salon products in California are now required to list ingredients on product labels. As companies move to comply with this new labeling law, the impact will be felt across the country. About time everyone!

 

Salon Product Ingredient Disclosure Bill Is Now Law In California

~ Joseph Kellner

 

Salon workers, who are overwhelmingly women, are exposed to a broad array of very toxic chemicals in the nail, hair, and beauty products they work with every day. They usually don’t have access to information about the toxicity of these products because professional beauty product ingredients aren’t required by law to be labeled.

The California Professional Cosmetics Labeling Requirements Act (AB 2775) co-sponsored by BCPP requires an ingredients list on professional cosmetic product labels. This bill gives nail, hair and beauty salon workers vital information about the chemicals they are exposed to day in and day out.  On May 30, 2018 AB 2775 passed the CA State Assembly with unanimous bi-partisan support (76 to 0).  On August 24, 2018 the bill passed the CA State Senate again with overwhelming bi-partisan support.  California Governor Jerry Brown signed AB 2775 into law September 14, 2018.

Nail and hair salon workers, who are overwhelmingly women, are exposed to dangerous chemicals in hair dyes, straighteners and relaxers, make-up and nail products. In California, this means nearly a half million licensed nail and hair salon workers are exposed to chemicals like formaldehyde, toluene, phosphates, and other chemicals linked to cancer, reproductive harm, respiratory, and neurological harm every day.  Several studies have found elevated rates of breast cancer among hairdressers and cosmetologists. In fact, the International Agency for Research on Cancer lists “occupational exposures as a hairdresser or barber” as a probable carcinogen[1]. Studies show hair dressers experience an increased risk of miscarriage, giving birth to low birth weight babies, neurological conditions such as Alzheimer’s. Nail salon workers suffer negative impacts to maternal and fetal health as well as respiratory harm.  Currently, manufacturers must list ingredients on the labels of cosmetics sold at the retail level—this is good for the people who sell, buy, and use those products. However, the ingredients in professional cosmetics do not have to be listed on product labels. This lack of transparency makes it impossible for beauty professionals to make informed choices about the products they use and how to protect their health.

 

California Assembly Bill 2775 (CA AB 2775) gives salon workers the information they need to protect their health.  While federal regulation requires the labeling of ingredients in beauty and personal care products marketed to consumers and sold in retail settings, there is no equivalent disclosure requirement for products used in professional salon settings including nail, hair and beauty salons. This lack of transparency prevents salon professionals from getting the information they need to protect themselves and their clients from unsafe chemical exposures.  Introduced by Assemblymember Ash Kalra, AB 2775 requires manufacturers of professional cosmetic products sold in California to provide a full list of ingredients on products starting July 1, 2020, excluding fragrance and colorants.  BCPP co-sponsored California Assembly Bill 2775, introduced by Assemblymember Ash Kalra, along with Black Women for Wellness, the California Healthy Nail Salon Collaborative, and Women’s Voices for the Earth.  The bill has broad based support from nearly 3 dozen leading NGOs including American Cancer Society Action Network, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, NRDC, Clean Water Action, and Consumer Federation of California. AB 2775 also has the support of various industry trade associations and a leading multinational cosmetics company including the Personal Care Products Council, the Professional Beauty Association, California Chamber of Commerce, and Unilever.

Is Ulta Repackaging and Reselling Used Makeup to Consumers? A New Lawsuit Says Yes

~ Joseph Kellner

A new lawsuit filed in Chicago last week alleges that beauty giant Ulta has been repackaging and reselling used makeup to its unsuspecting customers for years.

Attorney Zimmerman represents Meghan Devries, a Chicago woman who works in the beauty industry. She became suspicious about some of the products she purchased from Ulta.  A woman claiming to be a former Ulta employee first brought the allegations to light in early January. Posting under the Twitter handle @fatinamxo, she wrote that whenever a customer returned a product, employees were instructed by Ulta to repackage or reseal the item and put it back on the shelf for sale. This practice, she said, included everything from makeup to hair and skin-care products, fragrances and hair styling tools.

She said that makeup palettes, for example, were cleaned up so that they looked new and returned to the shelf for reselling, unsanitized. She then shared screenshots of other Ulta employees making the same claims. Those tweets were cited in the class action complaint (pdf) Zimmerman filed in Cook County, Ill., last week. The suit also cites the claims of former employees that Ulta has a limit on how many returned items can be thrown away. “Managers will take used products out of a damaged bin, and if they look good enough to resell, they’ll put them back on the shelves and resell them so they don’t exceed their quota,” Zimmerman told ABC7.

