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[Updated] EU Adopts 11 Changes to the Use Requirements for Cosmetic Ingredients

Apr 07, 2024
Jarius Ji
The EU introduced 11 changes to the ingredient lists in Cosmetics Regulation, including: 
1) Adding one prohibited ingredient, and eight restricted ingredients;
2) Amending the use requirements for two permitted preservatives;
3) Deleting one permitted UV filter.

Editor's note: This article was originally published on June 13, 2023, and was updated on April 7, 2024, as per the latest developments.

On April 4, 2024, EU released the Commission Regulation (EU) 2024/996, introducing finalized changes to the ingredient lists in Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 (Cosmetics Regulation). These changes will take effect on April 24, 2024.2

Different transitional periods have been granted for the affected ingredient lists, as outlined in the table below: 

ListTransitional Provisions
List of Prohibited Ingredients

Products containing 4-Methylbenzylidene Camphor shall not be placed on the Union market from May 1, 2025, and shall not be made available on the Union market from May 1, 2026.

List of Restricted Ingredients

1) For substances listed under reference No. 376:

Products containing that substance and not complying with the conditions shall not be placed on the Union market from November 1, 2025, and shall not be made available on the Union market from May 1, 2027.

2) For other newly included substances:

Products containing that substance and not complying with the conditions shall not be placed on the Union market from February 1, 2025, and shall not be made available on the Union market from November 1, 2025. 
List of Permitted PreservativesProducts containing that substance and not complying with the conditions can be placed on the Union market until December 31, 2024, provided that they meet the conditions applicable on April 23, 2024. If such products have already been placed on the market before that date, they can be made available on the Union market until October 31, 2025. 
List of Permitted UV FiltersThe deletion of the 4-Methylbenzylidene Camphor entry will take effect on May 1, 2025.

Draft regulation released in June 2023

On June 8, 2023, EU notified WTO of a draft regulation that aims at revising the ingredient lists in Cosmetics Regulation. The draft proposes to prohibit and restrict the use of certain cosmetic ingredients respectively, following the opinions from the Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS), and is open for comments until August 7, 2023.1

Detailed amendments to each list are as follows (the text in red indicates revisions to the previous list): 

1. List of Prohibited Ingredients: one added

4-Methylbenzylidene Camphor (CAS No. 36861-47-9 / 38102-62-4) is currently regulated under the Cosmetics Regulation as a permitted UV-filter. As per opinion SCCS/1640/21, the use of this substance in cosmetics was potentially risky to human health. Therefore, the draft proposes to prohibit its use, and delete the corresponding entry from the list of permitted UV-filters. 

annex-ii-4.png

2. List of Restricted Ingredients: eight added

Currently, the ingredients listed in the table below are not subject to any use conditions under the Cosmetics Regulation. To guide their use in cosmetics and ensure the protection of human health, the European Commission mandated SCCS to carry out safety assessments on them. Based on SCCS's opinions, the draft proposes to establish restrictions on them in the restricted ingredients list. 

annex-iii-4.png

3. List of Permitted Preservatives: two revised

Triclosan and Triclocarban are two preservatives permitted for use in cosmetics. In response to concerns related to their potential endocrine disrupting properties, SCCS assessed their use in cosmetics and released its final advice in October 2022. According to SCCS, the use of Triclosan and Triclocarban in cosmetics may endanger human health under certain conditions. In light of this advice, the draft proposes to further restrict their use by revising their applicable product types, and introducing additional labelling requirements. 

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Further Reading

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