January17,2018TheHonorableXavierBecerraAttorneyGeneralofCaliforniaOfficeoftheAttorneyGeneral1515ClayStreet,Suite2000PostOfficeBox70550Oakland,California94612-0550Phone:(510)873-6321Fax:(510)622-2270Re:Rodan+FieldsFalseandMisleadingProposition65WarningDearMr.AttorneyGeneral:IamwritingonbehalfoftheEnvironmentalWorkingGroup.Giventhepublichealthinterestinassuringthesafetyofcosmeticproductsonthemarket,EWGisdeeplyconcernedaboutthefalseandmisleadingrepresentationsmadebythemulti-levelmarketingcosmeticscompanyRodan+FieldsinitsProposition65warningconcerningtheFDA’sstanceonbenzophenone,aningredientfoundincosmeticsthatisknowntocausecancer.Rodan+Fieldshasseveralproductsthatcontaintheingredientbenzophenone.Asbenzophenoneisaknowncarcinogen,pursuanttoCalifornia’sSafeDrinkingWaterandToxicEnforcementActof1986(“Proposition65”),Rodan+Fieldsisrequiredtoprovideawarningtoconsumers.Rodan+Fields’websiteprovidesthefollowingwarning1:

ForCaliforniacustomers:WARNING:Thisproductcanexposeyoutochemicalsincluding

Benzophenone,whichisknowntotheStateofCaliforniatocausecancer.Formoreinformationgotowww.p65warnings.ca.gov.ClickhereforinformationabouttheFDA’spositiononBenzophenone.

Ofgraveconcernisthatthe“Clickhere”linkisnottotheFDA’spositiononbenzophenone,butrather,alinktoacosmeticsindustryfundedwebsite.ThelinkedwebsiteisrunbythePersonalCareProductsCouncil(“PCPC”),whichisthenationaltradeassociationrepresentingtheglobalcosmeticsandpersonalcareproductsindustry. ThepurposeofProposition65istohelpCaliforniansmakeinformeddecisionstoprotectthemselvesfromchemicalsknowntocausecancer,birthdefects,orotherreproductiveharm.Aspartofthelaw,businessessellingproductstopeopleinCalifornia,suchasRodan+Fields,mustprovide“clearandreasonablewarnings”beforeknowinglyexposingpeopletoanychemicalonthestate’slistofchemicalsknowntocausecancer,whichincludesbenzophenone.Rodan+Fields’warningisneitherclearnorreasonable,asitfalsely1 https://www.rodanandfields.com/Shop/Product/RVRBH01.

representsthattheFDA’spositiononbenzophenoneisthesameasPCPC’sposition.ThisbiasedinformationdeprivesconsumersthefullknowledgeoftherisksofusingRodan+Fields’productsandinducesconsumerstopurchasetheirproductsbaseduponfalseandmisleadinginformation.ThismisrepresentationamountstoaviolationofCalifornia’sFalseAdvertisingLaw,CaliforniaBusiness&ProfessionsCode§§17500,etseq.,whichmakesitunlawfulforanycorporationintendingtosellproductstomakeanystatementinconnectiontherewithwhichisuntrueormisleading,andwhichisknown,orwhichbytheexerciseofreasonablecareshouldbeknown,tobeuntrueormisleading.Rodan+Fields’deceptivepracticeofprovidingconsumerswithcosmeticsindustrysupportedinformationundertheguisethattheinformationistheFDA’spositiononthecarcinogenicingredientisbothuntrueandmisleading.Rodan+Fields’representationthatthegovernment’spositiononbenzophenoneisthesameasthebiased,industrysupportedinformationisimmoral,unethical,misleading,andinjurioustoconsumers.Rodan+Fields’deceptivemisrepresentationalsocreatesanimpressionofofficialFDAapprovalofboththelinkedcontentandthecompany’suseofbenzophenoneinitscosmeticproducts.ItalsoraisesseriousconcernsastowhetherRodan+FieldsviolatestheFederalTradeCommission’struth-in-advertisinglawsandregulations(15U.S.C.§§52-54)andwhethertheProposition65disclosureisbeingmade“clearlyandconspicuously,”asrequiredbytheFTC.Likewise,themisrepresentationmayamounttoaviolationoftheFederalFood,DrugandCosmeticAct(21U.S.C.§352)andtheFairPackagingandLabelingAct(15U.S.C.§1451),whichprohibitmisbrandingandfalseandmisleadinglabeling.Intheinterestofconsumerprotectionandthesafetyofcosmeticproducts,EWGcallsupontheAttorneyGeneraltodemandRodan+Fieldsremoveitsfalseandmisleadingrepresentationsfromitswebsite. I look forward to hearing from you with an update. Thank you very much. Sincerely,CarolineLearyAttorney,EWG