On Thursday 31 October, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) revealed that 6% of cosmetic products inspected contained dangerous substances banned under the REACH regulation and the Stockholm Convention.
Out of 4,500 cosmetic products examined by the national authorities responsible for enforcing the legislation in 13 European Economic Area (EEA) countries, 285 contained dangerous chemical substances whose use is prohibited. The presence of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA, a type of PFAS), long-chain perfluorocarboxylic acids (PFCAs) and related substances, as well as cyclic siloxanes D4 and D5, was detected.
Considered to be persistent organic pollutants and harmful to health and the environment, these substances are banned in cosmetic products. Measures have been taken by the authorities in the Member States concerned to withdraw these non-compliant products from the market.
The inspections, which mainly involved checking the list of ingredients present in the products, were carried out as part of a pilot project aimed at ensuring harmonised control of chemical substances in cosmetics. (Original version in French by Florent Servia)