Frequently asked questions

Under California’s Proposition 65, The Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986, businesses selling products to California consumers are required to provide specified warnings as to a product containing any amount of nearly 1,000 listed chemicals that can be touched by the user’s hands unless the business can prove that the level is such that the chemical poses no significant risk of cancer and, for some chemicals, is less than 1/1,000 of a “no observable effect level.” Companies who do not provide warnings are subject to enforcement lawsuits by California residents seeking injunctions and penalties of up to $2,500 for every unit sold. They need not prove, and never do prove, that anybody was caused any damage by the product. We have never heard of a person sustaining cancer or reproductive harm as a result of using any of our products. Accordingly, we believe it is highly probable that the exposures, if any, are far below the no significant risk level and no observable effect level divided by 1,000. However, developing and presenting the scientific evidence and testimony a business needs to prove the level of exposure can cost between many hundreds of thousands of dollars and millions of dollars in legal costs. Accordingly, in order to keep our product costs at a minimal level and prevent this expensive litigation, we place the warning on each of our products that we believe contains a listed chemical, even though it is probable that the level of exposure is sufficiently low that no harm is caused.