September Regulatory Updates

Cosmetics:

EU to set labelling requirement for 56 additional fragrances in cosmetic products.

The European Commission is planning an amendment to the cosmetics Regulation that will set a labelling requirement for an additional 56 fragrance allergens.

The changes, set out in a European Commission draft amendment, mean cosmetic products in the EU must list on their labels 81 allergenic chemicals found in fragrances or essential oils if they are present at levels greater than 0.001% for leave-on products or 0.01% for rinse-off products.

The new substances, derived from synthetic fragrances, include;

• menthol;
• terpineol;
• linalyl acetate;
• camphor;
• vanillin; and
• geraniol derivatives (geranial and geranyl acetate).

The newly added substances also include some natural essential oils/extracts such as ylang ylang oil (cananga odorata flower oil), cinnamon oil (cinnamomum zeylanicum bark oil) and lavender oil (lavandula officinalis flower oil).

The amendment offers companies a transition period of three years from when the amendment takes effect to reformulate their products and comply. However, it also gives five years for the withdrawal of non-compliant products.

Currently, 25 cosmetic fragrance ingredients, listed in Annex III of the cosmetics Regulation, must be included in the list of product ingredients on cosmetics packaging, while all other fragrances can be listed as “parfum” or “aroma”.

The draft amendment follows a 2012 Opinion by the Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) that identified the additional 56 allergens, which have caused allergies in humans and have currently no requirement of individual labelling.

The Commission is expected to open the amendment for feedback soon, after which it is expected to be adopted in the first half of 2023, according to a WTO notification.

ECHA

Commission bans 14 CMRs under EU cosmetic products Regulation.

New concentration limits for uses of methyl salicylate

The European Commission has banned 14 carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic for reproduction (CMR) chemicals from being used in cosmetic products.

A Commission amending Regulation, dated 15 September, has added the chemicals to the prohibited substances list under Annex II of the cosmetic products Regulation.

The banned CMRs include:

• tetrafluoroethylene;
• 3-methylpyrazole;
• 4-methylpentan-2-one oxime;
• 6,6′-di-tert-butyl-2,2′-methylenedi-p-cresol; and
• methyl isobutyl ketone.

The ban will come into force on 17 December and cover all cosmetic products on the EU market, imported and EU-made. It marks the fifth annual update to the Commission Regulation restricting and/or prohibiting the use of CMR substances in cosmetic products.

Methyl salicylate

The amending Regulation also introduces new restrictions on the use of methyl salicylate, an ingredient in many fragrance mixtures and oral hygiene products.

The European Commission’s Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) concluded in October that the substance is safe when used in cosmetic products up to set maximum concentrations.

However, the SCCS pointed out that methyl salicylate is also used in other consumer products, such as household cleaning items, so combined exposure could exceed safe levels.

Therefore, the use of methyl salicylate will be restricted as follows:

• up to 0.06% in leave-on skin products (except face make-up, spray/aerosol body lotion, spray/aerosol deodorant, and hydroalcoholic-based fragrances) and leave-on hair products (except spray/aerosol products);
• up to 0.05% in face make-up (except lip products, eye make-up and make-up remover);
• up to 0.002% in eye make-up and make-up remover;
• up to 0.009% in leave-on hair products spray/aerosol;
• up to 0.003% in deodorant spray/aerosol;
• up to 0.4% in body lotion spray/aerosol;
• up to 0.06% in rinse-off skin products (except hand wash) and rinse-off hair products;
• up to 0.6% in hand wash, hydroalcoholic-based fragrances, and mouthwash intended for children above 10 years of age and adults;
• up to 0.03% in lip products;
• up to 2.52% in toothpaste;
• up to 0.1% in mouthwash intended for children aged 6-10 years; and
• up to 0.65% in mouth spray.

Methyl salicyclate is banned from use in cosmetic products for children under six. The only exception is toothpaste.

REACH

European Commission adopts authorisation decision for use of 4-tert-OPnEO

EU executive permits application of the endocrine disruptor in pharmaceuticals

The European Commission has adopted a REACH authorisation decision granting a specific use of the SVHC 4-tert-OPnEO.

In an EU Official Journal entry on 13 September, the EU executive announced it has permitted Pfizer Manufacturing Belgium use of the chemical – also known as 4-(1,1,3,3-tetra methylbutyl)phenol, ethoxylated – as a surfactant within a lubricant used in the manufacture of pharmaceutical drug products.

The review period runs until 4 January 2030. The Commission said it granted permission for this use because it believes the socio-economic benefits outweigh the risk to human health and the environment from the uses of the substance, and that suitable alternative substances or technologies do not exist.

The substance is listed on the REACH Annex XIV authorisation list for its endocrine disrupting properties affecting the environment. The latest application date for 4-tert-OPnEO was 4 July 2019, and it had a sunset date of 4 January 2021.

In March, in its parallel UK REACH legislation, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) approved an application for a use of the substance.

At the EU level, the Commission has been working on plans to reform the authorisation process under REACH as part of its wide-ranging chemicals strategy for sustainability.

Pharma

QSAR Toolbox extension broadens possibilities for animal-free chemicals assessment

The new add-on helps users to predict chemical properties, including endocrine activity, while avoiding testing on animals.

The OPERA extension contains models for predicting properties that are important for assessing chemical hazards. The extension can be used to screen chemical databases to identify substances that may cause endocrine disruption. It also helps users to estimate acute oral toxicity and other regulatory relevant properties.

Developed by the US National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), OPERA can predict properties related to the absorption, distribution and metabolism of substances that can strengthen read-across justifications and facilitate the regulatory use of in vitro test results.

The extension can be downloaded for free from the QSAR Toolbox Repository.