Walgreens: At the corner of toxic and unhealthy?

After first shedding light on Walgreens' personal care "double standard" last August, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics is now asking consumers to take action and urge the retailer to bring more transparency and safer ingredients to its products.

Back in August, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics targeted Walgreens for its "egregious double standard." The reason: Walgreens had responded to consumer demand for safer products by launching its (more) natural line, Ology. Yet, its own private label products—and an array of brands lining its shelves—are far from safe, let alone natural. 

In response, I couldn't help but pose the question: Can offering safer alternatives be disingenuous? Is it enough to bring safer options to your customers if you still haven't cleaned up your other and often more affordable products? 

I wasn't surprised to see that the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics maintains that it's not enough—and, in fact, that it may be even worse. The organization is asking consumers to take action against the retailer that "prides itself on being the gatekeeper of safety for its customers when it comes to the personal care products you buy for yourself and your family," according to today's release from the Campaign, which later referred to Walrgeens as being At the corner of toxic and unhealthy. That's bold.  

The Campaign continues: "Ironically, the retail giant recently started selling its non-toxic Ology brand of shampoos, lotions and kids products—a handful of products which it markets as being free of toxic chemicals—but sells other personal care products with chemicals linked to cancer, birth defects and hormone disruption.  It’s time for Walgreens to stop applying a double standard to the safety of the products it sells."

If you agree with the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, you can take action here.