Personal Care Products Council history

By 1900, cosmetics are in widespread use around the world, including the United States.

Cosmetics were excluded from the Pure Food & Drug Act of 1906 because they were not considered a serious public health concern.

1910: American women begin to fashion their own form of mascara by applying beads of wax to their eyelashes.

A staunch advocate for equality, Arden joined 15,000 women in 1912 for a landmark suffrage demonstration, all donning her signature red lipstick as a sign of fortitude.

1915: Chemist T.L. Williams creates Maybelline Mascara for his sister, Mabel, the product’s inspiration.

1920: The flapper look comes into fashion for the first time and, with it, increased cosmetics use: dark eyes, red lipstick, red nail polish, and the suntan, which is first noted as a fashion statement by Coco Chanel.

1922: The Manufacturing Perfumers’ Association (MPA) changes its name to the American Manufacturers of Toilet Articles (AMTA).

In 1928, CPC sells its first products – toothbrush, powdered cleanser, and a vanity set – under the name by which it is commonly known today: Avon.

The Avon line of cosmetics was introduced the next year, in 1929.

1934: Drene, the first detergent-based shampoo, is introduced into the marketplace by Procter & Gamble.

1936: Eugene Schueller (founder of L’Oréal) invents the first sunscreen.

Introduced in 1938, this product is cited as the first commercially viable sun protection cream.

1949: Companies such as Procter & Gamble (who made products such as soap and laundry detergents) begin to sponsor daytime television programs that will eventually be called “soap operas,” the first of which was called These Are My Children.

1952: Mum, the first company to commercially market deodorant, launches the first roll-on deodorant (under the brand name of Ban Roll-On), which is inspired by the design of another recently invented product – the ballpoint pen.

1960: Congress passes the Color Additive Amendments, in response to an outbreak of illnesses in children caused by an orange Halloween candy, which requires manufacturers to establish the safety of color additives in foods, drugs, and cosmetics.

1966: Congress enacts the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act (FPLA), which requires all consumer products in interstate commerce to be honestly and informatively labeled, with FDA enforcing provisions on foods, drugs, cosmetics, and medical devices.

1976: CTFA, with the support of the FDA and the Consumer Federation of America, establishes the Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel.

1981: PCPC donates $1 million to fund a national center for the development of alternatives to animal testing – the Johns Hopkins School Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing (CAAT). Its mission is to promote and support research in animal testing alternatives.

1990: Animal testing for cosmetics continues to be a hot topic in the beauty industry, driven by consumer preferences.

2004: The European Union (EU) implements an animal testing ban on finished cosmetics products.

2009: The European Commission (EC) issues regulation governing product claims, protecting consumers from misleading claims concerning efficacy and other characteristics of cosmetic products.

2012: PCPC begins working with FDA and Congressional staff on a multi-year process to develop a framework for cosmetics reform legislation that would strengthen FDA oversight and provide for national uniformity and preemption of disparate state cosmetic regulations.

2016: PCPC successfully petitions FDA to issue draft guidance for lead impurities in lip products and externally applied cosmetics, providing critical regulatory certainty consistent with international policies.