European Union to limit use of 22 hair colouring ingredients

The European Union (EU) is planning to restrict the use of another 22 hair colouring ingredients which include eyelash dyes.

EU has notified the World Trade Organisation (WTO) of the changes and the amendments are expected to be added to Annex III of EU Cosmetics Regulation, reported Cosmetics Business.

In a memorandum addressed to the WTO, EU stated that it took the decision following the recent scientific opinions given by the Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS).

The draft regulation has two main objectives.

The first objective one is to limit the use of 22 hair colouring ingredients by regulating them in Annex III of Cosmetics Regulation while the second motivation is to authorise the use of 10 ingredients that carry obligatory warnings.

EU has suggested that the ten hair dyeing ingredients and hydrogen peroxide used in eyelashes colouring products should be sold with strict use conditions and obligatory warnings such as "for professional use only" in Annex III.

Amongst the 10 ingredients to be subject to such warnings include 1,4-benzenediamine (HC Blue No 5), 1,3-benzenediol and 2-methyl, 2,5-diaminotoluene sulphate.

It is stated by the publication that EU is restricting the use of hair dyeing ingredients keeping in view the safety of consumers.

EU also banned 22 ingredients in 2006, and a few months ago, the SCCS opined on a raft of others, including dichloromethane, Basic Brown 16, 1,2,4-trihydroxybenzene, 2,2′ methylenebis-4-aminophenol HCI, 4-amino and 5-amino-6-chloro-o-cresol.