Banned Cosmetic Ingredients - U.S. vs EU

I recently found out that Europe has banned almost 1,300 cosmetic ingredients and the U.S. has banned ONLY 10! Yes, you are reading that correctly.

I was so surprised to learn this information. I don’t know about you, but I think I will stick to using products that follow the Europeon standards. Even Canadian standards are ahead of the U.S. EU takes the precautionary approach, responding to potentially harmful ingredients, where the U.S. assumes the wait-and-see attitude. The chemical must be “proven” harmful in order to impose regulatory action. I don’t want a wait-and-see approach when it comes to my health! Do you?

The banned chemicals, by the European Union, are those highly suspected or scientifically proven to be carcinogens, mutagens or reproductive toxins. So why are many of the chemicals banned in the EU but found in FDA-approved beauty products? Those products that could potentially cause cancer, birth defects, genetic mutation, and organ damage. Why is our regulation system so different from that of our European neighbors?

There are currently more than 10,000 ingredients used in cosmetics and personal care products; however, 80 percent have never been assessed for safety by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. In the U.S., the full ingredient listing is also not required and ingredients go by many names, often making it difficult to determine whether or not a product harbors harmful ingredients. Cosmetic manufacturers are wholly responsible for the safety of their own products and for making sure they adhere to the FDA’s guidelines. Companies also are not required to register their cosmetic establishments, file data on ingredients, or report cosmetic-related injuries to FDA.

So why doesn’t the U.S. change it’s policies to match the European Union’s where chemicals are actually tested for safety before they are put on the market? The U.S. government requires no testing for cancer or other long-term effects of these chemicals. And, once a chemical goes onto the market, it cannot be pulled from shelves unless it is proven to cause harm.

Are you wondering what the banned U.S. ingredients are? The short list includes: 1) Bithionol; 2) Chlorofluorocarbon propellants; 3) Chloroform; 4) Halogenated salicylanilides (di-, tri-, metabromsalan and tetrachlorosalicylanilide); 5) Methylene Chloride; 6) Vinyl Chloride; 7) Zirconium-containing complexes; 8) Prohibited Cattle materials; 9) Hexachlorophene; 10) Mercury compounds.

The lesson here… do your homework and educate yourself. When shopping for cosmetics or personal care products, keep in mind that those manufactured under the EU Directive are held to a much higher standard than those from the U.S. which are loosely regulated by the FDA. The largest discrepancies are in the area of ingredient safety, testing guidelines and labeling. So which products would you prefer to use – EU or U.S. products?

To help protect yourself and your family read product labels and familiarize yourself with the different terms used for cosmetic ingredients. And follow brands committed to product safety and full ingredient disclosure. By protecting ourselves, and using our purchasing power, we can eventually change the face of cosmetic and personal care safety. There are brands that you can feel assured are safe to use for you and your family.


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