Widely used in sunscreens, in daily anti-ageing cares with SPF, but also in lip’s balms, shower-gels and body care oils, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, an anti-UV filter, had been evaluated by the French Agency for the Safety of sanitary products (Afssaps). Its conclusion (which comes with many implied reservations): this substance is an endocrine disruptor … but is cleared for use.
After the referral made in 2009 by the French Minister of Health about the risks attributable to cosmetic ingredients that are toxic for reproduction and/or endocrine disruptors, the Afssaps continues to regularly issue its evaluations on substances that it has identified as such. This time, the topic is Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, an anti-UVB filter, authorized by the European regulation up to 10% in cosmetic products.
The opinion and its limits
To support its opinion, Afsapps has used as a basis the two opinions already issued by the then European Scientific Experts Committee (now the SCCS), in 1996 and 2001, as well as the data supplied by the cosmetic industry, especially by Ingrecos (a committee of suppliers of raw materials used in cosmetics): these data are found in the scientific literature and in studies made by manufacturers.
As a result, this opinion is, indeed, a synthesis of three sources, which Afssaps quotes only with some reservations:
• "
it shall be noted", syas this document, "that the 1996 SCCS opinion does not say whether the studies are made after the OECD guidelines and/or the Good Practices of Laboratory",
•further, "the summary of the studies presented is generally very brief, and many details …
