Made in the Image of God: A Campaign for Safe Cosmetics
Faith and Personal Care
Every day we all have a routine that involves activities such as bathing, shaving, applying lotions or makeup, and styling our hair. These activities involve personal care products, or cosmetics. Every day the average woman applies twelve personal care products and the average man applies six. Suprisingly, these ingredients go virtually unregulated by the Food and Drug Administration due to a very weak cosmetics law.
Unregulated chemicals in personal care products may be constributing to the increase of male fish that can lay eggs, early puberty in girls, obesity, and cancer.
As people of faith we know we were made beautiful in God's image (Genesis 1:26). We also know that we are called to care for our bodies as is they were temples to the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19.) We are also called to care for vulnerable populations and God's Creation. Equipped with this knowledge, we are working to ensure that cosmetics are safe for our bodies, God's Creation, and particularly vulnerable populations such as children, low-income communities, workers, and communities of color.
About our Work
The National Council of Churches Environmental Health Initiative is providing congregations with hands on and practical educational materials to make changes in the lives of individuals and the community. We also provide congregations with materials to incorporate this eco-justice concern into worship and times of spiritual reflection. We are equipping congregations to take prophetic action on this issue by educating members of congress about toxic chemicals in personal care products.
Get Involved
- Sign a letter from women of faith to Congress asking for stronger laws to ensure that the products we use are safe for the whole of Creation.
- Visit the Healthy Spa page for sample letters to the editor and to Congress you can use in your congregation.
- Host your own Made in the Image of God Healthy Spa gathering. Download a toolkit with DIY recipes and instructions for hosting a gathering.
Learn More
- Look up the safety of your personal care products and to find safer alternatives
- Click here to visit the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics for informative reports, background on the science, and more
- Download a two-page hot pink flyer on why this is an issue of faith and what you can do the next time you take a shopping trip.
Other Environmental Health Issues
- Air Quality
- Children’s and Women’s Health
- Cosmetics
- Environmental Justice and Health
- Flame Retardants
- Food and Health
- Lead
- Mercury
- Pesticides
- Plastics
- Toxic Chemicals in Consumer Products
For More Information Contact:
Chloe Schwabe
Environmental Health Initiative
National Council of Churches
110 Maryland Ave., NE, Suite 108
Washington, DC 20002
(202) 481-6932
info@nccecojustice.org