California’s Fight for Clean Beauty Standards through the Toxic-Free Cosmetics Act

What is Clean Beauty?

Clean beauty is all about building a non-toxic relationship between you and your personal care routine—choosing makeup, skincare, hair, and body products free from harmful ingredients like parabens, formaldehyde, phthalates, PFAS, and toxic preservatives.

We are now in a new era of beauty—one that goes beyond glowing skin and dives deeper into the link between health and beauty. Advocates are raising awareness of the risks of toxic exposure in cosmetics, pushing the industry toward safer, cleaner standards.

The Toxic-Free Cosmetics Act (AB 2762)

The Personal Care Products Council (PCPC), alongside groups like Black Women for Wellness, Breast Cancer Prevention Partners, CalPIRG, and the Environmental Working Group (EWG), created Assembly Bill 2762, also known as the Toxic-Free Cosmetics Act.

If passed, this legislation (effective January 1, 2022) would explicitly ban 12 of the most dangerous chemicals in cosmetics, including:

Dibutyl phthalate
Diethylhexyl phthalate
Formaldehyde, Paraformaldehyde, Methylene glycol, Quaternium-15
Mercury
Isobutylparaben, Isopropylparaben
m-Phenylenediamine and o-Phenylenediamine (and their salts)
Long-chain PFAS compounds (PFOS, PFOA, PFDA, PFNA)

These substances are linked to cancer, reproductive harm, and other serious health concerns.

Building on California’s Safe Cosmetics Act

California has long been a leader in clean beauty regulation. Back in 2005, the state passed the California Safe Cosmetics Act (AB 2775), requiring manufacturers to disclose to the Department of Public Health any ingredients known or suspected to cause cancer, developmental issues, or reproductive harm.

This early legislation laid the foundation for today’s clean beauty movement, holding brands accountable and giving consumers transparency.

Global Impact of California’s Clean Beauty Laws

California’s push for clean beauty doesn’t stop here. PCPC and affiliates are working to expand toxic-free standards globally, aligning with European Union regulations that already restrict thousands of harmful cosmetic ingredients.

By raising awareness, advocacy groups and organizations are forcing global brands to rethink ingredients and prioritize consumer health.

Why This Matters

The Toxic-Free Cosmetics Act represents a turning point:

For Consumers: Better safety, transparency, and trust in the products we use daily.
For Brands: A responsibility to reformulate using safe, sustainable alternatives.
For the Industry: A cultural shift toward clean, sustainable, and health-conscious beauty worldwide.

These efforts are a huge step forward, and we thank the leaders driving the clean beauty agenda. Every legislative victory brings us closer to a toxin-free beauty industry—and we’re here for it.