UPDATE: EC moves to restrict MCI and MI

The European Commission has announced its intention to restrict the use of the ingredients methylchloroisothiazolinone (MCI) and methylisothiazolinone (MI) to rinse-off cosmetics products.

Under the new regulations, using both chemicals together in the same product will also be prohibited.

The two chemicals have allergenic properties and have been suspected of causing an “epidemic” of contact skin allergies, going from one case in 2010 to 33 cases in 2012.

Correction: The CTPA had previously been quoted in this article as stating that manufacturers had been voluntarily restricting the use of MI and MCI in their products: "for a while now." However, this quote only refers to the blend of MI and MCI and therefore incorrectly implies that companies have been voluntarily restricting the general use of these ingredients in their products, which is not the case.

In addition the second half of the quote: "Preservatives are essential in many consumer products, including cosmetics. Simply banning MI could have unforeseen consequences, so whatever action is taken it must be done with all the facts in front of us to ensure it is the most appropriate in the circumstances," did not refer to the issue being discussed and should have been attributed to the CTPA's website, www.thefactsabout.com.