Albany, New York’s Proposed Cosmetics Ban Signals an Economic Blow for New York, Lacks Credible Scientific or Safety Grounds

By Tom Myers
President and CEO, PCPC

Across the country, we're seeing a surge of anxiety around everyday products, fueled less by science and more by viral misinformation. It's an unfortunate trend - particularly because it's based on fear and online chatter, and not on data. This counterproductive phenomenon is now showing up in New York. A proposed measure, the Beauty Justice Act, is under consideration in the waning days of the state legislative session. Sadly, it is informed by activism, not actualities, and, however well-intentioned, brings detrimental unintended consequences. It's being framed as a public health measure, but there is no rigorous scientific basis for it, and zero consensus from experts that would warrant what amounts to sweeping action that could diminish New Yorkers' access to essential, everyday products, such as deodorant, shampoo, and sunscreen.

At this point, if passed and implemented as it is currently written, the bill could amount to an economic disaster for New York. It threatens jobs, could disrupt businesses of all sizes, and destabilize a statewide industry that generates more than $23 billion in tax revenue (at a time of strained budgets, no less). It's worth stressing that the industry also supports over 270,000 jobs centrally in New York - and many more across the supply chain, setting up hundreds of thousands of employees and their families for unnecessary uncertainty.

It doesn't have to be this way.

For the businesses that our trade association represents, product safety is of the utmost importance and always has been. The ingredients targeted in the Beauty Justice Act are safe, and the trace elements found in the products on shelves today can naturally occur in raw materials like clay and water. The limits are more restrictive than current food and dietary standards regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and are out of step with standards for most other states and the European Union.

To help ensure policies reflect both scientific evidence and real-world impact, it is essential that a broad range of stakeholders are included in the policymaking process, including scientists, public health experts, economists, and small business owners.

Taken together, these considerations highlight the importance of grounding policy decisions in established science and coordinated regulatory frameworks. Existing federal and international frameworks already regulate these substances, and creating systemic fragmentation will leave New York in a patchwork system that benefits no New Yorker.

And the last thing we need are empty shelves, shuttered salons and bodegas, layoffs and lost wages, and reduced tax revenue. And even if regulators eventually hand down a rulebook that businesses can follow, the unnecessary requirements will slow innovation and limit access. It's a perfect example of misplaced priorities when an affordability crisis looms large across the state, cited by New Yorkers as their number one priority.

Albany has the chance to get this right, but only if it leads with evidence and includes experts. Rushing forward with a fragmented, unworkable approach risks a shaken sector, fewer choices, and higher prices for people who are already struggling. With the right bill, New York can be a pioneer, paving the way for other states to follow.

We are not there yet, and time is running out. Hopefully, avoidable crises are averted, not inadvertently caused.