As an introduction to its opinion, the SCCS reminds consumers that the possible health risks that may be associated with the presence of nitrosamines in cosmetic products are regulated under the Cosmetics Directive (76/768/EEC) under the following entries of Annexes II (total ban) and III (restricted use):

• The nbr 410 and 411 of the Annex IIdeal with the nitrosamines themselves and with the secondary alkyl- and alkanolamines and their salts.

• The nbr 60, 61 and 62 of the Annex III deal with the fatty acids dialkylamides and diaalkanolamides; monoalkylamines, monoalkanolamines and their salts; trialkylamines, trialkanolamines and their salts. Each category comes with a maximum allowable content of secondary amines in the finished products and/or in the ingredients, purity criteria, restrictions for use …

The implementation of the above provisions in the market place has been difficult as the chemical terms used in the above entries are relatively generic and allow for different interpretations among economic operators and public authorities, ranging from those which consider that all chemical structures which contain a secondary amine group are covered by the above entries to those who take a more practical approach to consider only those secondary amines with unsubstituted or monosubstituted …