Newsletters

Paul Penders newsletters keep you informed each month with what's new in the world of organics, skincare and bodycare products, our own R&D lab, herbal discoveries and lots more. You can also catch up on the latest in our blog, which is updated daily!
Please become part of our community and tell us what you think!

Newsletter September 2010

Please Help Us: Oppose the Safe Cosmetics Act of 2010

On July 21, 2010, a bill was introduced into the U.S. Congress that would effectively shut down hundreds of small cosmetics manufacturers.
 
The Safe Cosmetics Act of 2010, also known as H.R. 5786, would do this by imposing expensive but unnecessary requirements on all manufacturers. These include:
 
1. Requiring companies to register their name and location with the federal government, along with product descriptions, product ingredients, trace ingredients in products, gross sales numbers, the name and contact information of the suppliers of the ingredients used in their cosmetics and their number of employees.
 
2. Expanding current labeling requirements, which are largely satisfactory, to include trace elements found inside those ingredients.
 
3. Requiring companies to conduct unnecessary scientific testing of the products they make, and be in a position to produce data to the federal government about the ingredients, components of ingredients, and also, components that may be produced when known ingredients are combined.
 
4. Allowing all 50 states to pass stricter requirements, thereby paving the way for a patchwork of laws.
 
While it's hard to disagree with the good intentions behind the bill - after all, don't we all want to buy the safest possible products? - the requirements it would impose on small producers would push many out of business. The young woman who sells soap at the local farmer's market can ill afford the thousands, or even tens of thousand of dollars, required to test, re-label and register all of her products. Even many producers who sell their lotions through a few retail stores could probably not afford the additional costs. Entrepreneurs would think twice about starting new cosmetics businesses and many growing enterprises would be saddled with crippling new costs. That will stifle creativity and keep many new ideas from coming to market.
 
Companies that remain in business will have to increase their prices, so that in effect, consumers will pay the costs of complying with the new law. But because only the largest companies will able to afford the initial costs of compliance, they will push many small but excellent products out of the market.
 
In fact, this effect will trickle down to the local farmers of essential oils and other natural ingredients. For example, one of Paul Pender's suppliers is a family farm deep in the foothills of Italy. The entire family, including children and grandparents, grow a unique type of flower and depend for their livelihood on it. But the farm is too small to afford to comply with the complicated US and EU documentation systems. Their products are excellent, but were they to invest in the expensive testing and reporting required, they couldn't afford to remain in business.
 
All this trouble may be worthwhile if the benefits outweigh the expense. But consider this:
 
1. Registering company, sales and product information with the federal government would serve no practical purpose for consumers. Neither would providing supplier details.
 
2. Expanding current product labels could turn a relatively simple label into a long, complicated one that few consumers would find useful. For example, a product containing just five ingredients - olive oil, blue chamomile extract, and essential oils of orange, rose and vetiver - would require an ingredient list looking something like this:
 
