What’s in a name? When your association comes under attack from a variety of sources, plenty. That’s why the leading cosmetic trade group is changing its name to emphasize the safety of its products.

At the annual fall meeting of the National Conference of State Legislatures in Phoenix today, the Cosmetic, Toiletry, and Fragrance Association, announced it is changing its name to the Personal Care Products Council and launched an ambitious new consumer information website that contains in-depth information about cosmetic safety. Founded in 1894, the Washington, D.C.-based Council represents the global cosmetic, fragrance and personal care product industry.
 
The new website, www.cosmeticsinfo.org, is said to be an in-depth online resource that gives consumers easy access to safety information about cosmetic ingredients and the science behind the personal care products found in nearly every medicine cabinet and cosmetic case. The site currently contains information on 13 personal care product categories and more than 1,500 ingredients that represent a majority of all ingredients used in cosmetic and personal care products today. Additionally, www.cosmeticsinfo.org provides links to other authoritative bodies and to scientific research so consumers can confidently select the products that are right for them. The site will continue to be expanded and updated with new information.
 
“The wide range of beauty and personal care products we represent are essential to today’s lifestyles, and consumers turn to us for accurate information about them,” said Marc Pritchard, President – Global Strategy at Procter & Gamble and chairman of the board of the Personal Care Products Council. “This new website is a fulfillment of that trust and offers consumers the important information they seek about the products and ingredients they purchase for themselves and their families,” he said.
 
The new, broader and more contemporary name for the association reflects its increasingly diverse membership, and the new motto for the association and the consumer information website emphasize the Council’s continuing and enhanced focus on consumer safety.
 
 “We are a science-based, safety-first organization and industry with a long track record of safety initiatives that go beyond the requirements of the law,” said Pamela Bailey, president and CEO of the Personal Care Products Council.  “Our new name, motto and consumer website are the latest expression of our shared core values of safety, quality and innovation.” 
 
Past Council safety initiatives include the establishment in 1976 of the Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel, an independent, nonprofit body of scientific and medical experts that assess the safety of cosmetic ingredients used in the U.S.  With the participation of representatives from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Consumer Federation of America, CIR thoroughly reviews the safety of cosmetic and personal care product ingredients in an open forum and publishes the results in peer-reviewed scientific literature.
 
Earlier this year, the Council also instituted a Consumer Commitment Code to further strengthen industry safeguards for consumers.  The Code formalizes and strengthens some practices already in place for most companies, such as the current reporting of manufacturing establishments to the FDA, and includes new practices such as a Safety Information Summary Program that makes cosmetic product and ingredient safety information immediately available to the FDA upon request.  All members of the Council’s Board of Directors have signed the Code on behalf of their companies.  Together, their companies’ sales volume represents more than 80 percent of the U.S. market and 93 percent of Council member sales.  The Council will continue to educate its members on the practices embodied in the Code to gain additional industry participation. 
 
Based in Washington, D.C., the Personal Care Products Council is the trade association representing the cosmetic, toiletry, and fragrance industry in the U.S. and globally. Founded in 1894, The Council has a membership of more than 600 companies including manufacturers, distributors, and suppliers of the vast majority of finished personal care products marketed in the U.S.