Hazardous chemicals, banned under European Union (EU) law, have been found in 6% of inspected cosmetic products.
A pilot enforcement project by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA’s) Enforcement Forum saw national enforcement authorities in 13 European Economic Area (EEA) countries check nearly 4,500 cosmetic products.
The authorities found that 285 of the inspected cosmetics included hazardous chemicals whose use is banned.
The authorities looked at the products’ ingredients lists for the presence of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), long chain perfluorocarboxylic acids (PFCAs) and related substances, and cyclic siloxanes D4 and D5.
Banned ingredients discovered in the 285 products were: perfluorononyl dimethicone; perfluorooctylethyl triethoxysilane; perfluorononylethyl carboxydecyl PEG-10 dimethicone; and cyclopentasiloxane (D5), cyclomethicone (a blend of D4, D5 and D6) and cyclotetrasiloxane (D4).
These substances have been identified as persistent organic pollutants (POPs) or (very) persistent, (very) bioaccumulative and toxic (PBT/vPvB), meaning they adversely affect human health and the environment.
Their use is banned under the Stockholm Convention on POPs, or restricted under the REACH Regulation – the EU law protecting human health and the environment from the risks of chemicals.
Perfluorononyl dimethicone, which provides a ‘slippy’ effect, making products easier to apply, was primarily found in eyeliners and lipliners in pencil or crayon form.
The ingredient degrades into PFOA and long chain perfluorocarboxylic acids, with PFOA being persistent in the environment, toxic to reproduction and suspected of causing cancer.
D4 and D5, meanwhile, were found in hair conditioners and hair masks.
These break down slowly in the environment and build up in humans and other species, with D4 also suspected of damaging fertility.
According to the ECHA, the enforcement authorities have taken measures to remove the non-compliant products from the market, with written advice issued to guide suppliers on compliance.
Investigations are said to be ongoing in about half of the cases.
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