The FTC published a notice of proposed rulemaking on 23 March to update its 1973 Negative Option Rule, which has become obsolete vis-à-vis new marketing strategies in today’s digital world. Proposed amendments would clarify, expand and consolidate negative option-related provisions currently dispersed across different FTC laws and regulations.

L’Oreal, Kao and Unilever have partnered with Genomatica, Inc. (Geno) to develop sustainable surfactants by replacing feedstocks such as palm oil and fossil fuels with biotech alternatives.

“The Clinique Lab is the next generation of digital innovation,” says The Estee Lauder Companies brand of its three-dimensional online dreamscape where users’ customized avatars can learn about the brand, its products and ingredients, unlock exclusive offers, and browse a virtual shop. Unilever’s Living Proof announced the launch of a similar concept this month as beauty’s presence in the metaverse grows.

FDA is closing down its 50-year-old Voluntary Cosmetic Registration Program as it prepares a new portal for facility registration and product/ingredient listing under the Modernization of Cosmetic Regulations Act. The Independent Beauty Association says the news marked an important step, but dismayed many stakeholders who hoped VCRP data would transfer to the new system or otherwise be preserved.

The US Federal Trade Commission is accepting comments through 24 April on potential updates to its Guides for the Use of Environmental Marketing Claims, aka “Green Guides,” including on whether it should address “organic” product advertising. Angela Diesch, a partner at law firm Amin Talati Wasserman, discusses.

New York-based Revlon, Inc. expects to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy after a 3 April meeting with the Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York. The firm says it has settled with a group of unsecured creditors and agreed to financial restructuring that should reduce total debt burden by about $2.7bn.