California to ban 26 toxic cosmetics chemicals in alignment with EU standard

25 Sep 2023 --- California’s (US) legislature has passed a bill banning the sale of cosmetic products that contain 26 toxic chemicals known to affect human health. The bill has been advanced to Governor Gavin Newsom, who is expected to sign it into law. 

The Assembly Bill (A.B.) 496, passed earlier this month, would ban hazardous substances such as some borate compounds, lily aldehyde, cyclotetrasiloxane, trichloroacetic acid, styrene and certain colors.

The bill cleared the assembly floor with a bipartisan vote. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) is sponsoring the legislation.

“Personal care products and cosmetics should be non-toxic for everyone,” says democrat Assemblymember Laura Friedman from Burbank. “If you consider that the EU prohibits almost 2,500 chemicals in such products, a ban in California on these noxious carcinogens and endocrine disruptors is long overdue.”

“A.B. 496 continues our progress toward cleaner, healthier and environmentally safer products, marking a significant leap forward in consumer safety and well-being.”

The bill aims to prohibit ingredients the EU already bans in cosmetics and personal care products due to their potential health risks.

Aligning with EU regulations
The bill aims to prohibit ingredients the EU already bans in cosmetics and personal care products because of their potential health risks.

Many of the 26 chemicals listed in the bill are linked to health problems, including a higher risk of cancer, genetic defects, harm to the developing fetus, impaired fertility, severe skin burns, organ or eye damage and high and long-lasting toxicity to aquatic life.

In 2020, California set a new standard for the US when it banned 24 chemicals from use in personal care products, with the landmark Toxic-Free Cosmetics Act. Last October, the state prohibited the entire class of “forever chemicals” known as PFAS from being added to cosmetics, with Washington state following suit.

But many more problematic substances are still used in personal care products. A.B. 496 would add the 26 targeted chemicals to the 2020 law’s list of banned substances.

“Californians should be able to trust the safety of products they apply to their hair and skin everyday,” says Susan Little, EWG senior advocate for California government affairs. “A.B. 496 builds on the progress we have already made and bans more harmful chemicals from the products we use daily.”

“Consumers are demanding safer products, and this bill will help protect people from further exposure to ingredients that could harm them.”

More than 80 nations shield their citizens from cosmetics made with chemicals of concern. “But the US has not provided similar safeguards,” concedes EWG.

California is generally considered a bellwether state, leading the way for the rest of the US in many areas of health and safety. If a manufacturer is required to satisfy California standards, it will likely adhere to the same standard with products it sends to the rest of the country.

“We must remove toxic chemicals from the products we apply to our bodies,” comments Melanie Benesh, EWG VP of government affairs. “In the absence of comprehensive federal protection, it falls on states to step up and ensure the removal of these harmful substances from our daily routines.”

By Benjamin Ferrer