BREAKING NEWS: Revlon Threatens Legal Action Against Women’s Groups Accusing Them Of Using Chemicals in its Cosmetics
Last week, Revlon was accused by women’s and breast cancer groups, who had join forces to expose the cosmetics company, of using cancer-causing chemicals in their beauty products. You can read that report here.
Revlon is now firing back, threatening legal action against those groups, in an effort to clear their name and refute those accusations. Revlon says that these accusations are false and misleading; that Revlon has never used cancer-causing chemicals in their products. They issued a letter to Ultraviolet, one of the women’s groups who are a part of the petition campaign, demanding a retraction and citing that the chemicals they use in their products are safe for consumers.
For more information, here’s an official press release from UltraViolet, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics and the Breast Cancer Fund on this latest development:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Friday, 01 November 2013
CONTACT:
Brett Abrams : 516-841-1105 : brett@fitzgibbonmedia.com
Margie Kelly: 541-222-9699 : mkelly@breastcancerfund.org
Revlon Threatens Legal Action in Attempt to Silence Consumers about Toxic Chemicals in its Cosmetics
** Letter from Revlon General Counsel: http://j.mp/1aLHVeJ **
Nearly 45k Join Breast Cancer Survivors in Demanding Revlon Drop Cancer-Causing Chemicals from its Products
NEW YORK — Cosmetics giant Revlon is lashing out at and threatening a coalition of cancer survivors, Revlon customers, and women advocates who are urging the make-up giant to remove toxic chemicals from its products. Last week, Revlon’s general counsel sent a cease and desist letter to UltraViolet and the Breast Cancer Fund, after the groups launched a petition that mobilized over 45,000 people to demand Revlon immediately stop using cancer-causing chemicals from their make-up and hair dye products. The online campaign was part of a national Safe Cosmetics effort launched by the Breast Cancer Fund, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics and UltraViolet, a national women’s advocacy organization.
VIEW THE PETITION HERE: http://act.weareultraviolet.
VIEW THE LETTER-WRITING ACTIONS HERE: www.safecosmetics.org/revlon
“Women shouldn’t be exposed to cancer-causing chemicals when they apply their makeup in the morning,” said Shaunna Thomas, co-founder of UltraViolet. “Young women developing cancer in record numbers should be enough for Revlon to stop lacing its products with toxic chemicals, but instead the company is fighting back against its customers and trying to silence criticism of the chemicals found in its products. No one deserves to increase their cancer risk from using makeup, and we demand Revlon join us in taking a stand and immediately drop these chemicals from its products.”
VIEW THE LETTER FROM REVLON’S LAWYER HERE: http://j.mp/1aLHVeJ
Janet Nudelman, Director of Program and Policy at the Breast Cancer Fund and co-founder of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, said these tactics will not work. “Here’s our message to Revlon: No amount of bullying is going to make us stop advocating on behalf of the millions of people who want and deserve safe cosmetics. Step up and become a leader by taking dangerous chemicals that harm women’s health out of your makeup and hair dyes. At a time when Johnson & Johnson, Procter & Gamble, Target and Walmart are cleaning up the beauty aisle by eliminating toxic chemicals, Revlon is like a dinosaur frozen in time in a changing world.”
Next week, cancer survivors, women’s advocates and other concerned consumers will be joined by supporters in a protest in front of Revlon’s NYC headquarters. The groups urge Revlon to commit to:
- Develop a comprehensive “safe cosmetics policy” to protect women from chemicals linked to cancer and other adverse health effects.
- Support federal cosmetics safety legislation.
- Share the Revlon product safety policy publicly on the company’s website.
A survey of the ingredients of Revlon products sold in stores by the Breast Cancer Fund and the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics found numerous cancer-causing and hormone-disrupting chemicals, including parabens and chemicals that release the carcinogen formaldehyde, in mascaras, face creams, hair dyes and other products.
For a full list of chemicals found in Revlon Cosmetics, please see: http://bit.ly/revlonsurvey
For interviews with UltraViolet, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics or the Breast Cancer Fund, please contact Brett Abrams at 516-841-1105 or by email at brett@fitzgibbonmedia.com or Margie Kelly at 541-222-9699 or by email at mkelly@breastcancerfund.org.