If you’ve ever ordered beauty products online or shopped in stores across the U.S., you’ve probably seen the familiar California warning:
⚠️WARNING: This product can expose you to chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer or reproductive harm.
At Rei Cosmetics, we know this label can feel alarming, especially when it appears on products that you trust and use every day. So we wanted to break down why Prop 65 labels are showing up everywhere, and what it actually means for you as a customer.
What Prop 65 Actually Is
Prop 65, officially called the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986, is a California law that requires warning labels when products may contain trace amounts of certain chemicals, even at levels far below what federal agencies consider harmful.
The list includes over 900 chemicals, some of which occur naturally in pigments, minerals, and plant-based ingredients commonly found in cosmetics.
Why Many Brands Add the Warning
Under Prop 65, companies can be sued by private attorneys or activist groups if they don’t display the required warning on products sold in California. These lawsuits can cost brands tens of thousands of dollars, even when the actual exposure risk is extremely low.
Because of this, many beauty brands, including Rei Cosmetics suppliers and manufacturers, choose to include the label proactively, even when:
- the ingredient levels are far below national safety limits
- the exposure risk is minimal
- the ingredient is naturally occurring
- the product is sold outside California
It's a protective step to avoid costly litigation, not necessarily a reflection of product safety.
What This Means for Rei Cosmetics
At Rei Cosmetics, safety and transparency are our top priorities. Our products go through rigorous formulation checks and supplier audits to ensure they meet U.S. and Japanese cosmetic safety standards, often considered the strictest in the world.
When a Prop 65 label appears on a product we carry, here’s what it really means:
- The product meets or exceeds international safety standards
- The label is primarily precautionary and legally required in California
- We disclose it because transparency and compliance matters
We believe you deserve clarity, not confusion, especially when it comes to what you put on your skin.
Our Commitment to You
Rei Cosmetics sources safe, minimalist, Japanese beauty products that follow stringent manufacturing practices. We partner with trusted manufacturers, evaluate ingredient lists, and only carry products that have been tested and used by many in Japan before being introduced to the U.S.
Our goal is to make beauty feel effortless, safe, and transparent, and this includes helping you understand labels that other brands don’t take the time to explain.
Questions? We’re Here.
If you ever have questions about ingredients, safety standards, or labeling, reach out to us anytime. Transparency is part of how we take care of our community, and your trust means everything.