The European Commission has just released the Opinion of its Experts Committee on the fragrance allergens in cosmetics. This document dramatically lengthens the list of the substances designated as allergens, accompanying them with restrictions for use and obligations of declaration on the labels. These measures should help in managing the “epidemic” of allergies due to cosmetic products, while allowing sensitized people for the avoiding of undesirable reactions.
CosmeticOBS-L’Observatoire des Cosmétiques has already published the news at the end of 2011 . A revision of the 26 to-be-labelled allergenic substances was in process at the European level, in the Scientific Committee for the Consumer Safety.
This SCCS is an independent body, whose duty is to help the European Commission in taking the right decisions on every problem dealing with cosmetics and the consumer’s safety. Indeed, its opinions are at the core of the regulation that is applied everywhere in Europe.
As a reminder: a guess is that 1 to 3% of the European population is currently concerned by an allergy to some cosmetic ingredients. 16% of those who have contact eczema are sensitized to their fragrance substances.
Until now, the only protection for consumers, especially for the allergic ones, to prevent undesirable reactions, is an official list of 26 substances that shall be declared in the list of ingredients of any cosmetic product, as soon as they are present at more than 0.01% in rinse-off products, and at more than 0.001% in leave-on products.
Thanks to the data reported since the inception of this list (1999), it is now known that the most powerful allergens are far more …