He said that some of the products purchased from an Ulta store on North Michigan Avenue in Chicago seemed to have been previously used, including eye shadows missing a brush and face cleansers that were already open. Those products, he said, could have pathogens on them that remain for weeks. “There is E. coli and Klebsiella bacteria, which is commonly found in intestine and expelled with fecal matter,” Zimmerman said.  Zimmerman told ABC7 that the goal of his lawsuit is to change the alleged company practice that limits the number of items that can be thrown away, as well as to provide compensation for customers who may have bought used products.

FDA Sends Warning Letter to Joanne O’Donnell Be Natural Organics, LLC.

~ Joseph Kellner

Joanne O’Donnell
Be Natural Organics, LLC.
3976 S. Pine Center Street
West Bloomfield Township, MI 48323

Dear Ms. Joanne O’Donnell:

This is to advise you that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reviewed your website at the Internet address http://www.benaturalorganics.com/ in April 2017 and has determined that you take orders there for the products Calendula Cream Soap, Chamomile Balancing Mist, CoQ10 Eye Protection Cream, Gentle Face Lotion, Amaretto Body Scrub, Pomme D’Or Anti-Aging Crème, Daily Botanical Enzyme Peel, Squalane Serum, and Sea Kelp Moisturizer. The claims on your website establish that the products are drugs under section 201(g)(1)(B) and/or 201(g)(1)(C) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the Act) [21 U.S.C. § § 321(g)(1)(B) and/or 321(g)(1)(C)] because they are intended for use in the cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease and/or are intended to affect the structure or function of the human body. As explained further below, introducing or delivering these products for introduction into interstate commerce for such uses violates the Act. You can find the Act and FDA regulations through links on FDA’s home page at www.fda.gov.

 

 

 

 

Examples of some of the website claims that provide evidence that your products are intended for use as drugs include:

Calendula Cream Soap:

• “…Calendula is known to be antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, and immune stimulating. These properties are suitable for treating various types of dermatitis such as eczema.”

Chamomile Balancing Mist:

• “Chamomile, lemongrass, edelweiss and milk thistle [(ingredients in your product)] calm irritated skin with anti-inflammatory properties, …”
• “Calming and anti-inflammatory”
• “Chamomile Hydrosol- Just as chamomile tea can soothe the stomach and nerves, topically applied chamomile hydrosol has great skin soothing benefits. It has anti-inflammatory and anti-allergenic properties that can help reduce the redness and irritation of sensitive or damaged skin.”
• “Rose [(an ingredient in your product)] Distillate – … roses have anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties.”
• “Lactobacillus/Kelp Ferment Filtrate [(an ingredient in your product)] -… Reduces inflammation.”
• “Calendula [(an ingredient in your product)] – Contains flavonoids for anti-inflammatory activity…Calendula also promotes skin healing and brightening and cell regeneration. It is noted for its ability to soothe eczema, psoriasis, diaper rash, acne and burns”

CoQ10 Eye Protection Cream:

• “CoenzymeQ10 (aka Ubiquinone) -… is used by the cells to make ATP which provides energy to carry out their metabolic functions at an optimal rate”
• “Aloe Vera Leaf Juice [(an ingredient in your product)] – Research has shown aloe vera’s unique ability to regenerate cellular membranes and boost the production of fibroblast cells (responsible for collagen production) six to eight times faster than the rate of normal cellular function.
• “Shea Butter [(an ingredient in your product)] -…chemical constituents offer anti-inflammatory…benefits.”

Gentle Face Lotion:

• “Rose Flower Water [(an ingredient in your product)] -… roses have anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties.”
• “Witch Hazel Distillate [(an ingredient in your product)] –… benefits include the reduction of inflammation and promotion of wound healing.”
• “Acai Fruit Extract [(an ingredient in your product)] -… acai berries to be one of the most beneficial natural ingredients for the treatment of hyperpigmentation (darkening of the skin).”
• “Edelweiss Extract [(an ingredient in your product)] – ….anti-inflammatory… properties.”

Amaretto Body Scrub:

• “Boosts circulation and helps drain lymph nodes by increasing blood flow to the skin’s surface”

Pomme D’Or Anti-Aging Crème:

• “Stimulates new healthy cell production and growth”
• “Squalane [(an ingredient in your product)] -… it is antibacterial and has been scientifically proven to clear up difficult skin problems (eczema, dermatitis, rashes, etc.).”

