The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has just opened a consultation on the identification of five substances as SVHCs (Substances of Very High Concern). Among them, two can be used in cosmetics: Butylparaben and Resorcinol. The consultation is open until 17 April 2020.
Substances that may have serious and often irreversible effects on human health and the environment can be identified as substances of very high concern (SVHCs), ECHA recalls. If a substance is identified as an SVHC, it will be added to the Candidate List for eventual inclusion in the Authorisation List.
Member States or the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), on request of the European Commission, may propose a substance to be identified as an SVHC by preparing a dossier in accordance with the requirements set out in Annex XV to REACH.
It is in this framework that the Agency has therefore just opened a public consultation on the proposals (from Denmark and France) for the identification of Butylparaben and Resorcinol as SVHCs, in both cases because of their endocrine disrupting properties.
Butylparaben
Butyl 4-hydroxybenzoate (INCI: Butylparaben / CAS: 94-26-8 / EC: 202-318-7) is currently listed in Annex V (list of authorised preservatives) to Cosmetics Regulation 1223/2009 in entries 12 and 12a.
Denmark proposes to identify the substance as a substance of equivalent level of concern to those of other substances listed in Article 57 (Substances to be included in Annex XIV of substances subject to authorisation) …
