Tell the Estée Lauder Companies to READ OUR LIPS: We want prevention, Not Pinkwashing!

Message : Dear Evelyn Lauder, Senior Corporate Vice President, CC: Harvey Gedeon, Executive Vice President, Global Research, Development and Product Innovation This October, the Estée Lauder Foundation is once again spearheading a new initiative aimed at improving women’s health through the campaign: "Connect. Communicate. Conquer. Prevent Breast Cancer One Woman At A Time." This is just another example of the Estée Lauder Foundation’s commitment to Breast Cancer Awareness. The Estée Lauder Companies’ Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign is one of the greatest contributors to ongoing pink ribbon initiatives. While these fundraising efforts respond to a great need for research, I am concerned that an important aspect of women’s health is being forgotten: disease prevention. Your most recent campaign touts the words “prevent” and “prevention”, but your pledge asks for women to get mammograms, to perform breast exams and to wear pink ribbons; mammograms only diagnose cancer, they don’t prevent it! I think it’s time to prevent breast cancer as well as to cure it! “Prevention research” in its true sense should aim to discover the root causes of breast cancer. We want to stop breast cancer before it starts! Not only is research into the primary prevention of breast cancer necessary and mounting, but there is growing research that illustrates the connection between breast cancer and the use of potentially harmful chemicals in the production of cosmetics. Given that this is a possibility and a growing concern, I think it is important for Estée Lauder, as an advocate of women’s health, a leader in the crusade against breast cancer, and as a cosmetic company, to take a leadership role in researching and providing the safest possible body care products to consumers. According to Health Canada, "[o]nly ingredients that do not pose an unreasonable health and safety risk to the Canadian public, when used according to directions, are allowed in cosmetic products." In my opinion, this is not enough. Companies, such as Estée Lauder must be consistent in their pink ribbon promises, be leaders in this industry and sign the Compact for Safe Cosmetics. As of September 2010 none of the labels of the Estée Lauder companies, although aware of the Compact for Safe Cosmetics, have signed it. Hundreds of companies have already signed the Compact, and in doing so, have made a commitment to manufacture personal care products free of potentially carcinogenic and endocrine disrupting chemicals. Because I know that Estée Lauder is a vociferous advocate of prevention and a dedicated supporter of research with its Breast Cancer Research Foundation, fundraising products and recent BCAPledge, I am confident that the Estée Lauder Companies will support this important initiative for women’s health. Without such a public commitment to safe products, the pledges, fundraising, and pink ribbon marketing can only be understood as disingenous. Sincerely,