oleic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, squalene, hydroxytyrosol, tyrosol, oleuropein, ligstroside, elenolic acid, acetoxy-pinoresenol, oleocanthal, α-tocopherol, herniarin, hyperoside, umbelliferone, methylumbelliferone, caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid, quercetin, rutin, flavanone, isorhamnetin, quercimeritin, anthemic acid, choline, triacontane, patuletin, patulitrin, apigetrin, apigenin-7-glucoside, apigenin-7-apiosylglucoside, luteolin-7-glucoside, apigetrin-7-acetylglucoside, luteolin-4-glucoside, luteolin, patuletin, matricin, matricarin, galacturonic acid, d-limonene, citronellol, geraniol, myrcene, linalool, α-pinene, sabinene, β-phellandrene, geranial, neral, decanal, citronellal, (Z)-β-ocimene, β-pinene, valencene, β-elemene, terpinolene, dodecanal, γ-terpinene, β-sinensal, α-sinensal, δ-cadinene, α-copaene, γ-muurolene, nerol, δ-3-carene, (Z)-3-hexenol, perillaldehyde, octanol, cis-sabinene hydrate, undecanal, nonadecane, heneicosane, 1-nonadecene, 2-phenylethanol, (E)-β-ocimene, methyleugenol, eugenol, 1-heptadecene, eicosane, trans-linalool oxide, β-caryophyllene, 1-tricosene, α-terpineol, α-farnesene, farnesyl acetate, citronellyl formate, pentadecane, α-guiaiene, benzaldehyde, (Z)-β-farnesene, terpinen-4-ol, geranyl acetate, isogeranyl acetate, farnesyl propionate, methyl salicylate, citronellyl acetate, hexanol, α-humulene, methyl geranate, α-terpinene, cis-rose oxide, isogeraniol, β-bergamotene, δ-2-carene, cis-linalool oxide, octadecane, heptadecane, α-phellandrene, cis-rose oxide, β-maaliene, ethyl benzoate, geranyl acetone, 3-methylbutanol, docosane, 1-heneicosene, p-cymene, 1-eicosene, bourbonene, γ-cadinene, hexadecane, 1-tricosene, octanal, nerolidol, 2-undecanone, benzyl benzoate, α-muurolene, 2-phenylethyl phenylacetate, farnesol, geranyl formate, guaiol, heptanal, allo-ocimene, 1-octadecene, 2-phenylethyl-3-methyl valerate, hexadecanol, hexanal, 3-hexenyl formate, 2-phenylethyl benzoate, khusimol, vetiselinenol, cyclocopacamphan-12-ol (epimer A), α-cadinol, α-vetivone, β-vetivenene, β-eudesmol, β-vetivone, khusenic acid, β-vetispirene, γ-vetivenene, α-amorphene, (E)-eudesm-4(15),7-dien-12-ol, β-calacorene, (Z)-eudesm-6-en-11-ol, γ-amorphene ziza-5-en-12-ol, β-selinene, (Z)-eudesma-6,11-diene, salvial-4(14)-en-1-one, khusinol, cyclocopacamphan-12-ol (epimer B), selina-6-en-4-ol, khusian-ol, δ-amorphene, 1-epicubenol, khusimene, ziza-6(13)-en-3β-ol, ziza-6(13)-en-3-one, 2-epi-ziza-6(13)-en-3α-ol, 12-nor-ziza-6(13)-en-2β-ol, α-vetispirene, eremophila-1(10),7(11)-diene, dimethyl-6,7-bicyclo-[4.4.0]-deca-10-en-one, 10-epi-γ-eudesmol, α-calacorene, (E)-opposita-4(15),7(11)-dien12-ol, prekhusenic acid, 13-nor-eudesma-4,6-dien-11-one, isovalencenol, spirovetiva-1(10),7(11)-diene, 2-epi-ziza-6(13)-en-12-al, (E)-isovalencenal, preziza-7(15)-ene, (Z)-eudesma-6,11-dien-3β-ol, intermedeol, isoeugenol, isokhusenic acid, elemol, eremophila-1(10),6-dien-12-al, juniper camphor, khusimone, eremophila-1(10),4(15)-dien-2α-ol, eremophila-1(10),7(11)-dien-2β-ol, (Z)-isovalencenal, allo-khusiol, methyl-(E)-eremophila-1(10),7(11)-dien-12-ether, (E)-2-nor-zizaene, (Z)-eudesm-6-en-12-al, funebran-15-al
 
It would be virtually impossible for the average consumer to tell from this list which substances were present in sufficient amounts to be potentially dangerous.
 
3. The bill proposes that hundreds of ingredients be assessed for safety in unrealistically short amounts of time, with no proposal as to what form this assessment process will take, who will undertake the work, and exactly what criteria will be used. This could result in a wide divergence in the quality of this data. It will also be extremely costly: Paul Penders has spent approximately $75,000 so far on such activities and estimates that companies with just 50 different products would spend $100,000. Two Paul Penders staff members work on this full time, and the company's two product development specialists devote at least half of their time to it.
 
4. If individual states enacted "add on" laws, companies would bear the burden of complying with each state's laws and if they didn't, could be inhibited from selling their products in those states.
 
Many industry leaders oppose this bill. Lezlee Westine, President and CEO of the Personal Care Products Council, has stated, "We are concerned that the Safe Cosmetics Act of 2010 as written is not based on credible and established scientific principles, would put an enormous if not impossible burden on FDA, and would create a mammoth new regulatory structure for cosmetics, parts of which would far exceed that of any other FDA-regulated product category including food or drugs. The measures the bill would mandate are likely unachievable even with the addition of hundreds of additional FDA scientists and millions more in funding and would not make a meaningful contribution to product safety."
 
So far, the bill has 11 co-sponsors in the House of Representatives, where it was proposed. It will eventually need a majority of votes in the House (218) and the Senate (51), in order to be sent to the President's desk for signature into law.
 
Paul Penders has always supported safe product development, utilization of the finest, all natural ingredients, and full disclosure of product constituents. No Paul Penders product has been developed using animal testing and environmental sustainability is a top priority. However, the company strongly opposes this bill as it would unduly impact small businesses with no real benefit to consumers. We would rather see lawmakers tackle REAL problems such as cancer, blindness and the devastating human rights issues that plague so many countries, particularly in Africa.
 
If you agree that this bill would be bad for the industry, please take a moment to sign the online petition opposing the Safe Cosmetics Act of 2010. To sign the petition, please click here.
 
Read more about the law in the Paul Penders Blog. Click here.
 

