Many of us assume the personal care products and cosmetics we find at the store are safe to use, but in reality, more than half of cosmetics sold in the U.S. contain toxic chemicals associated with serious health conditions.

Everything from nail polish and body wash to makeup and hair-straightening products can contain chemicals that have been linked to cancer, birth defects, respiratory issues, and brain and nervous system damage.  Women of color and salon workers are particularly vulnerable as they are at higher risk for exposure because of where they work and the types of products that are marketed to them.

The FDA has only banned or restricted 11 chemicals from beauty and personal care products.  By comparison, the EU has banned nearly 1,700 chemicals, and more than 40 countries have stricter cosmetic safety regulations than ours.

Recently, I reintroduced a bill to ban 11 of the most hazardous chemicals and to require more transparency in beauty and personal care products sold in the U.S. with my colleague Jan Schakowsky.

This is another reason why it’s so important that we elect women, so that we can raise issues from our experiences and to prioritize addressing them.  Many of them are issues that have been overlooked for too long.  I’ll do everything I can to protect women across this country—whether it’s addressing toxic ingredients in beauty products or fighting for the freedom to make our own reproductive health care decisions. 

Together, we can do anything,

P.S. I’m up for re-election, and as always, I need your help to keep up the fight.  Any amount you can contribute will help our campaign prepare for our primary election, which is less than a year away.