THXX FOR NOTHING
On November 28, the FDA reversed course and withdrew its proposed rule to set standardized asbestos-testing methods for talc cosmetics—despite The Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act of 2022 (MoCRA) requirement to develop them.
WHY YOU SHOULD CARE.
MoCRA was the first major update to U.S. cosmetic safety laws since 1938—a watershed moment for, and a direct validation of, Beautycounter's original mission to raise industry-wide safety standards.
Passed with bipartisan support, MoCRA established a modern regulatory framework that consumer advocates, public health experts, and the clean beauty movement had demanded for over a decade. Critically, it required the FDA to create approved test methods for detecting asbestos—a known carcinogen and potential contaminant—in talc-containing cosmetics.
On November 28, 2025, the FDA withdrew that rule.
There is now no mandatory federal requirement for asbestos testing in talc cosmetics. Brands may choose to test, but they are not required to do so. Because asbestos occurs naturally in talc deposits, this creates dangerous variability in how companies approach safety and shifts the entire burden of verification onto individual brands and their suppliers.
The result: consumers—including children and vulnerable populations—face unnecessary and preventable risk.
The FDA has indicated it will revisit how to address asbestos contamination in cosmetics, meaning new rules may emerge. But for now, protection depends entirely on whether a brand chooses to act.
Our Ingredient Philosophy.
Out of an abundance of caution, Counter does not formulate with talc, knowing that asbestos contamination is a potential risk, and it is one of the over 2800 ingredients on The Never List™.
We believe that the ingredients we choose to formulate with are just as significant as those we don’t. We evaluate and re-evaluate ingredient safety related to people and the planet, assessing and testing obsessively. We examine the available research to inform our decisions and, where there is scientific uncertainty, we take the most protective path. This is the real work that creates real clean. Because real clean is still worth fighting for.
COPY FOR LETTER TO REPRESENTATIVES:
Subject: Please Oppose Rollbacks to Toxic Chemical Safety Protections
Dear [Senator/Representative] [Last Name],
As a constituent and advocate of the Counter community– a company committed to setting the definitive standard for clean beauty – I am writing to ask you to strongly oppose recent rollbacks to federal toxic chemical protections, specifically the FDA’s recent withdrawal of its proposed rule on asbestos testing in talc-containing cosmetics (FDA Notice 2025-21407).
This proposed rule, required under the Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act of 2022 (MoCRA), would have established standardized, science-based methods to detect asbestos—a known carcinogen—in talc – a commonly used ingredient in cosmetics and personal care products. Removing this requirement leaves consumers, including children and vulnerable populations, at unnecessary and preventable risk.
The withdrawal of this rule undermines the intent of MoCRA and represents a concerning step backward for public health. I urge you to conduct strong oversight of this decision and oppose any further efforts that weaken chemical safety standards or delay protections mandated by Congress.
Americans deserve transparent, credible safeguards for everyday products. Please take action to ensure that chemical safety regulations are strengthened, not rolled back, and that agencies fulfill their obligations to protect the public.
Thank you for your attention and leadership on this urgent issue.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your City, State, Zip]
[Your Phone Number]
