Phaseout Parabens in AVOD Products

Remove Parabens in Beauty Products

2004 – Avon Products, Inc.

WHEREAS :

According to Avon Products' website, 82 products, including Auto Focus Light Adjusting Foundation, Beyond Color Illuminating Radiance Vitamin C Foundation, Beyond Color Vertical Lift Foundation, Perfect Wear Total Coverage Concealer, Clear Finish Great Complexion Pressed Powder contain parabens.

Parabens are preservatives that have been identified as estrogenic and disruptive of normal hormone functions. Estrogenic substances are chemicals foreign to the body that mimic the function of the naturally occurring hormone, estrogen: Estrogen has been shown to control the growth of breast cells³, and exposure to external estrogens has been shown to increase the risk of breast cancer.⁴

According to a report by the National Research Council, some estrogenic substances are associated with adverse reproductive and developmental effects in wildlife and other animals. The US National Toxicology Program lists steroidal estrogens as "known human carcinogens." ⁶ Although parabens are not "steroidal estrogens," studies have shown that they can mimic steroidal estrogens in animal studies, including in mammals (see, e.g., Pedersen et al. (2000) and Routledge et al. (1998), cited above).

There is substantial scientific evidence to suggest that increased exposure to substances that behave like estrogen in the body may elevate an individual's risk of developing cancer: Parabens are among these substances. ⁸

BE IT RESOLVED

The shareholders request that the Board of Directors prepare a report (at reasonable cost and omitting proprietary information), available to shareholders by October 2003 evaluating the feasibility of removing, or substituting with safer alternatives, all parabens used in Avon products.

SUPPORTING STATEMENT

Our company deserves high praise for its commitment to women's health. Avon has raised approximately $190 million for women's health programs in 30 countries through a variety of fundraising programs. Avon states on its web site, "No other company has committed as much money to the cause of women's health." Our company has done more in the breast cancer fight than any other company.

Chemicals that may pose higher-than-average risk to human health, and particularly those that may increase the risk of breast cancer, could undermine our company's good efforts to support women's health, especially in the breast cancer arena. We believe that they do not belong in our products.

1 Pedersen, K.L. et al., "The preservatives ethyl-, propyI-and butylparaben are oestrogenic in an in vivo

fish assay," Pharmacology & Toxicology (Vol. 86(3), pp 110-13, March 2000); Routledge, El., et al.,

"Some alkyl hydroxy benzoate preservatives (parabens) are estrogenic", Toxicology and Applied

Phamlacology (Vol. 153(1), pp. 12-19 (Nov. 1998) and Kant, K.S. et al., "Decreased sperm number and

motile activity on the F1 offspring maternally exposed to butyl p-hydroxybenzoic acid (butyl paraben)",

Journal of Veterinary Medical Science (Vol. 64(3), pp. 227-35 (March 2002).

2 National Research Council, "HorD1onally Active Agents in the Environment" (Washington DC, National

Academy Press (1999) ("NRC Report").

3 US Department of Health and Human Services, National Toxicology Program, "10d1 Report on

Carcinogens", pp. 116-19 (2002).

4 NRC Report, cited above.

5 Id.

6 US Department of Health and Human Services, National Toxicology Program, "101h Report on

Carcinogens", pp. 116-19 (2002).

7 NRC Report, cited above.

8 See Pedersen at 110-13, Routledge at 12-19, and Kant at 227-35.