We hope you are staying healthy and safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. We’re sending hugs, prayers and good vibes for a safe return to normalcy soon. During this time, we’ve stayed very busy making progress on the film. Here’s the latest:
Our Latest Filming News
We journeyed up to New York to spend a day filming with LOLI Beauty founder Tina Hedges, whose products are organic, vegan, food-grade, sustainable, and Made in a Free World, ensuring no one is trafficked or exploited in their supply chain. Tina’s products are so clean, you can actually eat them! We had a blast with her as she shared all about her journey from big beauty executive working at two of the leading conventional beauty companies to now being a clean beauty alchemist, mixing her own magical products and sharing her formulas with the world. Check out pictures of Tina mixing ingredients just below!
We then drove to Dobbs Ferry to meet with Amy Ziff, founder of MADE SAFE, a nonprofit organization providing a scientific-backed safety certification for consumer products. Amy shared how her infant twin’s rashes, hives and vomiting were linked to the lotion and baby pillow she was using, because they contained formaldehyde releasers and other irritants. Since there was no standard for clean or safe products at that time, she set out to define them, so that anyone looking for a safe product could shop with confidence and avoid harmful chemicals. It was a a true pleasure to learn all about MADE SAFE’s high standards, commitment to transparency and mission to ensure truly nontoxic products are available to everyone. Here’s a photo of Amy reviewing products with her team.
Is This Film Done Yet or What?!
We have two remaining shoots and will complete them once it is safe to do so. Then, we are DIVING into editing the full-length film! We are incredibly grateful for all of your support thus far, from generous donations, to following us and sharing about the film on social media and those of you who have volunteered your time and talents to help us in many ways. We are ALMOST THERE, and we owe that to all of you!
In our next update, we’ll share some exciting ways you can partner with us to get this film completed and shared with audiences across the country. In the meantime, please like and follow us on Facebook and Instagram for ongoing updates and news. And to get news directly in your inbox, be sure to join our newsletter by clicking on the “Newsletter” button at the bottom of the page.
We were recently interviewed on the “Tall Hungry Girl Talks” podcast. Host Tahira Hayes is simply wonderful, and we had a great time speaking all about personal product ingredient safety with she and toxicologist Melissa Sandoz. Click on the picture above to listen on her website, or access the episode via Apple Podcasts.
California Assembly Passes New Bill Banning 12 Toxins in Cosmetics!
The California Assembly passed AB 2762, The Toxic-Free Cosmetics Act on June 12th. This bill would ban the use of 12 known toxins in cosmetics and create a higher safety standard for products. A great article by the Environmental Working Group lists and briefly explains these chemicals, which include:
- Formaldehyde, a known carcinogen.
- Paraformaldehyde, a type of formaldehyde.Methylene glycol, a type of formaldehyde.
- Quaternium 15, which releases formaldehyde.
- Mercury, which can damage the kidneys and nervous system.
- Dibutyl and diethylhexyl phthalates, which disrupt hormones and damage the reproductive system.
- Isobutyl and isopropyl parabens, which disrupt hormones and harm the reproductive system.
- The long-chain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances known as PFAS, which have been linked to cancer.
- M- and o-phenylenediamine, used in hair dyes, which irritate and sensitize the skin, damage DNA and can cause cancer.*
The bill moves to the state Senate for a hearing this week. If this passes into law, it could create a national shift, leading other states to adopt similar laws and/ or causing manufacturers to reformulate products so they adhere to California requirements across all states. This would be similar to how a law banning flame retardants passed by the state in 2014, and many manufacturers changed their standards for all products sold in the United States rather than producing two different forms of the same product. Products sold nationally would then adhere to higher safety standards that more closely align our products with those sold in the European Union, where 1367+ ingredients have been banned or restricted from use. For more information about the bill and its current status, check out the California Globe’s article.
*Source: https://www.ewg.org/californiacosmetics/toxic12
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