Oppose HR 5786 Safe Cosmetics act of 2010

[#1]

This bill is intended to 'protect' consumers from unsafe cosmetics. the regulations and restrictions imposed are unnecessary, and will most likely put many etsy sellers out of business!! these rules will place homemade natural cosmetic products on the endangered species list, leaving the world nothing but bland, mass-produced, chemical- and preservative-laden lotions, lip balms, soaps, and fragrances.

that artisinal brown sugar bar you've been addicted to? gone. the handmade chapstick that you order by the truckload because no one else makes it just right? kiss it goodbye!

if you love honest, natural, homemade cosmetics, please stand up! this bill has not yet been signed, it can still be altered to allow us our rights to purchase and produce excellent and safe products. please, sign the petition, or at least read the bill, and have a good hard look at what you have to lose.

show the whole country that etsy is powerful, and that crafters, make-ers, and we-who-create are a force to be reckoned with!

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/oppose-hr-5786-safe-cosmetics-act-of-2010/

if this is an important issue to you, please share it with a friend. heck, share it with all your friends!

thank you!!

ps- sorry for cross-posting this, but it's an issue that affects a lot of us, and i'm not quite sure how to categorize it!

[Former_Member]

It is a scary thought. We appreciate your support!

[Former_Member]

SylMarCreations,

That is my biggest fear, this is going to end up being as messed up as the CPSIA fiasco!

[Former_Member]

Mine too Skin!!

[Former_Member]

I am off to go make some more of my 'safe cosmetic' eye shadows and eyeliners today, along with some soaps too! Waiting for my Absinthe Fragrance to get here so I can make me some Absinthe Shower Gel!

[sisobaba]

I looked at the text of the bill, and it seems reasonable to me. Not trying to quench your fire here, but I don't really see how this bill is evil. I personally would like to think that the products people apply to themselevs and pour down drains (as they all are eventually) are not going to toxify water and land. It does seem expensive, what with creating the lists of restricted, banned and safe ingredients, and admin and oversite. And then they might charge a fee to be registered with them as manufacturers. Not being the devil's advocate, just an eternal optimist. Guess I'm a, eek!, Progressive. I'm betting that most, if not all, of the ingredients used by us home manufacturers will/would be on the safe list, anyway.

[Craftyforyou]

Here we go again. The big cosmetic companies will still do business as usual just like the big toy companies while the little man (woman) is forced out of business. I have signed the petition and will pass it on.
Big Brother 1984 is here, how many people read the book just curious.

[Former_Member]

Some of the ingredients on the ban list to this include: tea tree oil, lavender essential oil, peppermint essential oil........

Because they contain estrogen trace elements in them. If this is the case there is going to be a LOT of oils and essential oils that will be banned once they test for trace elements.

To be honest, the bill is just silly, it's all about more paperwork. who's really gonna read a book they are handed full of ingredients, trace ingredients and the likes. Honestly would you? I know if someone hands me a book of ingredients, I'm gonna stop drop and run! Sorry to say...

This bill is obsurd to the point of these are the same people who have been fighting for a 'greener planet' and environment this and that... I agree we do need to be greener, that is why I make what I do. But to turn a basic label into a book, I mean do they make bottles, lables and packaging within the B&B industry big enough to even hold the labels??????

Good God here's a bill the environmentallists should get a holt of.... SAVE A TREE! LOl

But on a more serious side, this bill is still the biggest joke I've ever seen.

[Former_Member]

I have read this bill.....

I am all for safe cosmetics, I all for havingt o liscence my facilities, I am all for having to get liscenesed in my field, I can do that.... it's when they make it literally impossible (IN A FAILING ECONOMY MIND YOU!) for small businesses to stay in business.

I mean testing each individual item????????????? REALLY!?!
Getting one item tested is $15,000 MINIMUM (I shot low here too) now I have 119 different eye shadow colors alone...

This bill is more about the small busienss man really trully offering their customers what they want, clean safe products, and the small business person is giving it to the public (what they want).... Big CORP doesn't like it, so.... make the cost of testing so extreme that only the big Corps can afford it.....

While it's still legal for them to hide what's actually in their fragrances and products under the term 'trade secret's'.

[Former_Member]

sisobaba says:
I looked at the text of the bill, and it seems reasonable to me. Not trying to quench your fire here, but I don't really see how this bill is evil. I personally would like to think that the products people apply to themselevs and pour down drains (as they all are eventually) are not going to toxify water and land. It does seem expensive, what with creating the lists of restricted, banned and safe ingredients, and admin and oversite. And then they might charge a fee to be registered with them as manufacturers. Not being the devil's advocate, just an eternal optimist. Guess I'm a, eek!, Progressive. I'm betting that most, if not all, of the ingredients used by us home manufacturers will/would be on the safe list, anyway.
********************************************
I would be fine with paying a fee that would be a sliding scale according to my revenues, however there will be lots more we have to pay for. I simply can't spend thousands of dollars to have one item tested.

