BackgroundThe Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist (Hotlist) is an administrative tool that Health Canada uses to communicate to manufacturers and others that certain ingredients may be prohibited or restricted for use in cosmetics. It consists of two distinct tables, one for ingredients identified as being prohibited and another for those identified as being restricted. 1) Prohibited ingredients, including synonyms, salts and related compounds, should not be present in cosmetic products sold in Canada. 2) Restricted ingredients are permitted only if the conditions of use and/or cautionary statement(s) are met as outlined. If the ingredient has a concentration restriction, to provide the exact concentration used in the product at the time of notification will help expedite Health Canada’s processing of the Cosmetic Notification Form. The Hotlist is a science-based document that is reviewed and updated periodically when new scientific data becomes available. |
On August 26, 2022, Canada released and implemented the updated Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist, adding two restricted ingredients, as well as revising the name of one prohibited ingredient and the use requirements of three restricted ingredients. 1