Safe Cosmetics Act – Why I wrote to my state representative
H.R. 5786, the Safe Cosmetics Act of 2010, introduced into Congress on July 21, 2010, by Reps. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., Ed Markey, D-Mass., and Tammy Baldwin, D-Wisc.
As a new business owner and skin care manufacturer that hopes to one day quit my day job the H.R. 5786 will make it impossible for me to follow that dream.
At the prompting of The Soap Queen’s contest I wrote the following letter to my rep.
Dear Representative,
I am writing to express my concerns about H.R. 5786, the ‘Safe Cosmetics Act’. I make lip balms, soaps, deodorants and lotions and sell them in small quantities online and out of my home. My business makes less than $5000 per year. I sell these items to augment my family’s income and help our quality of life. I make my lip balms, soaps, deodorants and lotions with common ingredients that you can find in your kitchen. For example, I make deodorant with baking soda, coconut oil, and arrow root starch. H.R. 5786 has a bunch of extra reporting requirements that would be virtually impossible for me to comply with. I’m just one woman in a kitchen. I don’t have a huge staff to help me. Plus, I often change my formulations based on the season and what my customers are asking for. Being nimble is a huge advantage for me and if I have to submit a new safety and ingredient affidavit for every product, that will take away one of my key advantages. Please don’t support this legislation. It is well-meaning but is written in such a way that I won’t be able to stay in business because I won’t be able to keep up. Estee Lauder started at her kitchen table. Please don’t take that opportunity away from me.
Sincerely,
Cheryl Mason
Cheryl Mason’s Kitchen
Hi Cheryl!! Thank you so much for writing to your rep!! I too, oppose this horridly written bill, and have blogged about it extensively http://barsoapnatural.com/blog/, and implored all indie cosmetic businesses to do the same. I’ve posted my pleas on the soapmaking forum, the Dish Forum, The Whisk forum, and other places. I post links to the petition to oppose it, and also to Indie Business Networks site, http://opposesca.com. Thank you for getting involved as well! Together, we can hopefully stop this from becoming a law.
Erin
ps- I found your blog because it was featured on http://opencongress.org, as were mine. YAY!!!!!
Thanks for the support Cheryl. Way to go!