"To draw attention to the troubling trend of corporate 'pinkwashing,' Breast Cancer Action, a national grassroots breast cancer advocacy organization, is running an ad in the national edition of the New York Times questioning some high-profile corporate marketing campaigns launched in connection with Breast Cancer Awareness Month. 'We're not opposed to companies raising money for the cause,' said Barbara Brenner, Breast Cancer Action's executive director. 'We're concerned about companies claiming to support the fight against breast cancer while manufacturing products that may be contributing to rising rates of the disease. They can't have it both ways.' Breast Cancer Action offers examples of corporate 'pinkwashers':
Cosmetics companies such as Avon, Revlon, Estee Lauder, and Mary Kay all direct a percentage of their profits toward efforts against breast cancer. They also manufacture products containing phthalates and/or parabens, hormone-disrupting chemicals that may affect the development of cancer. 'As long as we believe we're doing something meaningful about breast cancer by buying into these corporate marketing schemes, the real work that needs to be done around treatment, access to care, and true prevention will continue to be under-funded and ignored,' said Brenner."