Key takeaways
- Cosmetics Europe and IFRA say European consumers and policymakers are increasingly exposed to false claims about cosmetics and fragrance safety.
- The organisations say this misinformation risks undermining trust and distorting regulatory reforms such as Omnibus VI.
- Both organisations emphasise that EU cosmetics safety standards remain among the strictest worldwide.
- Industry leaders argue Omnibus VI strengthens science‑based decision‑making and supports innovation without weakening consumer protection.
- They call for vigilance against coordinated misinformation campaigns affecting the regulatory process.
In recent months, European consumers and policymakers have been increasingly exposed to misleading and inaccurate claims regarding the safety of cosmetic and fragrance products and future regulation, according to two prominent industry bodies.
The European cosmetics industry trade body Cosmetics Europe and the International Fragrance Association (IFRA) said this spread of misleading claims is likely to distort the understanding of cosmetics safety rules among both policymakers and citizens.
Both organisations said that consumer safety remains the main priority of both EU legislators and the beauty and personal care industry. The European Union is globally recognised for having one of the strictest regulatory frameworks, ensuring all products undergo rigorous scientific assessment, and is viewed as an example for the rest of the world. In the EU, beauty and personal care products are also subject to strict post-market surveillance.
One notable piece of misinformation is the assertion that the Omnibus VI revision would relax safety rules for carcinogenic substances, lower safety standards through regulatory simplification, or suggest that cosmetic products pose significant health risks.
Cosmetics Europe and IFRA are now calling on legislators to support Omnibus VI as a “pragmatic and proportionate measure” that upholds Europe’s high standards of consumer protection while still supporting innovation and competitiveness in the cosmetics and fragrance sector.
They also stress the need for vigilance against coordinated misinformation campaigns, which risk distorting the regulatory process.
Calls for science‑based policymaking amid misinformation risks
Cosmetics Europe said that such claims are unfounded and that their growing volume could potentially undermine informed policymaking, as well as public trust in beauty and personal care products.
“While the European Union moves forward with streamlining and clarifying the cosmetics framework to reduce administrative burden and foster competitiveness, our total commitment to safety has not changed,” said John Chave, Director-General of Cosmetics Europe.
Chave clearly states that Omnibus VI does not weaken safeguards. “On the contrary, it ensures that regulatory decisions are better aligned with robust scientific evidence making it less likely that safe ingredients will be banned, and 100% certain that ingredients that need to be banned, are banned.”
President of the International Fragrance Association (IFRA) Alexander Mohr, PhD, also said he believed that recent months have seen a concerning rise in misinformation about the proposed changes under Omnibus VI. “These claims do not reflect reality,” he said. “Omnibus VI represents a targeted adjustment to regulatory processes, not a change to the fundamental principles of cosmetic and fragrance safety. Safety assessments remain firmly anchored in independent scientific evaluation and robust controls.”
“Safety is non-negotiable,” added Mr Chave. “However, safety decisions must be based on science, not irrelevant criteria and procedural bottlenecks. Omnibus VI introduces necessary adjustments to ensure this objective is met.”
