European Commission bans the use of fragrance ingredient in cosmetic products

Under EU Cosmetics Regulation, the commission banned some uses of methyl-n-methylanthranilate as a fragrance ingredient. This is an ingredient usually used in the production of shampoos, soaps, and other beauty products.

In alignment with the initial proposal presented by the Commission last year, the substance is banned from sunscreen products and other products marketed for natural or artificial UV light exposure. The substance is phototoxic; therefore, it shouldn’t be used with nitrating agents. The new restriction also says that the maximum nitrosamine content should be 50 micrograms per kilogram and cosmetic products containing methyl-n-methylanthranilate should be kept in nitrite-free containers.  

However, it is ascertained that there are no safety concerns for this substance in a concentration of up to 0.2% in rinse-off products and up to 0.1% in many leave-on cosmetic products.

Conclusively, from 21^st August 2022, cosmetic products that do not comply with the restrictions should not be placed in the EU market and should not be available from 21^st November 2022.

Last Update: 2022-02-08