There is a detox starting in the cosmetics industry – and it’s time to take stock to see which companies havemade the biggest changes and which ones still have work to do.

To find out more about how the cosmetics industry is changing, ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE looked at the “Big 5” companies that manufacture cosmetics sold in Canada in order to assess policies regarding use of chemicals, fragrance ingredient disclosure, and the use of ingredients identified as toxic to human health and the environment.We also selected a variety of products from popular brands owned by the parent companies to get a cross section of some of the most familiar personal care product brands in Canada. From these brands, we checked the product labels to see which of the Toxic Ten chemicals might be ending up in their ingredients, and whether, if the products contain fragrance, their contents are fully disclosed.

In terms of sales, the top five consumer product manufacturers creating cosmetics for the Canadian market are: Estée Lauder, Johnson & Johnson, L’Oréal, Procter & Gamble, and Unilever.

1. Here’s how they ranked:

1. Procter & Gamble
2. Johnson & Johnson
3. Unilever
4. Estée Lauder
5. L’Oréal

For the full report card, check out pg. 14

Consumers want products without harmful chemicals. That’s why the ‘green cosmetics’ sector has taken off. Consumers also want to learn about how cosmetic and personal care product companies measure up when it comes to addressing environmental and health concerns, and phasing out the use of toxic ingredients.