IDEA is the International Dialogue for the Evaluation of Allergens. The project was started by IFRA in response to future changes in regulations, with the task of better evaluating the risks related to fragrance allergens. Dr. Frédéric Lebreux, of IFRA, presented it at the 11th edition of Cosmetic Valley’s Perfumes & Cosmetics Congress, in 2013.
To communicate the value of the IDEA project, Frédéric Lebreux began by reviewing the regulatory context.
• 1999: an Opinion issued by SCCNPF (today’s SCCS) recommends labelling 26 aromatic fragrance substances on cosmetic products when they are present in concentrations higher than 0.001% for leave-on products and 0.01% for rinse-off products
• 2003: the 7th amendment of the Cosmetics Directive (which has now been replaced with Regulation 1223/2009) confirms this recommendation, which becomes mandatory beginning in 2005
• December 2011: the SCCS publishes a new Opinion on allergens, which sets forth:
> The prohibition of Hydroxyisohexyl 3-cyclohexene carboxaldehyde (HICC or Lyral)
> The prohibition of atranol and chloratranol (present in Evernia prunastri and Evernia furfuracea tree mosses)
> Restrictions for the use of 9 allergens
> The requirement to label approximately 90 allergens (as for the current 26) when the thresholds of 10 ppm in leave-on products and 100 ppm in rinse-off products are crossed
• March 2012: a public hearing is held before the SCCS. “There were intense discussions between industrial manufacturers, the Commission, and consumers as represented by BEUC,” specifies Frédéric Lebreux. “The industrial manufacturers’ arguments had little incidence on the final Opinion. We estimate the …
