Ministerial message for International Self-Care Day - July 24, 2017

Today is International Self-Care Day, and I'd like to recognize the important role self-care plays in Canadians' lives. It consists of the little and big things we do every day to take care of ourselves like eating well, exercising, getting enough rest and spending time with loved ones.

When someone decides to aim for a healthy diet, goes for a walk at lunch-time or simply puts on sunscreen, they engage in self-care. We use self-care products to keep ourselves healthy, improve our appearance, and treat minor ailments. Every household in Canada has a number of these products - like moisturizer or vitamins. With such widespread use of self-care products, it's important that Canadians have confidence that they are safe and effective.

That's why Health Canada is looking to modernize its regulatory framework for self-care products. This includes natural health products, cosmetics and non-prescription drugs. Currently, three different sets of rules apply to these products, each with their own requirements and oversight. Our goal is to bring products to store shelves faster, while ensuring that consumers are still properly protected and have the information they need to make their own choices.

I encourage all Canadians to be a part of the ongoing conversation regarding our proposed approach to regulating self-care products, and to learn more by visiting Canada.ca/selfcare-products.

Sincerely,

The Honourable Jane Philpott