March 17, 2010
Since 2004, Afssaps has put in service a system to survey and record undesirable effects due to cosmetic products, allowing for their listing, for coordinating information and for a better anticipation.
This Cosmetovigilance has been enacted first in France, but becomes the general rule in Europe, thanks to the new European Cosmetics Regulation, implemented on 11 July 2013.
The 2009 Cosmetovigilance report for France has been recently published.

More and more undesirable effects

The first note is that the number of undesirable effects is increasing in France: 232 in 2009, from 193 in 2008 and 126 in 2007.
The main points:
• 76% are allergy-like reactions
• 17% are irritations
• 7% are other kinds of reactions: respiratory discomfort, acne, corneal erosion …

Fifty-three percent of these effects have been classified as non-serious; nevertheless, the "non-serious" feeling is different depending on whether it is written in a law, or felt by a consumer.
In fact, 12% have been classified as "serious", after the definition in Article L. 5131-9 of the French Code of Public Health (leading to 16 hospitalizations, 5 doctor’s notes, 3 persons with their life at stake and 4 long-term disabilities), but 35% were considered …