EC Trims Permitted Cosmetic Preservatives List, Warns About 'Stigmatizing' Safe Options

The European Commission intends to move formaldehyde, paraformaldehyde, quaternium-15 and chloroacetamide from the EU Cosmetics Regulation's permitted preservatives annex to its prohibited substances annex, according to a recent notification. With formulators' preservative options dwindling, an EC official advised industry in June to take measures to safeguard those that remain available.

The European Commission recognizes that the cosmetics industry's shrinking preservative palette is a public health concern, but that hasn't stopped it from scheduling bans on traditional preservatives with proven efficacy that could go into effect by the end of the year.

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