Shawnee Dispatch

To the editor:

Over a year and a half ago, I flipped over the bottles in my home and what I saw was shocking.

I saw words like fragrance, paraben, methylchloroisothiazolinone, and formaldehyde releasing ingredients.

These words may not seem familiar to you or make you sick to your stomach like they did to me, but they should.

The labels I was reading were not the variables for a science experiment, but on the bottles of product I was using on my body every single day and the ingredients are simply not in favor of human health.

This moment drove me to research and find products that were safer for my family. While there are some companies looking out for our well-being, many are not.

If we want the companies to change, we need our regulation to change.

The Personal Care Product Safety Act (S.1113) is a chance for us as citizens to prove to lawmakers we need to put our health first.

The bill would require manufacturers to disclose the ingredients they use and register with the FDA annually, ultimately, encouraging radical transparency.

I desire to see a day when my children don’t have to worry about the potential harm of the products they put on their bodies.

I want to leave this earth in better shape than when I arrived.

Do you have this same desire?

Let’s lock arms, make our voices heard, and protect our future generations to come.

Paulina Colton

Overland Park