As skin says, lavender, tea tree, peppermint essential oils banned?? I used those all of the time. I do think that is a healthier alternative to other "fragrances."

I do agree that something should be done to keep manufacturers from adding chemicals that are toxic to their products. However, most of us here on Etsy don't do that. We try to provide safe alternatives to what you buy at the store and a much better product in general.

Not only us as the small producers, but consumers that want to keep their right to purchase products from us, need to sign the petition to have their voice heard.

[Former_Member]

Frankly, this frustrates me. It's nearly impossible to get a job working for someone unless you go into a financially draining arms race of degree gathering, so people turn to making things themselves and selling it, and now the government wants to cut that off...is the government trying to kill the economy off the rest of the way?

[Former_Member]

I think IF this bill passes it's goning to end up being the biggest WTF. I personally think the demand for them (the FDA) testing ingredients is going to be such a burden or strain on the their labs it will be centuries before most ingredients will ever be really tested.

What needs to happen is the FDA needs to crack down on the major manufacturers like Lancome, Avon, Max Factor, Maybelline.... Let's face it we small B&B and cosmetic makers are what a mere 1% of the total market...

BUT WE ARE GROWING, and that's what got em' scared! LOL I take pride in that thought! LOL

Sorry too much caffine, and not ehough sleep... LOL

[Former_Member]

And dont forget the wonderful Organic food you buy at the Farmers mkt! THEY WANT TO CONTROL THAT TOO!!! (you might want to check out the 1099 bill...

[Former_Member]

You are right about that too Bonghivestiti. Organic food and supplements that you purchase at the health food store. Uuuuggghhhh


Thank you everyone for your support!!

[LisNoirSkincare]

I have already contacted my representative about this bill. I hope it doesn't pass either. Thank you so much for posting to let others know!!

[LisNoirSkincare]

Signed and posted on Facebook:)

[Former_Member]

Thank you so much Noirliliana! You rock!!

[Former_Member]

noirliliana says:
I have already contacted my representative about this bill. I hope it doesn't pass either. Thank you so much for posting to let others know!!
_________________________________________________________

Excellent idea! :~)

[Former_Member]

I FINALLY got a response back from one of my representatives who is not currently listed as cosponsor or anything on the bill.. the response was obviously from a staffer but it thanked me for my concern and letter, said they will take my comments and concerns as a small business owner into consideration (and included a paragraph about how committed to small business Rep was...) and then said they have assigned a staffer to look further into the issue and contact me with the representatives stance.

So, not exactly what I was looking for but at least they responded.

[Former_Member]

I'm glad you got a response at least. Thank you so much for taking action!! One of the most important things I think ALL of us can do is to go out and VOTE in November.

[Former_Member]

Hypnotoad@4:48 8/20:
Hate to start an argument, but I could say the same thing about smoking marijuana.

It find it funny how you all pick and choose which laws should come into effect, depending on how you feel they affect you. This bill, as I've come to understand it, is pretty ridiculously stupid, but some of the arguments against it are equally misinformed. Sigh.

************
How on earth is smoking pot anywhere similar to selling homemade cosmetics? If I go out and smoke pot, I might (I said might!) drive and hit a pedestrian or something. Or maybe a child gets a contact high. I fail to see how I might hurt someone because I purchase goats milk soap from a small business owner.

[SilverMapleSoaps]

This bill will essentially end the business of thousands of small-scale soapmakers like myself. As someone with a family member who cannot tolerate commercial products due to the ingredients used, please contact your Representatives and urge them to vote "No" on this bill!

[Former_Member]

Am I missing something with the REG. fees? It says that only those companies making a $1,000,000 or more would be subject to fees....I'm sure this part wouldn't affect many here. It'still a useless waste of their time and our money because it will do nothing but cause the prices of cosmetics to go up, not make them safer.

~Justyn

[Former_Member]

Justyn, I think that would refer to some fees, but not for outside testing of our products.

[sisobaba]

I believe soap is excluded from the category of cosmetic under FDA regulation. I have not seen anything redefining soap as a cosmetic. Maybe I missed that part.

[Former_Member]

From what I've come to read, soaps are part of this bill, because they come into contact with the skin. Soaps contain colorants, essential oils, base oils, fragrance oils, and the likes so no matter it affects soapmakers.