California has made history by becoming the first state in the U.S. to pass a law that will require manufacturers of cosmetic products sold in professional settings, like a spa or salon, to list every ingredient in the formulation on the product’s label.

The new law will take effect on July 1, 2020.

Currently, federal law does not regulate professional cosmetics in the same way retail cosmetics sold to consumers are regulated. According to federal law, retail cosmetics must list all ingredients in the formulation on the product label, while cosmetic products manufactured for sale in professional settings have no labeling requirements.

More detailed labelling of cosmetic ingredients

Under the new law, any and all cosmetic products for sale in California on or after July 1, 2020, will be required to have labels “affixed to the container” that meet the requirements of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and the Federal Fair Packaging and Labeling Act.

California Governor Jerry Brown signed Assembly Bill 2775 into law on September 14, 2018.

The bill was first introduced to the California Assembly by Assemblymember Ash Kalra (D-San Jose), who was primarily concerned about the impact of cosmetic products on salon and spa workers in California workers.

“AB 2775 provides salon workers with more ingredient transparency and increased awareness so they can make informed decisions about their use or avoidance of chemicals that may pose a workplace risk,” said Assemblymember Kalra.

There are over 129,000 licensed manicurists, almost 53,000 licensed salon businesses, and over 312,000 licensed cosmetologists in California.

There are over 129,000 licensed manicurists, almost 53,000 licensed salon businesses, and over 312,000 licensed cosmetologists licensed to provide nail and hair services in California, according to the California State Board of Barbering and Cosmetology.

Additionally, it is estimated that “59 to 80% of manicurists in California are Vietnamese immigrants, many with limited English skills,” according to Bill 2775.  

Kalra represents the San Jose district, which has the largest Vietnamese-American population amongst all U.S. cities.

Part of a growing debate

Bill 2775 was co-sponsored by organizations including the California Healthy Nail Salon Collaborative, Breast Cancer Prevention Partners, Women’s Voices for the Earth, and Black Women for Wellness. Several cosmetic companies endorsed Bill 2775 as well, most notably Unilever and Beautycounter.

Professional organizations, including the California Chamber of Commerce and the Personal Care Products Council also supported the bill, which passed with near unanimous bipartisan votes in both the California Assembly and Senate.

“Providing ingredient information on the label will allow easier access to this information and will essentially codify what the industry has been doing for more than two decades. Nearly 20 years ago, PCPC instituted a voluntary program  to provide the same ingredient information available to retail consumers to professional use products.” – Personal Care Products Council official press release on the new law.

As the professional labeling law heads into effect, we can expect to see the debate around cosmetics regulation to heat up around the country, especially as industry players, celebrities, and lawmakers continue to thrust the issue into the spotlight.