Last week, the EU Commission announced two amendments to the current Cosmetic Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009. Published amendments to Annex III and Annex VI of the Regulation restrictthe use ofhair and eyelash dye substances, as well as Benzophenone-3.
Amendment of Annex III regarding hair and eyelash dyes
In 2001, the Scientific Committee on Cosmetic Products and Non-Food Products (SCCP) conducted a study on the use of permanent hair dyes and the risk of bladder cancer. The study discovered a potential risk in the use of hair and eyelash dyes. As a result, the EU Commission has issued an amendment to the Cosmetic Regulation, restricting the use of such substances. The amendment lists all the updated requirements, including additional mandatory testing for genotoxicity and carcinogenicity.
Amendment of Annex VI regarding the use of Benzophenone-3
Following the opinion of the Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS), the EU Commission has published another amendment to the Cosmetic Regulation, restricting the use of Benzophenone-3 as a UV-filter. According to the recently published standards, the maximum concentration of Benzophenone-3 in cosmetic sunscreen products is defined as 6%, whereas the limit for all the other types of cosmetic products is set at 0.5%.
Transition period to comply with new requirements
According to the Amendments, cosmetic manufacturers will be granted six months transition period (starting from the updated Annexes coming into force) to comply with all the new requirements, revise their formulations, and – if necessary – withdraw products which do not comply with the new restrictions from the market.
The entire texts of the amended annexes are available on the Obelis website, in the Legislation section. If you have any questions about the new amendments to EC Regulation 1223/2009, please do not hesitate to contact us. With 30 years of regulatory experience, Obelis experts will gladly provide you with all the necessary support in order to safeguard the compliance of your beauty products.