New allergens to be labelled, new INCI names, new groups of substances to be declared under the same grouping name… the “Allergens” Regulation brings a lot of new things! And a few puzzles to solve before printing new packaging. At CEAC 2023, Pamina Mika Suzuki, from Cosmetics Europe, gave a reminder of the basics, illustrated by case studies. Practical information sheet.
This is laid down in Article 19 of Cosmetics Regulation 1223/2009: cosmetic ingredients and substances must be indicated in the list of ingredients as soon as they are intentionally added to the formula, under their INCI name and in descending order of weight .
Allergens, on the other hand, must be indicated simply because of their presence, whether intentional or not, as soon as their percentage exceeds 0.01% in rinse-off products and 0.001% in leave-on products. Originally there were 26, but the number has been reduced to 24, following the ban on Hydroxyisohexyl 3-Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde and Butylphenyl Methylpropional.
Allergen sources to consider
With the publication of this Regulation, the number of allergens to be considered has risen to 80.
And that includes :
• A presence as perfume or aromatic blend
• A presence as a constituent of complex natural substances (essential oils, plant extracts)
• A presence as an impurity or contaminant
• A presence as a combination of several of these three origins
• A presence as a cosmetic ingredient intentionally added to the formula
• A presence as a combination of several of all these origins
The new INCI names
They are far from being new substances, …
