E.U. law for safer cosmetics now in effect

Brussels, 11 July 2013 (AFP) – Whether your sunscreen contains nanomaterials or your moisturizer really hydrates — a new European Union regulation on cosmetics went into effect Thursday, July 11 in an effort to reduce misleading labeling and increase safety.

The legislation was passed in 2009, after which the industry was given three and a half years to transition to the law’s provision, which includes new rules on the use of nanomaterials. The presence of such substances, suspected of being able to pass through the skin or lungs, must now be identified in a product’s ingredients with the word “nano.” Colorants, preservatives and UV filters, including those that use nanomaterials, must also be expressly authorized.

“It is by no means meant to issue a warning on nanomaterials but to allow consumers to make informed decision,” said an E.U. source.

Regarding safety, manufacturers and distributors must also report serious side effects to their national authorities, which they will in turn share with their European counterparts.

A list of six common criteria has been established as a means of assuring the buyer of a product’s claims, such as a deodorant promising to be “effective 48 hours.” National authorities will check the validity of properties attributed to products against these criteria.

The more than 4,000 manufacturers in Europe, including many world market leaders, will be able to answer to the sincerity of their claims and present evidence.
“From daily essentials like toothpaste to that little luxury of a new lipstick or after-shave, consumers are now better protected,” said Neven Mimica, the new European Commissioner for Consumer Policy.

A unique web portal was also created to centralize all information on beauty products on the market. The portal will reportedly save the industry some 50 million euros per year and simplify the work of the national police.

Some 320,000 products are already registered in the database, which displays the composition of a product in a few seconds, but only to authorized services. There are no plans to open the portal to consumers.