New York City retailer Gotham Beauty is taking firm action against suppliers who fail to provide detailed ingredient information for their products. The recently launched destination for all natural cosmetic, skin care, bath & body and fragrance products has announced it is giving the boot to suppliers who cannot prove their products are natural and free from carcinogenic, toxic or synthetic ingredients which have been proven to be harmful to human health.

Speaking about the initiative, Founder and CEO Richard Annington says, “Gotham Beauty represents the best in natural, organic & ethical cosmetic, beauty and fragrance products. Our business is founded on the principle of providing an edited collection of truly healthy, harm-free brands.

“After taking time out to research what natural actually means here in the United States, I was horrified to find that the use of the term, natural is not regulated or defined in the same way as the term ‘organic.’

“Some of our suppliers have knowingly taken advantage of this loophole and sold our firm products which contain parabens. Parabens have been linked to breast cancer.

“Women are the largest consumer of beauty products and I cannot allow Gotham Beauty to compromise its definition of natural or its integrity, and to allow these products to continue to be sold and to potentially place the long term health of our customers in jeopardy. As part of my research I was alarmed to learn that more than 500 cosmetic products are being retailed in the United States which contain ingredients which are banned in Japan, Canada and the European Union.

“I personally call on the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) to lobby for stronger powers to be able to test the long term safety of ingredients which are used in cosmetic and personal care products and to protect the health and well-being of the American public. Public health needs to be placed ahead of the profits of big business.”

Gotham Beauty initiated a review of its product range after establishing that one of its suppliers was required to re-label products which were being imported to the European Union.

The European Union has one of the toughest regulatory environments relating to the safety of cosmetic and personal care products.