Daily Botanical Enzyme Peel:

• “Decreases hyperpigmentation from age spots and acne…”
• “Stimulates new skin cell production; increases collagen and elastin production”
• “Helps destroy acne causing bacteria”
• “Stimulates blood flow, …”
• “Rooibos Tea Extract [(an ingredient in your product)] – Helps prevent skin disorders like acne and rashes. Also possesses strong antibacterial properties.”

Squalane Serum:

• “It also has antibacterial properties and helps to prevent the formation of brown age spots. Research has shown that squalane is beneficial for clearing up difficult skin problems such as eczema, dermatitis, rashes and certain types of acne.”

Sea Kelp Moisturizer:

• “Aspen Bark Extract [(an ingredient in your product)] -…treating burns to reducing fevers to relieving eczema. The bark is rich in salycin, which is considered to be analgesic, anti-inflammatory, calming and healing.”
• “Red Raspberry Seed Oil [(an ingredient in your product)] – natural SPF properties (especially against UVB rays). It enhances the barrier function and repair of the outer layer of each cell…”

Your products are not generally recognized as safe and effective for the above referenced uses and, therefore, the products are “new drugs” under section 201(p) of the Act [21 U.S.C. § 321(p)]. New drugs may not be legally introduced or delivered for introduction into interstate commerce without prior approval from FDA, as described in sections 301(d) and 505(a) of the Act [21 U.S.C. §§ 331(d) and 355(a)]. FDA approves a new drug on the basis of scientific data and information demonstrating that the drug is safe and effective.

This letter is not an all-inclusive statement of violations associated with your products or their labeling, and we have not attempted to list here all of the products that are promoted on your website for intended uses that cause them to be drugs. It is your responsibility to ensure that all products marketed by your firm comply with the Act and its implementing regulations. We advise you to review your website, product labels, and other labeling for your products to ensure that the claims you make for your products do not reflect intended uses that cause the distribution of the products to violate the Act.

We request that you take prompt action to correct all violations associated with your products, including the violations identified in this letter. If you do not believe your products are in violation of the Act, include your reasoning and any supporting information for our consideration. Failure to promptly correct these violations may result in legal action without further notice, including, without limitation, seizure and/or injunction.

Please notify this office in writing within fifteen (15) working days of the receipt of this letter as to the specific steps you have taken to correct the stated violations, including an explanation of each step being taken to identify violations and make corrections to ensure that similar violations will not recur. If you do not believe that your products are in violation of the Act, include your reasoning and any supporting information for our consideration. If the corrective action cannot be completed within fifteen working days, state the reason for the delay and the time frame within which the corrections will be implemented.

Your firm’s response should be sent to:
Dr. Byron Ho, Compliance Officer
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
300 River Place, Suite 5900
Detroit, MI 48207

Leave it to the professionals! … Statement on FDA Investigation of WEN by Chaz Dean Cleansing Conditioners

~ Joseph Kellner

The FDA is investigating reports of hair loss, hair breakage, balding, itching, and rash reported to be associated with the use of WEN by Chaz Dean Cleansing Conditioner products. While the FDA continues its investigation, consumers should be aware of reactions reported in association with the use of WEN by Chaz Dean Cleansing Conditioner products. Consumers who experience a reaction after using WEN by Chaz Dean Cleansing Conditioner products should stop using the product and consult with their dermatologist or other health care provider. The agency also urges consumers to report to FDA any reactions they may have experienced when using these products.

FDA previously announced that it is conducting an investigation of adverse event reports for WEN by Chaz Dean Cleansing Conditioner products, including reports of hair loss, hair breakage, balding, itching and rash. FDA has received and continues to receive reports of adverse events, as the investigation is still ongoing. In the course of its investigations, the FDA is looking at all sources of information, in order to better understand the consumer reports of adverse events. There are many potential causes of hair loss, including, for example, certain illnesses, medications, hormonal changes, rapid weight loss or gain, anemia, and high-stress life events, and these factors are being taken into account as the FDA continues to investigate these reports. If you experience hair loss, you should contact your healthcare provider. As with any cosmetic product, if you experience an adverse event that you think may be related to use of WEN by Chaz Dean Cleansing Conditioner, you should also cease using the product and report the event to the FDA.

The FDA has not yet determined a possible cause for the adverse events that have been reported, and today has called on the company to “provide any data that might help us to better understand the reports of hair loss associated with the use of WEN by Chaz Dean Cleansing Conditioner products.” The FDA also has reached out to physicians and other health care providers asking them to notify their patients of hair loss and other complaints associated with the use of these products and to report adverse events to the agency.