 

Year 2010

  • September 2010
    Please Help Us: Oppose the Safe Cosmetics Act of 2010
  • August 2010
    New Paul Penders Radio Commercial Airs in U.S., Paul Penders Now Available in Australia, Asian Markets Hungry for the Real Thing!, New Research Links Fat to Harmful Chemicals
  • July 2010
    Journey to Vanamoolika, Malaysia Minister: God Made Animals for Testing, Hello Philippines!, So Many Uses for Paul Penders’ Natural Lemon Conditioner!
  • June 2010
    Growth in India, LevensESSENTIE Ingredients, Animal Testing and Outsourcing, Five Harmful Ingredients
  • May 2010
    New Paul Penders Websites, Parsley and Pegaga, Organic Cheaters, Chemicals in New Clothes
  • April 2010
    Paul Penders Makeup, Magazine Coverage, ICT is Improved, Malaysia's Herbal Traditions
  • March 2010
    Ironman Competition, Patent for LevensESSENTIEGold™, Malaysia Goes Green, Natural Lipstick
  • February 2010
    New Czech Distributors, Penang Photo Shoot, Overcoming Anxiety - Naturally
  • January 2010
    New Baltic Distributor, Malaysian Medicinals, Mood Meeting

Year 2009

  • December 2009
    Trade Show News, Weekly Beauty Tips, Skin Lightening Lotions, Skin Care Tips for Fall
  • November 2009
    New Website is Coming, Whalesharks in Langkawi, Latest Technologies, Coconut Power
  • October 2009
    Mariek Wilms Joins Paul Penders, Company Recognition, World Peace March Begins, Benefits of Basil
  • September 2009
    Nanobio Prez Visits Langkawi, New Paul Penders Magazine Coverage, New Environmental Law, Product Award
  • August 2009
    Back by popular demand, PaulPenders is growing, Rainforest book contest, Study finds organic food no healthier.
  • May 2009
    Goodbye newsletter, hello blog!
  • March 2009
    A new shampoo made of wood?, Paul Penders products now in New Zealand, Baby bath products being tested for safety, EU cosmetics testing ban may not be enforceable
  • February 2009
    "Certified Organic" vs. Natural, Paul Penders Goes to Sundanc Film Festival, Paul Penders Products in Slovenia, Carbon Footprint.
  • January 2009
    R.A.W. Magazine Advertorial, Korean Products: New and Improved, Chinese Products Pass Inspection, Animal Rights Update.

Year 2008

  • December 2008
    Paul Penders in Korea, Awards, Price Reduction, Nanoparticles
  • November 2008
    New Chinese OEM Brand, Green Meadow Visit, Malaysian Newspaper Feature, Kojic Acid Safety.
  • October 2008
    Paul Penders Launches in China, Profile: PP China, Paul Penders Redesigns Packages for China.
  • August 2008
    Paul Penders is Growing!, Coconut Water, Green Meadow Corp, Paul Penders eStore.
  • July 2008
    Operations for Blind Children, eStore Keeps Growing, Harmful Ingredients, Paul Penders Extra Testing.
  • June 2008
    California Lawsuit, Blind Sailors, Misleading Skin Cream Advertising, Natural Health Farm.
  • May 2008
    Lipstick Colors, 1,4-Dioxane, Botox Effects on the Brain, Animal Welfare.
  • April 2008
    Dr. Herma Eeftink Ruiter, Japanese Magazines, Natural Products Contain 1,4-Dioxane.
  • March 2008
    Paul Penders Hires New CEO, Paul Penders Gentle Shampoos, Growing Magazine Coverage, Book Exposes Cosmetics Dangers.
  • January 2008
    160 Medical Plants Rescued, Yoga Exercises Tone the Face, Paul Penders Expands R&D, Nanoparticles Banned.

Year 2007

  • December 2007
    The LifeCo Features Paul Penders as Guest Editor, Paul Penders Joins American Botanical Council, Paul Penders Chinese Factory Passes Inspection.
  • November 2007
    New Product Development Blossoms Under Guidance of Cosmetics Expert, Paul Penders Products Included in Green Guide, Lots of Lipsticks Loaded With Lead, Paul Penders Products Coming to Indonesia.
  • October 2007
    Expert Herbalist Takes PP Visitors on Jungle Tour, Paul Penders Launches Clothing Line, Naturally Firming the Bust, Beauty Editors Praise Paul Penders.
  • September 2007
    Japanese QVC Crew Films in Langkawi, International Delegates Learn About Natural Skin Care, LADA Chief Describes Vision for Langkawi Geopark, Meet the New Faces at Paul Penders!
  • July 2007
    Expert Herbalist Joins Paul Penders, 25,000 Products Unmasked, American Botanical Council Publishes New Book, How Stress Affects the Skin.
  • June 2007
    Detox Chain Adds Paul Penders Products, Trips Show Little Known Side of Rainforest, Triathlete Represents Paul Penders Line, Triathlete Magazine Recognizes PP Cold Processing.
  • May 2007
    New Combination Packages Are Here!, Product Spotlight: Paul Penders Mascara, Langkawi Becomes World's 8th Geopark, Paul Penders Expands in Japan.
  • April 2007
    Paul Penders Wins New Product Award, Reports Highlight Need for Safer Cosmetics, New Product: Paul Penders 100% Natural Soap, Opening of Hangzhou Factory.
  • February 2007
    Study Confirms Superiority of Ceramide-Based Products, Paul Penders Launches Natural Organic Product Formulas, Paul Penders Sponsors Ironman, Special Offer: LevensESSENTIEGold™.

Older ones