P&G has published a list of 140 fragrance ingredients it does not use in its products – the first time the company has gone public with such information.
The list, now hosted on P&G’s website, comprises ingredients that P&G has never used, as well as some that it chose to stop using and is removing from product fragrances.
Ingredients on the list include: ambergris, benzene, castoreum oil, coffee oil, cyclamen alcohol, ethyl acrylate, fig leaf absolute, musk ketone, verbena oil and xylene.
The new level of transparency has been praised by watchdog Environmental Working Group (EWG). The EWG noted that the list of chemicals P&G rejects includes a number that have been linked to endocrine disruption, reproductive toxicity and cancer.
EWG President Ken Cook said: “This decision by P&G is welcome news for its customers and could ripple across the entire industry. We understand that such changes do not happen easily or overnight in a company of P&G’s size. But it is clear that consumers are being heard. To its great credit, P&G is listening and taking positive action.
“I’m very encouraged and impressed by the P&G announcement and optimistic that before long fragrance ingredients will be fully transparent in the global market. The trend towards full transparency—in food, personal care, cleaning products and many other categories--is not just undeniable, it’s accelerating and irreversible.”
Find out more on legislation for cosmetics ingredients and claims at the 2016 Cosmetics Business Regulatory Summit.