Resources & Partnerships
Building Relationships That Build Better Products
Bath & Body Works is committed to building relationships with organizations, businesses and people interested in improving product safety and quality. Our technical associates actively participate in key industry and professional organizations to assure that we have the latest scientific, regulatory and safety information on ingredients. Bath & Body Works is a member of the following organizations:
American Society for Testing and Materials International (ASTM)
ASTM is an internationally trusted nonprofit and source of technical standards for materials, products, systems and services. ASTM is one of the largest voluntary standards-developing organizations in the world. Members represent producers, users, consumers, government and academia from more than 140 countries. They develop technical documents that are the basis of manufacturing, management, procurement, codes and regulations for dozens of industry sectors.
Cosmetics Alliance of Canada
The Cosmetics Alliance Canada is the leading Canadian trade association representing the cosmetics and personal care products industry. Founded in 1928, they represent more than 150 member companies that manufacture, distribute and supply personal care products marketed in Canada. These products are essential to living better, healthier lives and include everything from soap, shampoo and toothpaste to moisturizer, lipstick and sunscreen. As the makers of such a diverse range of products that millions of consumers use every day, their members are committed to product safety, quality and innovation.
Household & Commercial Products Association (HCPA)
HCPA is the premier trade association representing companies that make and sell products used for cleaning, protecting, maintaining and disinfecting in homes and commercial environments. HCPA members employ 200,000 people in the U.S. whose work helps consumers and workers create a cleaner, healthier and more productive life. Their mission is to protect, promote and enhance the household and commercial products industry and the consumers and workers who use their members’ products.
International Fragrance Association (IFRA)
IFRA focuses on the safety of fragrance materials through a dedicated science program. Bath & Body Works is an IFRA-affiliated company and complies with all IFRA Standards. IFRA Standards are based on the latest scientific findings and implemented following the recommendations of an independent Expert Panel that includes professionals from fields such as dermatology, toxicology, pathology, respiratory and environmental sciences.
National Candle Association (NCA)
Founded in 1974, the NCA acts as the collective voice for the candle industry in promoting the safe use and enjoyment of candles, monitoring and responding to issues impacting the industry and advancing the industry as a whole. Over the past 20 years, Bath & Body Works has been an active member supporting the NCA’s mission by contributing to science, research and the establishment of candle testing and labeling standards, as well as candle safety consumer education.
Personal Care Products Council (PCPC)
In addition to being a member, Bath & Body Works is also a signatory to their Code of Commitment. This code requires its members to go beyond regulatory requirements in providing assurances of product integrity. These include voluntary filings of raw material and formula information with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), as well as tracking and reporting certain consumer adverse reaction reports. PCPC has created a resource website to give consumers easy access to credible, scientifically based information about cosmetics and personal care products and the ingredients used in them. The site also links to other authoritative bodies and scientific research. At the cornerstone of PCPC’s safety initiatives is their Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR), an independent, non-profit body of scientific and medical experts who assess the safety of cosmetic ingredients in the U.S. This expert panel supplements the FDA oversight of cosmetic safety.
Research Institute for Fragrance Materials (RIFM)
RIFM is an industry organization that gathers and analyzes scientific data, engages in testing and evaluation, cooperates with regulatory agencies and encourages uniform safety standards related to the use of fragrance ingredients. RIFM has the most comprehensive database of safety evaluations for fragrance materials in the world and uses an independent expert panel with global multidisciplinary expertise such as dermatology, toxicology, pathology, respiratory and environmental sciences. The industry safety standards are maintained by the International Fragrance Association (IFRA), and we require our suppliers to abide by the IFRA Code of Practice and its standards. As a member of RIFM, we participate in the Joint Advisory Group of IFRA to stay up to date with the latest global standards for fragrance in our products.
The Responsible Minerals Initiative (RMI)
To support our commitment to avoid conflict minerals, Bath & Body Works is a member of RMI. RMI provides resources for companies from a range of industries addressing responsible mineral sourcing in their supply chains.